Taco Casserole is cheesy, beefy, flavorful and SO easy to make! It’s a great weeknight dinner that the whole family loves. A base layer of soft tortillas are topped with a hearty ground beef mixture, more tortillas and plenty of gooey cheese.
Dig into more of my favorite casserole recipes like Stuffed Pepper Casserole, Chicken Noodle Casserole and Cheeseburger Casserole!
Table of Contents
Taco Casserole is one of my family’s favorite dinners! This is a classic that gets requested in my house at least once a month, but usually more.
I’ve been making variations of this casserole for years. The version you see today is my masterpiece! I’ve tried it with all kinds of ingredients you so you don’t have to.
While this new and improved Taco Casserole is the bee’s knees, have no fear. It takes just about 5 minutes to prepare! Then you just toss it into the oven and call it dinner.
I’m all about easy weeknight dinners, and this one’s a real winner!
Reader Rating
Christine said, “I made this tonight and it turned out amazing!! My son said it was 10 out of 10!! It was so easy too!! Thank you! I love your easy and delicious recipes!!”
Why we love this Taco Casserole:
- Filling: There’s plenty of ground beef and black beans in the mix to get your protein fix at dinner. Just one hearty serving should keep you nice and full!
- Quick and Easy: With just 5 minutes of prep and 25 minutes in the oven, this easy casserole recipe comes together in just half an hour.
- So Cheesy: I mean, it kind of goes without saying that when a recipe calls for 3 cups of cheddar cheese you know it’s going to be good!
Taco Casserole Ingredients Needed:
- Ground Beef – You can swap this with ground turkey or even chicken if you’d like. Just note that the flavor and consistency may differ.
- Cheese – Freshly gated cheddar is my favorite! Feel free to use another type of cheese if you’d like, such as a Mexican blend.
- Tortillas – You can use flour, whole wheat or corn. They’ll all work well.
- Salsa – While I’m a fresh salsa lover, I actually prefer using a jar of salsa for this recipe. Fresh salsa is a bit too watery.
- Black Beans – Make sure they’re drained well prior to using.
- Onion – A white or yellow onion is preferred.
- Red Bell Pepper – Feel free to swap this with another colored bell pepper if you’d like!
- Garlic – You can swap this with garlic powder if needed.
- Seasonings – All you need is some taco seasoning and a little bit of oregano to create the very best flavor.
How to make Taco Casserole
Take a quick look at how simple this taco casserole recipe is! For more information about ingredients and steps, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cook the ground beef, peppers and onions over medium-high heat until the beef is browned and the veggies are tender.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, oregano, garlic and salt.
- Stir in the salsa and beans. Remove from the heat.
- Place the base layer of tortillas on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top the tortillas with ⅓ of the meat and ⅓ of the cheese. Repeat the layers twice for three layers: two tortillas (cut to fit as necessary), ⅓ ground beef, ⅓ cup cheese.
- Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and it’s warmed all the way through.
Variations and Substitutions
- Veggies: This is a wonderful recipe to use when you have extra veggies you need to get out of your fridge! Toss in some kale, mushrooms, zucchini, or whatever else you may have on hand.
- Make it Spicy: To add more heat, sprinkle in some cayenne powder and/or red pepper flakes when you add the taco seasoning. You can also serve your taco casserole with your favorite hot sauce splashed on top! Or, mix in some jalapeños with the other veggies. So many spicy options to play around with!
- Change the Meat: Not a ground beef fan? No worries! Swap it out with ground turkey or ground chicken. You can even omit the meat and replace it entirely with more black beans for a vegetarian dinner.
How to store Taco Casserole
Leftover taco casserole will stay fresh in the fridge for about 2-3 days. Make sure it’s kept in an airtight container, of course! To reheat it, simply pop it in the microwave and zap it for 30 seconds at a time until heated through.
Can I freeze taco casserole?
Yes! Let the beef taco casserole fully cool to room temperature prior to covering with a lid (or any other freezer safe storage container you have). Freeze for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to date and label!
When you’re ready to serve taco casserole, allow it to slowly defrost in the fridge for a few hours before reheating.
Serving suggestions:
Freshen up your plate with a lighter side dish like Corn Salsa! You can also serve it with a side of Baked Rice, Easy Homemade Cheese Sauce and tortilla chips, or Taco Dip!
More Taco Recipes You’ll Love!
- Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup — for all the taco lovers out there!
- Taco Lasagna — easy to prep ahead!
- Taco Mac — one of our favorite mash ups.
- Taco Pizza
- These Walking Tacos are a favorite with my kids!
Taco Casserole
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- ½ medium onion (finely chopped)
- 3 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted taco seasoning)
- 2 cups jarred tomato salsa (mild or spicy, depending on your tastes)
- 1 can black beans (298 ml or 14 oz, rinsed well)
- 6 large tortillas
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef, pepper and onion over medium-high heat until ground beef is browned and vegetables are tender.
- Add taco seasoning, oregano and salt and cook 1 minute.
- Add salsa and beans and remove from the heat.
- Place two large tortillas (cutting one in half to cover the bottom as necessary), one on top of the other, in the bottom of a 9×13" baking dish. Top with ⅓ of the meat and ⅓ of the cheese.
- Repeat layers twice for three layers: two tortillas (cut to fit as necessary), ⅓ ground beef, ⅓ cup cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Ground beef: feel free to swap the beef for any ground meat, or add additional veggies and make it a meatless meal.
- Vegetables: I use bell peppers and onions in this recipe, but this is a great recipe for using up whatever is in the fridge. You can finely chop or shred carrots, zucchini, spinach, kale, mushrooms, etc. or add frozen vegetables to bump up the veggie content.
- Salsa: Choose a jarred or cooked tomato salsa for this recipe rather than a fresh one. A fresh salsa will be too liquidy and make the tortillas soggy. You can swap for smooth tomato sauce with added spices if you need to.
- Tortillas: choose flour, whole wheat or corn tortillas according to your preferences.
- Cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack would all work well in here!
Nutrition Information
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Morgan says
Very nice dinner recipe. Added a lot of salsa and sour cream. 5 star delicious !!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Morgan!
Ashes says
I used ground chicken to lighten it up and made my own spice mixture (had everything else on hand but not the taco seasoning). Used a non stick pan because it’s all we had and the bottom tortillas stuck pretty bad. Guessing the oven was up too high for the pan, otherwise not sure why they stuck. Was delicious regardless. Will definitely make again.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry to hear that! I’ve only made this in a ceramic baking dish so I haven’t had problems with sticking. I think a heavy pan with thick bottom helps to distribute the heat more evenly. I’m glad you liked it!
LauraME says
Easy and so adaptable to whatever you have in hand and/or what your family likes. Used corn tortillas with ground beef. Delicious ! Will be in the rotation.
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Tracey Coleman says
Made this for dinner this week and it was so good. Even better on the second day. Will definitely be making it again 🇮🇪
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Tracey!
Janice says
In Step 2, you say, “In a large skillet, cook ground beef, pepper and onion over medium-high heat until ground beef is browned and vegetables are tender.” But then in Step 3, you say, “Add pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until pepper has softened and meat has browned completely.”
So we’re cooking the pepper with ground beef and onion but after that we’re adding it, lol. I took a look to see if there was any ground black pepper in the ingredients in case that was what was meant by “pepper” in Step 2, but I don’t see any. Should we cook the onion and pepper at the same time with the ground beef and then skip Step 3, or is it important for some reason to cook the beef and onions first and then add the pepper? You may want to correct this.
I haven’t made this yet but I plan to. It sounds good.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you for catching that! It was a typo, but I have fixed it in the recipe card.
Celine says
Easy peasy! It’s in the oven now but I already know it’s gonna be good!
I used a spring form, tortillas fit perfectly!
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it, Celine!
Kathy E. says
This was a sure-fire winner on my table! I used lean ground turkey and only 3 tortillas to fit into a pie plate. I had only one cup of salsa, so I added a small can of tomato sauce to make up for it. Even the leftovers were delicious! Thanks for this great recipe that we will enjoy again!
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it, Kathy!
Stewball says
I’ve never used tacos and wouldn’t know what to do. Can I use ready cooked lasagne sheets? It looks delicious but I’d probably use minced chicken.
Janice says
You can buy tortillas in any grocery store. Usually they are in the aisle with all of the other Mexican food, but if you have trouble finding them, just ask a store employee. They come in different sizes. Just get the largest. Then just layer them the way the recipe states. You don’t need to do anything to them first.
I would think that if you used cooked lasagna sheets, you’d be making a Mexican style lasagne, not a taco casserole.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! Yes you can, I have a taco lasagna recipe: https://www.thereciperebel.com/taco-lasagna-recipe/ Enjoy!
Christine says
I made this tonight and it turned out amazing!! My son said it was 10 out of 10!! It was so easy too!! Thank you! I love your easy and delicious recipes!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Christine! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Laura says
I haven’t made this yet but wondering if the tortillas are soggy?
Ashley Fehr says
They do not really get soggy as the filling is quite thick.
davidmliles90@gmail.com says
This was awesome we loved it. I love trying different types of recipes. I make one almost like this but i add Taco rice with each layer. That is great also. I will be looking to make more of your recipes. I do all the cooking. I love to cook. Been in the Food service for 35 years. Thanks Ashley
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Catherine Taylor says
This is SO GOOD! We are adding it to quick weeknight favorites! Thank you! 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that Catherine!