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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. Make this Cinco De Mayo Recipe for a Easy Mexican Recipes.
Let’s get started with this taco casserole!
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:
- Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes until cooked through.
How to freeze taco rice casserole:
- 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.
If you need Taco Dinner Ideas, this casserole is a great option to serve. You may want to make this Walking Taco Recipe.
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:
Taco Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Ground Beef
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 cups Corn
- 2 cans Black Beans drained and rinsed (15 ounces each)
- 2 cans Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis (10 ounces each)
- 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
Instructions
- First brown your ground beef. Add in chopped onions and cook until soft.
- Stir in Taco seasoning seasoning.
- Add corn, tomatoes and beans.
- Spray 2 9×13 pans with non stick spray. Spoon 2 cups of rice into the bottom of each pan, spreading it out evenly.
- Spoon the meat mixture over the rice.
- Top with the ½ of the cheese on each pan.
If you want to eat it right away:
- Bake covered at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes until cooked through.
If you want to freeze it:
- 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.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
You might also like our One Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe where everything is made in one pot.
I use 15 ounce cans for the beans and 10 ounce cans for the diced tomatoes with green chilies.
What size can for the beans and diced tomatoes
Hey Megan – The 12 servings is for both pans or 6 servings per pan.
I made this and REALLY loved it. I used Mexican corn instead of just regular corn, YUM! The recipe doesn’t say if you should drain the diced tomato with green chilis. I drained it but next time I’ll leave some of the natural juice from the diced tomatoes so that it can seep down into the rice. I served mine with a side of sour cream.
Silly question… is it 12 servings each pan? Or 12 servings total for the 2 pans? Delicious!
This casserole recipe sounded good when I read it, but it was even better than I thought. We all loved it:
I will make it many times again. Loved the easy prep.
Thanks for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Instead if diced tomatoes I used a jar of salsa! It worked perfectly! Great fast recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
Made this for dinner tonight. I only made half the recipe. I didn’t know if I should use the liquid in the tin of diced tomatoes. I dsdrained it, but then added water. I should have left some or all of the juice.
I made half the recipe for three people. My 87 year old mother, who lives with us, doesn’t like beans (who knew) and doesn’t want any leftovers.
However my husband and I loved it! We ate lots and have four more meals.
I definitely recommend and will make again.
Yes, I think it will still taste great without cheese.
What if I don’t use cheese? Will it be fine?
Well…. I tried it using “instant rice” – which said “pre-cooked” on the box – so I didn’t bother to cook the rice before I started the recipe. I figured that the liquids from the other ingredients would soften/cook it for me. I was wrong. Cook the rice first! Mine came out hard/uncooked. I’ve added some water to the pan and I’m reheating it in hopes that the rice will soften. Also, I layered Tater Tots on the top and topped them with a Mexican cheese also. That part came out really nice. I used one and a half packets of taco seasoning and some Tabasco to spice it up a bit more. I had some of the meat mixture left over and tried that on left over mashed potatoes. Very good!
Yummy, healthy, I added chopped peppers and a can of tomato sauce before covering with cheese. Crowd pleaser.
Fabulous!! Was a huge hit with my family and friends. Will definitely make again soon
Hi! What size can of tomatoes?
Thank you for this recipe! I absolutely *love* it! However, I use two packets of taco seasoning when I double it. One packet was very bland. Not sure if that’s a typo?
Delicious and so quick and easy!
My husband said I could make this casserole anytime! He loved it. I made two and gave one to a new mom and her family. Great recipe. Easy and so delicious!
I don’t usually comment on recipes but just had to with this one. This is easy, healthy, and delicious. We love it with salad, sour cream, our favorite salsa, and tortilla chips (would be great with guacamole, too). My whole family loves it. I just made a pan to take to a family who had lost a loved one- that family eats gluten free and I use a gluten free taco seasoning; the recipe is written perfectly to make a meal for someone else and my own family at the same time.
I have tried a lot of recipes from food blogs, and this is definitely one of the biggest hits in my family. And I just love how quick and easy it is. Looking forward to trying other recipes from this website!
Changed it to brown rice, it’s oh so good. The only down fall is that when you get down to the last bites on your plate the rice corn beans and tomatoes/chilies separate a bit so you will need a spoon to finish it off…. Unless you lick your plate.
Yes, I would
Do you drain the burger?
