Put a fun twist on taco night that the whole family will love by whipping up this delicious ground beef taco casserole. It’s everything you love about classic tacos in layered casserole form. This recipe comes together quickly, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. You can also prep components of the dish ahead of time and pop it in the oven when you’re ready to bake!
I love making taco casserole with chips for a crunchy taco experience. Pile on your favorite taco toppings like a dollop of sour cream, diced tomatoes, salsa, shredded lettuce, cilantro, sliced black olives, and avocado slices or guacamole. It makes a filling meal that is super easy and sure to please the family or a crowd! If you’re looking for more taco night recipes, try my taco salad, taco soup, or steak tacos.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Ground Beef – I used lean ground beef (beef that is 80-90% lean) to keep the casserole from getting too greasy. If you use a high-fat content beef, drain off the excess fat after browning.
Refried Beans – canned refried pinto beans make the casserole assembly super easy. Alternatively, you can use refried black beans.
Tomatoes – use canned diced tomatoes, and be sure to include the liquid when you add them to the recipe!
Cheese – the mild flavor of shredded cheddar is the perfect addition to this recipe. Freshly shred cheddar cheese from the block for the best flavor and melting.
Taco Seasoning – use your favorite store-bought mix or make your own homemade taco seasoning!
Tortilla Chips – you will need just under 2 cups of tortilla chips to make the perfect crunchy bottom layer of this taco casserole bake. If it’s hard to measure out the chips, just evenly cover the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of chips.
How to Make Taco Casserole
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onion and cook until the beef is browned, for about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices.
3. Stir in the taco seasoning. Reduce to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated, for about 7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
4. Slightly crush the tortilla chips so they are a little smaller than full size, and layer them in the bottom of the baking dish.
5. Spoon the beans in an even layer over the chips.
6. Spread the ground beef mixture over the beans and top with the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and the beans are heated through. Add your favorite toppings and serve hot with tortilla chips.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Do not drain the cooked beef liquid. Cooking the beef and onion will create some liquid in the pan, but don’t discard it! It adds needed moisture and flavor to this taco bake recipe and will be too dry if you drain it. Once cooked, the beef mixture should be a ‘sloppy joe’ consistency.
- Grease the baking dish. Quickly coat the bottom of the dish with cooking spray or brush with oil to keep the cheese from sticking to the bottom. This will help you easily scoop out servings of the casserole.
- Layer the beans on top of the chips. This helps to prevent the chips from getting soggy from the juices of the beef mixture and helps them have a nice crunch after baking.
- Use flavored chips! Plain salted tortilla chips are perfect for this recipes, but you can have fun and mix it up with other flavored tortilla chips. Ones with a hint of lime or jalapeño flavor would work well, too.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free tortilla chips as the base. or you can skip the chips and serve the baked casserole with flour tortillas or corn tortillas on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
This taco casserole recipe is best served right away so the chips keep their firmness. But you can also store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes until heated through for the best consistency. I recommend storing the toppings separately and adding them once you’re ready to eat!
Top this casserole like you would your favorite tacos. We love topping them with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, extra shredded cheddar cheese, black olives, and sliced green onions.
You can easily make this recipe ahead of time for busier weekdays! Make the beef mixture, then all it to cool to room temperature, and refrigerate it in an airtight container. When you’re ready to assemble, reheat the beef in the microwave, assemble the layers and bake as directed.
There are several ways to switch up this casserole recipe! Add a punch of flavor by swapping the tortilla chips for nacho cheese Doritos. You can also make the dish spicier by adding chopped green chilies, sliced jalopeños, or chili powder. Or experiment with different types of cheese like Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, a Mexican cheese blend, queso fresco, or cotija cheese. Additionally, you can swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken.
You can make taco casserole meat-free by simply omitting the ground beef and adding extra refried beans or more vegetables like corn kernels or sauteed bell peppers, spinach, or mushrooms. If you want to up the protein, you can season and cook crumbled tofu or a meat-free alternative like you would prepare the beef.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Taco Casserole recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef (675g)
- 1 yellow onion diced (253g)
- 1 (14.5-ounce/411g) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
- ¼ cup taco seasoning (32g)
- 2 cups tortilla chips (77g)
- 1 31-ounce can refried beans (878g)
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (252g)
Toppings (optional):
- Sour cream
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
- Sliced black olives
- Avocado
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onion, and cook until the beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices and taco seasoning. Reduce the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Slightly crush the tortilla chips and layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon the beans in an even layer over the chips. Spread the beef mixture over the beans and top with the cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese melts and the beans are heated through. Add your favorite toppings and serve hot with tortilla chips.
Notes
- Do not drain the cooked beef liquid. Cooking the beef and onion will create some liquid in the pan, but don’t discard it! It adds needed moisture and flavor to this taco bake recipe and will be too dry if you drain it. Once cooked, the beef mixture should be a ‘sloppy joe’ consistency.
- Grease the baking dish. Quickly coat the bottom of the dish with cooking spray or brush with oil to keep the cheese from sticking to the bottom. This will help you easily scoop out servings of the casserole.
- Layer the beans on top of the chips. This helps to prevent the chips from getting soggy from the juices of the beef mixture and helps them have a nice crunch after baking.
- Use flavored chips! Plain salted tortilla chips are perfect for this recipes, but you can have fun and mix it up with other flavored tortilla chips. Ones with a hint of lime or jalapeño flavor would work well, too.
- Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free tortilla chips as the base. or you can skip the chips and serve the baked casserole with flour tortillas or corn tortillas on the side.
Leave a Reply