Taco rice casserole is an easy dinner idea and freezer friendly. It is a great recipe to stretch your meat and easy on the budget.
Taco rice casserole
If you are looking for an easy dinner then this Taco casserole recipe is one you just have to try today! Remember, my freezer cooking adventure where I made 16 meals for the freezer? Well this easy taco casserole recipe was one of them, and it was a huge hit.
My husband practically licks the pan clean when I make it. 😉 It is seriously that good!
My recipe below is for 2 meals. Why? That way you can make one to eat now, and then the other one goes in the freezer. One mess, but you get 2 meals.
If you don’t want to do that, just cut the recipe in half. However, why wouldn’t you want to? You hardly have to do any extra work to make a second one.
To be honest, I normally make 4 of these taco casseroles because they freeze so great and they make a busy weeknight so much easier.
Let’s get started with this taco casserole!
Check out this video to see how easy it is to make this easy taco casserole recipe.
Ingredients for the best taco casserole:
- 2 lbs ground turkey (or ground beef)
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cups corn
- 2 cans black beans
- 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (aka Rotel)
- 1 package taco seasoning (We love homemade taco seasoning.)
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 2 9×13 pans
How to make taco rice casserole:
If you want to this taco casserole with rice right away:
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Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes until cooked through.
How to freeze taco rice casserole:
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Cover with foil and label. To reheat, let thaw overnight in fridge. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered with the foil. Then remove foil and cook until the top is nice and brown.
Time saving tip:
Another time saving tip is to use a small food chopper or food processor to quickly and easily chop onions and bell peppers.
If you do not have one of these, I highly recommend them. They are such a time saver and you make cooking so fast and easy.
I usually just chop the entire vegetable and freeze what I don’t need. It’s so nice to be able to just take the diced onion out of the freezer for recipes.
This is how I meal prep. It’s so quick and easy and helps get dinner on the table fast.
Learn and how to freeze onions and also how to freeze peppers to save so much time in the kitchen! Lots of the recipes we cook call for onions and peppers so this is such a great time tip that we use frequently.
You will love having peppers and onions all ready to go! It is quick and easy.
Everyone will enjoy taco rice casserole!
This recipe will surprise you. It doesn’t seem like much, but it has some amazing flavor. We served it with salad to make it a complete meal.
If you want, you could add some crushed tortilla chips on top before you serve it. YUM! My husband even likes to top his with lettuce and fresh tomatoes to make almost like a taco salad. Green onions are also amazing.
You can use white rice or brown rice in the casserole. Both are delicious.
However your family eats it, I think you will love it. Make one for dinner and one for the freezer. You will thank me later. 🙂
It is also a great meal to take to someone recovering from surgery or with a new baby. You can grab one from the freezer and bless them with a great meal.
Let us know once you try it and how it turns out for you. It is sure to be a hit with everyone!
Print this easy taco rice casserole recipe below:
Looking for a freezer friendly recipe? You are going to love this easy taco casserole recipe! It is a simple casserole recipe that is packed with flavor.
- 2 pounds Ground Beef
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 cups Corn
- 2 cans Black Beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis
- 1 Package of Taco Seasoning (or 4 tablespoons of homemade seasoning)
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 cups Cooked Rice (I used regular that I cooked but you can use any)
- 3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
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First brown your ground beef. Add in chopped onions and cook until soft.
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Stir in Taco seasoning seasoning.
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Add corn, tomatoes and beans.
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Spray 2 9x13 pans with non stick spray. Spoon 2 cups of rice into the bottom of each pan, spreading it out evenly.
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Spoon the meat mixture over the rice.
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Top with the 1/2 of the cheese on each pan.
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Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes until cooked through.
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Cover with foil and label. To reheat, let thaw overnight in fridge. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered with the foil. Then remove foil and cook until the top is nice and brown.
My recipe is for 2 meals. Why? That way you can make one to eat now, and then the other one goes in the freezer. One mess, but you get 2 meals. If you don’t want to do that, just cut the recipe in half.
Hamburger Potato Casserole Recipe has everything you need for a great meal.
Try these other easy freezer casseroles:
- Pizza Pasta Casserole
- Easy Baked Ravioli Recipe
- Egg Bacon Breakfast Casserole
- Easy Hamburger Casserole Recipe
- Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe
SavingCyns says
I made a little too much chicken in the crock pot last weekend, so I shredded it and used it in this recipe instead of need. Froze and reheated deliciously!!!! Thank you!!! I have one more in the freezer and am looking forward to having it again soon!
paula says
I just made this last night as a last resort thing. It was so delicious! I only made half the recipe and was able to do two small casseroles so I have one in the freezer waiting for a rainy day. Thank You. It is great having a go to recipe sight that is guaranteed to be frugal.