OMG so very yummy. Even my picky eater said its aake again. I used salsa instead of the tomato and chilly in a can. PS I did not have it to Begin with. The flavor is on point.
My family loved this so much that there were no leftovers! I am going to cook and serve the extra freezer one this time and see how that works. Thank you!
I halved the recipe. I mixed the rice meat and cheese together. It seemed a little dry for our taste so I added another envelope of taco seasoning and 8 ounces of tomato sauce. Topped with more cheese and baked. My husband liked it a lot.
Yes that is what of the optional add ins.
Exelllent!!! I cut the whole recipe in half with 1 pond of ground turkey. I replaced the crushed tomatoes with a real tomato, chopped by hand. I always season my rice. I used uncle bens whole grain brown rice, generous shake of Adobo with pepper and tumeric ( to make the rice yellow and add health benefits) and to make the rice firmer for the baking portion I used one cup of rice and 1 and a 1/2 cups of vegetable vegetable broth, cook for 18 min. I added shredded pepper jack and a mixed blend of shredded taco cheeses. Topped with Gaucamole and thin totilla chips on the side for scooping. My hobby said it was in his top 5!
I halved this recipe to make 2 8×8 pans for 3 of us. I did make some changes that worked great for us. I increased the rice once I tried to use 1 cup in each 8×8 pan…it just wasn’t enough. I used more like 1 1/2 cups in each pan. I also added in diced yellow bell pepper and black olives. I sprinkled dairy free cheddar cheese on top. We served this over tortilla chips and topped with salsa, plain dairy free yogurt instead of sour cream and shredded lettuce. We all loved it so much! Can’t wait to eat the pan in the freezer!
Super easy and filling. We ate ours with sour cream.
This is a new family favorite. I did sub pinto beans for black beans. Turned out great didn’t get to freeze the 2nd pan we did 2nd and 3rd night!
Yes, pinto beans or kidney beans would be delicious in this recipe.
Made this but didn’t make two I just put everything as listed in one of those aluminum disposable lasagna pans and it was just right. I made for my niece who just had a baby to help them with dinners. Was able to make one little dish on the side to try and it was really good. Just topped with sour cream.
Didn’t this recipe used to have grated zucchini in it?
Very easy to put together and fast. We loved it! Served it with shredded lettuce, sour cream and tortilla chips on the side. Wonderful! Thank you!
My family hates black beans. Can you suggest a substitute?
This was amazingly delicious, I made a double batch and gave my children each a tray, we ate one and froze one at home, super easy, tasty , can add anything else you like in it to change it up, I served shredded lettuce, jalapeños, and sour cream also with it and Tostitos, great meal to give someone you want to give a food dish to and serve it in 9×13 foil pan
My family loves this recipe and we make it often! It’s so delicious and so easy!!!
This is one of our favorite freezer meals! We doubled it so we could have 3 casseroles in the freezer for the weeks after my baby was born.
This is my favorite recipe. It is easy to make and so delicious. My family loves it.
I made this recipe for a ladies Bible study group and it was such a hit that I printed out multiple copies for the ladies. My husband loved it also but he’s easy to please. As a side note, I added a brick of cream cheese after the meat mixture was cooked to make it a little creamy.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you so much!
This turned out so good! I cut the recipe in half. Used ground turkey, seasoned it while cooking with onion powder and garlic powder, and then I added chopped green bell pepper with the onion. I used the entire packet of taco seasoning even though I cut the recipe in half. I kept everything else the same! Well, I used no salt added black beans because that’s what I had in my pantry. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Great recipe, thanks for reminding me of it with Secret #2. Since it is just my husband and me this actually makes enough for FOUR dinners! The last time I made it I made a half recipe and froze it in small casserole dishes 8-1/2″x6 that are the perfect size for two people.
I love this recipe! For my small family, I can get two casseroles out of this recipe. Lots of flavor, inexpensive to make, and it also freezes really well!
Oh that sounds amazing!
Love this recipe! So easy to make. I actually substituted saffron yellow rice and it was delicious!
This recipe is so quick and easy to make, and it tastes amazing!
I make this casserole often…I’ve used ground beef, ground turkey and shredded chicken. They all work great in this!
This recipe is awesome….espically if you have left over taco meat.
I have made this recipe several times. A great way to have taste of tacos without the mess. Always a favorite in our home.
