This taco casserole is an easy, budget-friendly dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights. It’s packed with flavor and a meal your whole family will actually eat. It comes together quickly in one dish and it’s a go-to when we need something filling, affordable, and kid-approved.
If your family loves tacos, this casserole is a great way to switch things up while keeping all those classic taco flavors.
Why You’ll Love This Casserole Recipe!
This is one of those casserole recipes I make when I need to stretch ingredients and still have a dinner everyone enjoys. It’s easy to adjust based on what we already have in the fridge, and it always turns out hearty and satisfying. It’s one of those dependable dinners that just works on busy nights.
- Made with simple, affordable ingredients you probably already have
- A one-dish meal that keeps cleanup easy
- Family-tested and kid-approved (even picky eaters love it)
- Easy to customize with what you have on hand
- Perfect for busy weeknights, leftovers, or feeding a crowd
If you have made Crock Pot Mexican Casserole, The Best Mexican Casserole Recipe, Walking Taco Casserole Recipe, Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole, Taco Pie then you are going to love this Taco Casserole.
Make sure to also try this Taco Salad for another easy meal idea.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 6–8
- Budget: Affordable family meal
- Key Ingredients: Ground beef, tortilla chips, cheese, taco seasoning
- Best For: Busy weeknights, meal prep, feeding a crowd
Ingredients
- Ground Beef – We used lean ground beef but you can also use ground turkey or ground chicken
- Taco Seasoning – Use packet taco seasoning or you can make Taco Seasoning Recipe
- Black Beans – We recommend to drain and rinse beans before adding to casserole mixture
- Diced tomatoes with green chilies – We like using a can of Rotel
- Chunky Salsa – I suggest using mild salsa unless you want a spicy dish. You can also make Homemade Salsa Recipe
- Mexican Blend Cheese – Feel free to use the type of cheese you prefer
- Tortilla Chips – We recommend to lightly crushed chips
How to Make Taco Casserole
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Step 2 – In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, about 8-10 minutes. Season with ½ teaspoons of salt and pepper.
Step 3 – Drain excess grease, then add taco seasoning and ½ cup water. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 4 – Stir in black beans, diced tomatoes with chilies, and chunky salsa. Cook the ground beef mixture for another 2-3 minutes to combine flavors.
Step 5 – Layer half of the crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 6 – Spread half of the beef mixture over the chips.
Step 7 – Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over the beef.
Step 8 – Repeat layers with remaining chips, beef mixture, and cheese.
Step 9 – Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let cool for 5 minutes, then top with dollops of sour cream and sprinkle with sliced green onions before serving. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Prepare Tortilla Chips – Lightly crushing the chips helps them form a more cohesive layer. Don’t pulverize them completely.
- Prepare Ground Beef – Prepare the ground beef in a large skillet until completely cook. You can even cook ground beef ahead of time to save time when preparing this casserole during the week.
- Baking Casserole – The cooking time will vary depending on you oven and the size of your casserole. You will know when the casserole is finished baking when the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Variations Ideas
- Add Vegetables – This is a great recipe to sneak in veggies to the meat mixture. Add in ½ cup of bell peppers, slice mushrooms, or chopped zucchini.
- Cheese – Feel free to change the cheese to what you prefer. Add in shredded cheddar cheese, Colby Jack Cheese or Monterey Jack Cheese.
- Seasoning – If you prefer you can easily add in spices separately instead of making taco seasoning. We always add in ½ tablespoons of chili powder, garlic powder and cumin if we are out of taco seasoning.
- Tortilla Chips – You can easily substitute with tortillas chips with corn tortillas or flour tortillas. We have even used Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips or Fritos for a delicious variations.
What to Serve With Taco Casserole
We love to serve this taco casserole with our favorite toppings which include Easy Pico De Gallo, sour cream, Guacamole Recipe and slice black olives. You can even served topped with avocado, jalapeño peppers, shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro and crushed tortilla chips.
This casserole is a complete meal, but often times we serve with Mexican Rice, Queso Fundido and Easy Crockpot Refried Beans Recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this the perfect casserole to prepared ahead of time. Layer the ingredients in a baking dish and allow it to cool. Then cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake. We recommend baking within 24 hours of preparing it.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This is a great casserole to freeze to enjoy within 3 months. We like to freeze in a disposable pan covered with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to freeze. Thaw the casserole in the fridge when ready to serve again.
Reheat the leftovers in a baking dish in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave for a quick lunch the next day.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
We love to hear from you. If you make this Taco Casserole Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 1 ounce packets taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
- 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 1 ½ cups chunky salsa
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 4 cups tortilla chips (lightly crushed)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 green onions (thinly sliced)
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown 2 pounds ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks, about 8–10 minutes.
- Drain excess fat, then add 2 packets taco seasoning (1 oz each) and ½ cup water. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Stir in 1 can black beans (15 oz, drained and rinsed), 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (14.5 oz, undrained), and 1 ½ cups chunky salsa. Cook for another 2–3 minutes to combine flavors.
- Layer half of the 4 cups lightly crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spread half of the beef mixture over the chips.
- Sprinkle 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend over the beef.
- Repeat layers with the remaining tortilla chips, remaining beef mixture, and remaining 1 cup cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then top with 1 cup sour cream and 2 thinly sliced green onions before serving. Enjoy!
I made this the other night and it was delicious. Will definitely be making this again ?
I love hearing this Suzanne – Thank you so much for sharing!
Do the chips get soggy when heating up as leftovers>
Elizabeth – They are definitely softer but they are already pretty soft after being cooked so I don’t mind too much!
Terrific recope.
Thank you’
Thank you so much! Have a great day!