Carrie says
Woohoo! That is so great!
Alicia says
I made this last night. It was great. But I forgot to add the rotel and had it in the pans ready to go so I scraped half of each Meat mixture out and mixed in a can of rotel with each half and put it back on the rice. So I ended up with 2 pans half with rotel and half without! Worked with my picky kids!! 🙂 VERY Good Thanks
Michelle says
Hi, just to clarify…do you bake both pans and then freeze one, or do you do all the steps except baking it before putting it in the freezer?
Carrie says
I don’t bake the ones that freezes.
Barb Yearsley says
This looks so good but I have a question. Do you use instant or regular rice?
Carrie says
I used regular rice.
Susan says
Love, love, love this recipe! Not mention super easy. We ate it over a bed of lettuce, topped with sour cream and avocado~kinda like a rice bowl.
Carrie says
That sounds so good Susan!
Brenda says
how large are the cans of tomatoes?
Adrienne says
I’ve read that rice doesn’t freeze well, gets gummy. Do you have any problems with it?
Carrie says
Adrienne, I don’t have a problem at all. In fact, I freeze rice all the time. You just want to make sure you don’t over cook it before you freeze it.
Carrie says
Just normal size, 14 oz.
Cindy says
Can you use a casserole crock
Marcella says
can you use ground beef in stead of chicken?
Katie says
I have a question how long is it good for if you freeze it?
Carrie says
I would say to use it within 6 months.
Michele Kelly says
I have made this 2 times now and it is so good and very easy to make. We do not like Rotel so I use picante’ sauce instead. I also serve with tortilla chips and may actually try soft tortillas to make burritos. Also would like to try to substitute shredded rotisserie chicken.
Tammy says
how many servings per casserole? trying to put recipe in my weight watchers app TIA
Dee says
This casserole is the best eat. Thank you for sharing.
Debbie says
I have made this several times. My family loves it. I do use 6 cups of though so it isn’t so soupy. It does freeze really well!
Sondra says
Really yummy! A real treat because it is different.
MaKenzie says
This looks great! I’m expecting my first baby this coming February and am looking for easy freeze ahead meals and this one tops the list! 🙂
How long would you say this keeps frozen well?
Thank you-Kenz
Lisa says
Love it but found it on the dry side.
Emily says
What is a serving size for the Taco rice casserole?
Kimberly says
I was gonna cook this tonight but forgot to thaw overnight. Can it go from freezer to oven? If so, what temperature and for how long?
Carrie says
Kimberly – You can cook from frozen but you’ll need to add another 30-45 minutes to the total cook time. Thank you!
Susan says
If you make for a 13x9x2 would you still cut receipe in half? Also, would you cut taco season in half or use whole envelope?
Patty says
What happens to the other two cups of rice?
Kimra Bailey says
It was so easy and so awesome ??? Had left overs and going to put in corn tortillas ??
Carrie says
Great Idea Kimra!
Patricia Maggetti says
Going to make this tonight- However I do not have corn but I have string beans either way do I need to put that in and I will be using fresh tomatoes because I don’t have canned tomatoes is this OK
Carrie says
Patricia – Yes, I think both of those substitutions would be great!
Carrie says
I would still cut it in half and use half of the taco seasoning as well. Thank you!
Carrie says
Patty – This recipe makes 2 casseroles. 2 cups of rice are put in the bottom of each 9X13 pans. Thank you!
Diana says
My family really enjoyed this dish. I found it to be a bit dry. I drained the cans of tomatoes. We’re they suppose to be drained?
Carrie says
I don’t drain them. I put the entire can in. I hope you try it again this way and let me know how it turns out. Thank you!
Dayle says
Hello, I have never used shredded zucchini before. Does it need to be squeezed out a little or just put in right after shredding? Thanks!
Brenda Jones says
Do you drain all the cans of corn, beans, & Rotel?
Carrie says
I usually rinse my beans as it would change the color of the casserole but I do not rinse the corn and the Rotel.
Carrie says
I just put it in right after shredding.
Julie says
This is such a family friendly recipe. We keep it in the freezer and bring it to families needing support (for health reasons, new babies, or just extra love). Everyone raves.
Carrie says
Julie – Awesome – thanks for sharing!
LeAnn says
You cook the rice first right then add it to everything?
& just plain white rice or Mexican rice?
Carrie says
The rice is cooked before it’s topped with everything. I used plain white rice for this recipe. Thank you!
Peggy Wilbanks says
Is it soupy without rice. Could I use something else
Mandy says
We’re two old retired people with nothing to do and all day to do it and I still love advance meal planning. In fact, we just recently bought a chest freezer to make it easier. For small households like ours, freezing things in serving sized meal prep containers is the way to go. Bed Bath and Beyond and Wal-Mart both have a wide selection. Just be sure to buy genuine freezer tape to label everything so you don’t wind up with UFOS (Unidentified Frozen Objects). I’ve added this casserole to my recipe stash. It’s a much better version of something I make frequently already.
Carrie says
Thanks for sharing and for the freezer cooking suggestions.
Carrie says
You could add tortilla chips to the final product or quarter corn tortillas and put those in instead. Thank you.
Courtney Sullivan says
Do you bake this before you freeze it if you’re planning on freezing it?
Carrie says
No, I cover it with foil and freeze it before baking it. Than, I allow it thaw overnight prior to baking it. Thank you!
Heather says
I have to provide dinner for 12 – six of those being men. Do you think this is really enough for 6 couples or should I do one and a half recipes just to be safe? If I did that, would it still fit in 2 9×13 pans?
Sherry T Swindle says
HAVE to try this! When freezing do I mix the items and freeze before cooking or do I cook first?
Cheri Rednour says
I made two pans of this – one following the half recipe with ground beef and rice and the other I used cauliflower rice and Gardein beefless ground beef instead and added in green chiles and cumin to the cauli-rice to add some flavor and chopped green pepper to the “beef” mixture, then I let my family try both! They both were tasty and having toppings of sour cream, guacamole, salsa etc help add some moisture and more flavor!
Arline says
Could you use this as a dip with chips? I have to bring one to a party and this looks delish. Maybe with some sour cream?
Jeannie Carle says
This looks reallllly good – but… as has been asked several times and never answered – how much is a serving?
Melissa says
I’m planning to make this tonight after reading all the reviews in was curious if you drain the corn. I read that you do not rinse it, but does it get drained. Can’t wait to try this!
Carrie says
I prepare the casserole and freeze the casserole before cooking. I defrost in the refrigerator the night before I plan on cooking it. Thank you.
Carrie says
Melissa – I did drain the corn for this recipe. Thank you.
Carrie says
The recipe serves 6 so 1 serving with 1/6 of the entire recipe. Thank you!
Carrie says
These recipe makes 2 9X13 pans and I think that it would be plenty for 12 people. I would serve it with chips and salsa and/or queso. Yummy! Thank you!
April says
What is the serving size? You list the calories per serving but not the serving size.
Thank you.
LR says
Could I substitute the rice for cauliflower rice to make it healthier?
Tiffany Zamora says
Hi Carrie! Do you ever have any issues with freezer burn? This recipe looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it. Thank you ???
JODI DURHAM says
I can’t have rice, do you think I could use cauliflower rice instead?
Carrie says
Yes, but I would reduce the baking time in half so it doesn’t get too mushy. Thank you!
Elizabeth says
Hi Carrie 🙂
Your recipe sounds absolutely delicious! Excited to try it, sent a copy off to both my Sister as well. 😉
Getting the ingredients today to make it on this chilly weekend.
I’ll be back to comment but from the recipe and reviews I can’t imagine it being less than 5 shiny gold stars!!
Thanks for sharing with us Carrie. Looking forward to trying out more of your recipes!
Elizabeth ?
Shirley says
I made this today, added 1 jalapeño pepper, put 2 cups of Mexican cheese on each pan, used cut up chicken breasts (I used 3 lbs because that’s what was in my package, Cooked my own black beans and used 2 cups, keyed it all in FitnessPal and came up with 318 calories with a portion size being 1/8th of a pan. It is very tasty, will definitely make again!
Jamie Sawyer says
When you add the taco seasoning to the hamburger do you add the water like it calls for on the back of the seasoning packet?
Sheila says
Could I use cauliflower rice? And would I just put it in like regular rice?
LINDA says
Could this be made in a crock pot? Would minute rice work if cooked first?
Rhonda says
Could you make this in a Crock Pot?
Christy says
Do you drain the ground chuck before you add the other ingredients?
Leslieann Sines says
We are watching our salt intake, so we make our own taco seasoning. Using no salt. We also love diced green peppers on tacos so I am going to either ad d some to the baked product or top it off at serving time. Check I will probably do both!
Marie Palardy says
Do you know how long to cook it in an instant pot?
Mallori says
I have a very small family so I was thinking about using smaller pans and making a total of four meals. One to eat that night and three for the freezer. What size would you recommend? I was thinking maybe 9inch pie pans.
Laurie Santana says
I can imagine all sorts of substituting depending on my mood. & or whats on hand…
Adding meat i e. Poultry , beef, steak, sausage, shrimp…
Salad , avocados
tortillas, hard , soft , scoops
Sour cream, salsas, quesos , etc.
