Easy Taco Casserole Recipe
Add a fun and delicious twist to Taco Tuesday with this Easy Taco Casserole! Get creative with your choice of toppings – shredded lettuce, jalapenos, olives, and so much more!
Crushed tortilla chips form the base of this easy taco casserole, then loaded with a mixture of browned ground beef, taco seasoning, and other taco-inspired ingredients. Finally, this comforting taco casserole is topped with shredded cheese and baked until gooey, ready to be garnished with your favorite toppings!
This easy taco casserole offers a delicious alternative to this scrumptious Chicken Taco casserole, especially for my fellow red-meat-eaters!
🌟 WHY I LOVE THIS EASY TACO CASSEROLE
This easy taco casserole is a relatively healthy meal, using lean ground beef to reduce the overall fat content.
It's super quick and easy to make in just 30-35 minutes, calling on ingredients that you likely already have if you enjoy cooking Mexican-inspired meals at home.
A casserole like this taco casserole is so versatile! Use your favorite brand of salsa and seasonings to match the spicy level you desire, add in veggies, and change the toppings to suit your preference.
🍽 KEY INGREDIENTS
Ground beef – I've used 90% lean ground beef for this taco casserole. If you use regular ground beef, be sure to drain any excess grease from the browned ground beef.
Taco-inspired ingredients – This casserole is seasoned with taco seasoning and includes other taco-inspired ingredients, such as black beans, salsa, shredded cheese, and crushed tortilla chips.
Toppings – Feel free to experiment with your favorite toppings, such as shredded lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, black olives, and sour cream.
Swaps
Ground meat – Ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken can be used instead of beef in this easy taco casserole.
Add-ins – Black beans can be swapped for pinto beans, corn can be added, or add a dose of veggies, such as bell peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini.
Spicy – Use a spicy salsa or add cayenne pepper to the mixture when you add the other seasonings if you prefer a spicy kick of heat.
Tortilla chips – Doritos or Fritos can be used instead of the tortilla chips.
🥣 EQUIPMENT
You'll need a large skillet and a 9×13 inch casserole dish for this recipe.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE
Get ready to make one of the simplest yet incredibly tasty casseroles you've ever attempted at home for your Mexican-inspired dinner! With just 5 minutes of prep and a few steps to follow, you're well on your way to serving a knock-out dish that everyone will love.
Preparations
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Brown the ground beef together with the chopped onions and minced garlic for about 5-7 minutes, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon.
Mix in the salsa and seasonings and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Step 2
Remove the skillet from the heat and immediately mix in the beans and only half of the shredded cheese.
Step 3
Place 2 1/2 cups of crushed tortilla chips in an even layer at the bottom of the 9×13 casserole dish, just enough to cover the bottom of the dish.
Step 4
Spoon the ground beef mixture evenly over the layer of crushed tortilla chips.
Step 5
Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top of the ground beef filling and bake the casserole, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.
Remove the baked taco casserole from the oven and top with the remaining crushed tortilla chips and any of your favorite toppings listed in the ingredients list for you to try!
💭 COOKING TIPS
Make sure to drain any excess grease from the skillet after browning the ground beef as this can cause an overly oily casserole. Using lean ground beef helps to reduce excess grease.
If you plan to make this easy taco casserole a day or two in advance, leave off the remaining crushed tortilla chips and any other fresh toppings that could spoil in the fridge. Reheat the stored casserole and add your toppings just before serving.
🥗 WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS TACO CASSEROLE
Enjoy this hearty and satisfying Taco-inspired casserole all by itself or white a few delicious options listed below:
Tasty Sides
Enjoy a serving of this easy taco casserole alongside a fresh salad, jalapeno cornbread, corn on the cob, corn casserole, or add a boost of veggies to the plate with air fryer broccolini and spinach stuffed mushrooms!
🙋 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes! Tortilla chips are gluten-free and the rest of the ingredients for this casserole are also gluten-free.
Excess grease from the browned ground beef can make your casserole oily. To prevent this, I've used 90% lean ground beef. Whether you use lean ground beef or regular ground beef, make sure to drain any excess grease from the skillet after browning the beef.
No. The taco seasoning and salsa adds a lovely and mild flavor but this dish isn't spicy hot. You can opt for a spicy salsa and add in cayenne pepper if you prefer a kick of heat.
🧊 STORING AND ♨️ REHEATING
FRIDGE
Leftover taco casserole should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove any toppings and store them in separate containers to prevent them from turning soft or spoiling.
FREEZER
You can also freeze this taco casserole for up to 3 months. Remove the toppings before freezing the casserole.
Thaw the frozen casserole in the fridge overnight and then reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through. Add fresh toppings just before serving.
REHEAT
Reheat smaller portions of leftover taco casserole in the microwave or larger portions in the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through. Add fresh toppings just before serving.
🍳 RELATED TACO-INSPIRED RECIPES
👪 SERVING SIZE
This easy taco casserole offers 8 generous servings using a 9×13 casserole dish. You could halve it and assemble in a smaller casserole dish, if preferred.
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📋 RECIPE
Easy Taco Casserole
Easy Taco Casserole adds a fun twist to Taco Tuesday! The taco-inspired ingredients, tortilla chips and gooey cheese is sure to impress!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds ground beef (I used 90% lean)
- ½ medium sweet onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounce salsa of choice
- 1 cup water
- 2 (1 oz) packets taco seasoning (or 4 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning blend)
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheese blend, divided
- 3 ½ cups crushed tortilla chips, divided
Additional topping ideas: lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, black olives, sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once heated, add the ground beef, chopped onions, and minced garlic. Break apart the meat with a wooden spoon and brown until cooked through, about 5-7minutes. Drain any excess grease/fat if needed.
- Add the salsa, water, and seasonings. Mix together and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and immediately mix in the black beans and just HALF of the shredded cheese
- Add about 2 ½ cups cups of crushed tortilla chips in an even layer into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Just enough to cover the bottom. Set aside the remaining crushed tortilla chips for later.
- Spoon the ground beef taco mixture evenly on top.
- Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Once it has finished baking, remove from the oven and top with the remaining crushed tortilla chips. Add your favorite toppings if desired!
Notes
- Instead of adding toppings directly to the casserole dish, you can serve it on the side so everyone can choose what toppings they would like on their plate.
- For a leaner meat, this recipe can be made with ground turkey instead of ground beef.
- If you want it spicy, add a little bit of ground cayenne pepper when adding the seasonings. Or use a spicy salsa or a spicy taco seasoning blend.
- Instead of tortilla chips, you can use doritos or fritos instead!
- You can add veggies for the filling with the ground beef if desired such as bell peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini.