Our family loves Big Mac-style smash tacos made outside on our skillet grill top. But it was pouring rain the night we conceived this recipe, and what you see here became a fast favorite. These little bites make the perfect coffee-table dinner on a game or movie night in front of the fire. We serve ours with green bean “fries” we roast in the oven, tossed with olive oil, cracked salt, and pepper. Simple, fun, and the perfect use for ground venison. Pro tip? We’ve also tried the smash tacos with regular beef and find them to be too rich, which I think would be the case for these. I’m sure ground beef would work in these cups if you don’t have venison handy, but if you use it? Go for a lean mix. Together with the toppings, sauce, and sprinkled with sesame seeds, these guys are a fabulous little flavor bomb as is!
“Mini Mac” Venison Cups (Yields approximately 24 cups)
Venison Cup Ingredients
1 package wonton wrappers (approx. 2″ x 2″)
1 lb. ground venison
6 slices white American cheese (use what you prefer, shredded is fine too. But American cheese is the real deal here)
Iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
Dill pickles, diced
1/2-1 yellow onion, diced
Sesame seeds
Mini Mac Sauce Ingredients
1/4 c. good mayonnaise
1 Tbs. finely minced onion (onion powder works too, but just use a bit of the onion you’ve already diced)
1 Tbs. ketchup
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. granulated sugar (feel free to omit if using ketchup that contains sugar)
1/4 tsp. paprika
pinch of salt
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of onion powder
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Prep diced onions, pickles, lettuce, and sauce. Place into assembly line along with sesame seeds.
- Cut American cheese slices into quarters and set aside.
- Lightly coat two 12-cup muffin tins with oil. We used whatever we have on hand, which is usually avocado oil spray.
- Gently press wonton wrappers into the muffin tins to create little cups that will hold the ingredients.
- Bake until lightly golden, approximately 8-10 minutes. Keep oven on at 350° and leave wontons in muffin tins while you proceed.
- Brown venison in skillet over med-high heat, ensuring meat is finely crumbled as you go. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once venison and wonton cups are ready, fill each cup with meat, ensuring you leave enough room for toppings. Just eyeball it; we eat these as finger food, so we keep that in mind at this stage.
- Place cheese slices on top of each cup and return to oven until cheese is just softened. Approx. 3 min.
- Pull from oven, place gently on serving platter, and add toppings. If sauce is too thick to drizzle? You can thin it out with a bit of water. Garnish with sesame seeds, and serve!
- Note: These can be just a bit messy, so we always use hors d’oeuvre plates and have plenty of napkins on hand. But they’re not so sloppy that I wouldn’t also consider serving at a cocktail party. Even better, if someone were commuting past a fast-food restaurant on their way to our house, wouldn’t it be fun to serve these alongside a silver bowl brimming with salty/peppery French fries? Weekend goals!
Serving Suggestions
These Mini Macs would be so much fun at cocktail hour with friends. Mariposa makes the most beautiful serving pieces. Although not actual silver, they’re made from recycled aluminum and designed using a process that allows them to be warmed up to around 300°. This platter would be perfect to help your Venison Mini Macs stay warmer longer, and the bowl would be exquisite as a serving dish to elevate French fries. The cocktail napkins from Hudson|Grace add the perfect amount of cheeky flair to take this party over the top!
