Walking Taco Casserole Recipe

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5 from 8 votes

Published on November 19, 2022

, Updated on April 3, 2024

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by Carrie Barnard

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Walking Taco Casserole is a simple casserole recipe that is full of taco flavor. Topped with corn chips and baked for a simple weeknight meal.

Walking Taco Casserole topped with slice jalapenos

Walking Taco Casserole Recipe:

Walking Taco Casserole Recipe is a family favorite Saturday Night dinner idea. We love tacos and casseroles and combined with corn chips gives this dish so much flavor. This casserole is made with simple ingredients and easy to make.

We love our Walking Taco Recipe and our Walking Taco Frito Recipe. The ingredients are the same and still delicious but made in a casserole dish. Walking Taco’s is perfect for many occasions, but the casserole recipe is just as easy.

This recipe would be a great recipe to use with leftover taco meat. Layer ground beef mixture in a casserole dish with cheese and corn chips to make an easy weeknight meal.

What is Walking Taco Casserole?

Walking Taco Casserole is very similar to the crowd favorite Walking Tacos that are served in a chip bag. These Walking Tacos are portable and filled with the same ingredients that are in the Walking Taco Casserole.

If we are needing an easy weeknight dinner, I usually make the Walking Taco Casserole. But feeding a crowd I will serve just the Walking Tacos, portable style.

All the same flavors just one is served in a casserole and the other is served in a chip bag. You can make this dish using corn chips or Doritos.

Ingredients:

Ground Beef
Red Onion, finely diced
Black Beans (15 oz can – drained and rinsed)
Salsa
Taco Seasoning
Fritos Corn Chips (9.25 oz. bag)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Optional Toppings:

Shredded Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Jalapeños
Chopped Cilantro
Lime Wedges

Walking Taco Casserole topped with a serving on a wooden spoon

How to Make Walking Taco Casserole:

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9X9 baking pan with non stick cooking spray.

Step 2 – Brown the ground beef with the red onions in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain off any excess grease.

Hamburger meat cooked in a skillet with black beans mixed in

Step 3 – Add the ground beef and onion back to the skillet. Stir in the black beans, salsa and add in the taco seasoning. Heat for 2-4 minutes until the mixture is heated through.

Step 4 – Layer in the casserole the ground beef and onions. Top with half of each of the cheese.

Step 5 – Then top with the bags of fritos and the remaining shredded cheese.

Step 6 – Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Step 7 – Let sit for 5 minutes. Then serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy.

How to Serve Walking Taco Casserole:

This casserole is a complete meal. We dish up the casserole on plates and serve with many different toppings. These are my favorite toppings.

Sliced Jalapenos
Shredded Lettuce
Chopped Tomatoes
Sliced Avocado
Black Olives
Salsa
Taco Sauce
Sour Cream

Can I Make this Recipe ahead of time?

Yes, this Walking Taco Casserole can easily be made ahead of time. Prepare the recipe as indicated but do not top with the corn chips. Place the casserole in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.

Once you are ready to bake, top with the corn chips and bake as directed.

Walking Taco Casserole topped with slice jalapenos with a wooden spoon

Variations for Walking Taco Casserole:

Beans – You can easily use any of your favorite type of beans in this recipe.
Seasoning – We used homemade taco seasoning, but you can use chili powder or any seasoning that you prefer.
Chips – Instead of corn chips, top the casserole with Doritos or Tortilla Chips.
Taco Salad – Dish the Walking Taco Casserole over shredded lettuce making a taco salad.
Meat – You can easily change the meat and use ground turkey or ground chicken. Use half ground turkey and half ground beef to reduce the calories.
Cream Cheese – If you want a creamy meat mixture, add cream cheese.
Slow Cooker – You can easily make this Walking Taco in the slow cooker. Heat the meat mixture in the slow cooker, then when you are ready to bake, add to the casserole dish. Then top with the corn chips and bake.

How to Freeze:

If you would like to freeze the Walking Taco Casserole, then you would need to freeze the meat mixture separately. The Corn Chips would not hold up in the freezer and thawing the ingredients.