Taco Casserole

All your typical taco fillings are deconstructed and layered inside a dish in this easy taco casserole recipe. Serve with chips for scooping, a fork for shoveling, or a tortilla for rolling. It’s definitely one of my favorite budget friendly family meals.

Why this recipe works

Taco casserole reminds me of nachos, though I’d say it’s a more advanced version of nachos. Same concept. Slightly different execution. You don’t have to serve it with tortilla chips for scooping, it tastes just as good scooped onto a plate and shoveled down with a fork or spoon! I even think it would be great rolled up into a tortilla. Pick your fancy.

This taco casserole is one of my best ground beef casseroles, and the recipe is insanely versatile. Use your favorite taco fixin’s! That’s really all there is to it. Want to make it ahead? Prep the dish, but don’t add the tortilla chips on the bottom, instead, save them for on top when you’re ready to serve (so they don’t get soggy). Swap the topping ingredients in and out with whatever you prefer. Use ground chicken or turkey instead of beef. The list goes on and on.

This casserole is a great source of protein, boasting 45g per serving due to the beef and beans!

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

BEEF – I prefer to use lean ground beef (90/10) specifically so I don’t have to drain as much fat off. You can easily substitute with ground chicken or turkey if preferred.

BEANS – Black beans hold their shape well in this casserole, but you can use your favorite variety. Some of our readers have used refried beans and it’s turned out great!

OLIVES – Not a fan? Feel free to omit them or substitute with something else you like.

SALSA – Smooth salsa or chunky salsa both work great here. Store bought is perfectly good, in fact, we like it for that extra bit of moisture it adds. You can, of course, substitute with homemade salsa.

SEASONING – I may be partial to homemade taco seasoning, but a packet of store bought taco seasoning will do the trick just fine.

TOPPINGS – Whatever you like! We chose shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes, though I’ve also topped it with my salsa fresca and now I think I’m hooked.

How to Make Taco Casserole

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium high heat until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat.
3. Stir in black beans, salsa, and taco seasoning. Reduce heat to medium and cook for a few more minutes to heat through.
4. Place 2 1/2 cups of the broken tortilla chips on the bottom of a 13×9 casserole dish.
5. Top with ground beef, bean, and salsa mixture.
6. Sprinkle the bell peppers, cut green onions, olives and cheese on top of the ground beef mixture.
7. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
8. Top casserole with lettuce, tomato, and the remaining 1/2 cup of broken tortilla chips.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Absolutely. Prepare the dish as normal but don’t add the tortilla chips on the bottom. Doing so will make them soggy the following day. I would simply reserve the tortilla chips to sprinkle on top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator up to a day in advance or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the dish to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before popping in the oven. If it was frozen, thaw to room temperature before baking. You may need to add extra cook time if it’s going in cold.

To give this casserole a little kick feel free to add some diced jalapenos, red pepper flakes, spicy salsa, or toss in a can of green chiles to the meat mixture.

Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

You can freeze our baked taco casserole for up to 3 months. This is perfect for leftovers that you’d like to enjoy in the next month or two. Lettuce and tomato do not freeze well, so we suggest removing those before freezing your leftovers. Allow it to cool completely before wrapping tightly and freezing. You can store the baked casserole for up to 3 months.

Sure you can! Or you can simply check out our Dorito Casserole recipe.

Serving Suggestions

Not sure what to serve with this taco casserole? It can be eaten with a fork, chips, or rolled into a tortilla. Whatever sounds most appealing to you! Serve it warm from the oven. You can always add a side of corn salad or Mexican Street Corn!

I really think this dish would be great for meal prep lunches throughout the week. If you do so, I’d recommend keeping the broken tortilla chips off on the side in a zip top bag. Hope you love it!

Looking for quick dinners? Here’s more quick weeknight ground beef dinners for you to try!

More Taco Inspired Recipes

• Taco Spaghetti
• Taco Soup
• Chicken Taco Casserole
• Taco Macaroni and Cheese
• Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme

Looking for more ground beef ideas? See our collection of 90 best ground beef recipes here.

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The post originally appeared on this blog on Aug 21, 2016.