Yellow rice
Kim says
I used cauliflower rice and it turned out amazing! One of my new favorites!!! Thank you!
Misty says
I used yellow rice instead of plain rice. Absolutely delicious!!!!
Carrie says
Great idea!
Carrie says
Good idea!
Kim Portuesi says
Carrie. Do you add water to the taco seasoning?.
Ashley says
Hello! Do you drain the grease from the ground beef and also do you the water called for in the taco seasoning pack? Thank you!
Jessica says
FINALLY found a recipe my whole family enjoys! Thank you!
Carrie says
Your welcome!
Carrie says
Yes I drain the ground beef if needed. No you do not need to add water like the taco seasoning packet says. You can also use my homemade taco seasoning here – https://www.eatingonadime.com/how-to-make-homemade-taco-seasoning/
Renee says
My husband and I really like this recipe! We use brown rice (I sprinkle cumin over the rice before layering the meat mixture) and I’ve made it with ground beef, chicken and turkey. I had frozen chopped red, yellow and orange peppers that I added this time for a pop of color and flavor. I like a recipe that other than cooking the rice (which I did before hand) takes maybe half an hour start to finish. Such an easy recipe to assemble and easier to customize to your taste – I’ve never made it the same way twice.
I’m glad for such a simple recipe, especially given the times we’re in. My trips to the store are few and far between so I stock up and make as many meals as I can after each trip.
I didn’t have a problem with it being dry – but it’s nothing a little salsa or sour cream can’t fix :).
Thanks for such a good, easy recipe!
Rae says
Love this recipe. I used brown rice, and it’s great.
Question- did you mean KCal or just calories? A kcal is 1000 x’s a calorie, making it about 256,000 calories! Eek!
Carrie says
Just calories not Kcal – Thank you!
Anthony says
Question did you drain the meat?
Carrie says
Yes, if there is excess grease, I drain it. Thanks!
Deb says
What would the cook time be if I used smaller pans like 4 instead being it’s for an older couple. After freezing
Carrie says
I would start with 30 minutes and check it to make sure it’s heated through and then add more time if needed. Thank you!
Keven A. says
I made this recipe tonight, but I put the casserole in my Corningware rectangular casserole dishes, so I ended up with three full dishes – two for the freezer! I added a chopped bell pepper (cooked with the onion) and some frozen spinach. Also, I use frozen corn kernels, so there is no draining or rinsing needed. I just throw it in frozen. As I have a six-year-old for whom everything is too spicy, I subbed out the Rotel and used two cans of petite diced tomatoes instead (not drained). It worked very well, and the liquid from the tomatoes helped to keep the casserole as a whole from drying out but not getting soupy. My husband (who hates tomatoes) and my 6yo both ate it up, and the little one exclaimed how good it was! Woohoo!
Carrie says
Woohoo! Thanks for sharing!
Barbara says
If Rotel is too spicy, try a can of diced tomatoes and a can of mild, diced Ortega Chilies. They add flavor but not as much heat.
Melissa Prigel says
Family favorite!! Make at least twice a month
Amy says
Such a simple, but delicious recipe that the entire family enjoys. Freezes so well.
Chris Y. says
I found this recipe in an email a few weeks ago and thought I would give it a try. It was a HIT!!! It is so versatile! I live in a house full of boys, some picky, some will eat shoe leather. Everyone loved it! I personally put it on a bed of lettuce and topped it with ranch for a salad…YUMMY! One of my kids put it on a plate of tortilla chips and topped with more cheese. My other boys ate it as suggested. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you!!!
Jody N says
Made this for the family and it was a huge hit!! Everyone loved it. I have made it several times since as the kids request it. We are a big family so I live that it makes two pans. There is very little to none leftover. Two thumbs up from my family!!!
Anita Bailey-Huff says
I just made this on 12-23-20, and my entire family loved it. We had leftovers for Christmas Eve. It was so delicious my family had it with tortilla chips, but I paired it with a garden salad, and it was delicious, simple to make, and I will make it again.
Cheryl says
I have made this several times, it is so good and easy to make. I always make 2 and freeze one for later.
Renee says
I’m caring for my mom with cancer and am trying to get some individual freezer meals planned for her. How many single servings does this make? And how long will it last in the freezer? I am eagerly waiting for your response. Thank you.
Renee says
Also is the cooking time the same? Or is it adjusted for single servings?
Carrie says
Each casserole serves 6 and this recipe is to make 2 casserole so the entire recipe makes 12. These last in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Carrie says
You could reduce the recipe in half and make 2 9X9 casseroles instead of the 9X13 ones. Each casserole would serve approximately 3 instead of 6.