Sorry, I’ll update that in the post so that it’s more clear – I use 2 Tbsp of the homemade seasoning.
I have scanned through all the messages and do not see this question.
How much of your Homemade Taco Seasoning do you use?
Thanks, looking forward to trying this but I don’t want to add too much seasoning.
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.
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.
Also is the cooking time the same? Or is it adjusted for single servings?
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.
I have made this several times, it is so good and easy to make. I always make 2 and freeze one for later.
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.
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!!!
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!!!
Such a simple, but delicious recipe that the entire family enjoys. Freezes so well.
Family favorite!! Make at least twice a month
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.
Woohoo! Thanks for sharing!
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!
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!
What would the cook time be if I used smaller pans like 4 instead being it’s for an older couple. After freezing
Yes, if there is excess grease, I drain it. Thanks!
Question did you drain the meat?
Just calories not Kcal – Thank you!
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!
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!
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/
Your welcome!
FINALLY found a recipe my whole family enjoys! Thank you!
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!
Carrie. Do you add water to the taco seasoning?.
Good idea!
Great idea!
I used yellow rice instead of plain rice. Absolutely delicious!!!!
I used cauliflower rice and it turned out amazing! One of my new favorites!!! Thank you!
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
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.
Do you know how long to cook it in an instant pot?
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!
Do you drain the ground chuck before you add the other ingredients?
Could you make this in a Crock Pot?
Could this be made in a crock pot? Would minute rice work if cooked first?
Could I use cauliflower rice? And would I just put it in like regular rice?
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?
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!
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 ?
Yes, but I would reduce the baking time in half so it doesn’t get too mushy. Thank you!
I can’t have rice, do you think I could use cauliflower rice instead?
Hi Carrie! Do you ever have any issues with freezer burn? This recipe looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it. Thank you ???
Could I substitute the rice for cauliflower rice to make it healthier?
What is the serving size? You list the calories per serving but not the serving size.
Thank you.
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!
The recipe serves 6 so 1 serving with 1/6 of the entire recipe. Thank you!
Melissa – I did drain the corn for this recipe. Thank you.
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.
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!
This looks reallllly good – but… as has been asked several times and never answered – how much is a serving?
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?
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!
HAVE to try this! When freezing do I mix the items and freeze before cooking or do I cook first?
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?
No, I cover it with foil and freeze it before baking it. Than, I allow it thaw overnight prior to baking it. Thank you!
Do you bake this before you freeze it if you’re planning on freezing it?
You could add tortilla chips to the final product or quarter corn tortillas and put those in instead. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing and for the freezer cooking suggestions.
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.
Is it soupy without rice. Could I use something else
The rice is cooked before it’s topped with everything. I used plain white rice for this recipe. Thank you!
You cook the rice first right then add it to everything?
& just plain white rice or Mexican rice?
Julie – Awesome – thanks for sharing!
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.
I just put it in right after shredding.
I usually rinse my beans as it would change the color of the casserole but I do not rinse the corn and the Rotel.
Do you drain all the cans of corn, beans, & Rotel?
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!
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!
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?
Patty – This recipe makes 2 casseroles. 2 cups of rice are put in the bottom of each 9X13 pans. Thank you!
I would still cut it in half and use half of the taco seasoning as well. Thank you!
Patricia – Yes, I think both of those substitutions would be great!
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
Great Idea Kimra!
It was so easy and so awesome ??? Had left overs and going to put in corn tortillas ??
What happens to the other two cups of rice?
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?
Kimberly – You can cook from frozen but you’ll need to add another 30-45 minutes to the total cook time. Thank you!
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?
What is a serving size for the Taco rice casserole?
Love it but found it on the dry side.
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
Really yummy! A real treat because it is different.
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!
This casserole is the best eat. Thank you for sharing.
how many servings per casserole? trying to put recipe in my weight watchers app TIA
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.
I would say to use it within 6 months.
I have a question how long is it good for if you freeze it?
can you use ground beef in stead of chicken?
Can you use a casserole crock
Just normal size, 14 oz.
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.
I’ve read that rice doesn’t freeze well, gets gummy. Do you have any problems with it?
how large are the cans of tomatoes?
That sounds so good Susan!
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.
I used regular rice.
This looks so good but I have a question. Do you use instant or regular rice?
I don’t bake the ones that freezes.
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?
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
Woohoo! That is so great!
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.
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!