This easy beef Taco Casserole is everything you love about tacos in one casserole you can make ahead and bake when ready! It's loaded with all your favorite taco ingredients like seasoned ground beef, Doritos tortilla chips, black beans, corn, and gooey melted cheese.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
We have been switching this up for our Taco Tuesday dinner lately and I think I found a dish that will remain on our weekly menu. This easy beef Taco Casserole has all the basic ingredients of tacos: ground meat, taco seasoning, black beans, corn, cheese, and tortilla chips or broken taco shells. It's all baked together until the cheese is melted. Just before serving, top it with your favorite taco toppings: fresh lettuce, chopped tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, red onion, salsa, sour cream, etc.
To make it even more convenient, you can assemble the casserole ahead of time and bake it when you're ready to eat. This makes it a great option for meal prepping!
Ingredients:
- meat: use lean beef, ground turkey, or chicken;
- seasoning: I used my homemade taco seasoning made from scratch;
- vegetables: garlic, onion, green bell pepper, corn (frozen, fresh, or canned), and black beans;
- cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mexican cheese blend, etc;
- chips: tortilla chips, Doritos, or taco shells broken into large pieces;
- toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, etc.
How to make taco casserole?
- Saute bell pepper, onion, and garlic until soft.
- Add ground meat and cook until browned. Add seasoning, stir in well, and cook everything together for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add black beans and corn. Stir in and cook until heated through.
- Arrange broken tortilla chips on the bottom of a baking dish.
- Pour the meat mixture over the chips.
- Top meat layer with cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven.
- Serve topped with your favorite fresh taco toppings.
Expert Tips!
- other meat options: use lean beef, ground turkey, or even chicken (ground or chicken breasts);
- taco mix: use spices you have on hand to make your taco seasoning from scratch;
- veggies: don't skip the onions and peppers; they add delicious flavor to the meat layer.
- flavor: add more heat to the dish with your favorite spicy salsa; just add it along with the seasoning to the meat layer.
Homemade taco seasoning for casserole:
I have been making my own homemade taco seasoning for years. It's so easy because it's made with basic spices you can find in your pantry. You can follow my recipe and make a jar of the seasoning, then use 2 tablespoons in the meat mixture. To make the seasoning you will need cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, and cornstarch.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! You can prep the casserole up to 2 days in advance. Cook the meat layer, cool completely, and keep in the fridge until you are ready to bake. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake.
Yes! Prepare the meat layer as directed, then cool completely. Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then assemble with cheese in a casserole dish.
Absolutely! I've used ground turkey and even cooked, shredded chicken breast. They all work great! Use what you have on hand or prefer.
More Mexican dinner recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Easy Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 ½ cup black beans
- 1 cup corn frozen, canned or fresh
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cups tortilla chips
- 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Arrange tortilla chips in 13" x 9" baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat up olive oil.
- Add chopped bell pepper and saute for 3 minutes.
- Add onion and garlic and saute until the onion is almost translucent.
- Add ground beef and cook until brown.
- Add seasoning, stir in and cook for 1 minute.
- Add water and stir in well.
- Add beans and corn. Stir everything together.
- Pour the meat mixture over tortilla chips.
- Top meat with shredded cheese.
- Bake casserole for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Top with your favorite fresh taco toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, olives, red onion, etc.
- Serve with sour cream, salsa or guacamole.
Notes
- You can use lean beef, ground turkey, or chicken breast to make this dish.
- Use your favorite salsa in place of water, to add heat to the dish.
- You can freeze this dish for up to 3 months.
- Make the meat layer, cool completely, and chill in the fridge for up to 2 days, before baking.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
Matt says
This homemade taco casserole is so awesome and indeed very easy to make. I love the combination of all the flavors and I definitely like it with sour cream and guac.
Fran V says
It doesn't get much easier!! Especially when I'm feeding a family of 5. Great recipe.
Sharina says
This taco casserole was so delicious and satisfying, there were no leftovers! So impressive!
Mary Beth Gibson says
I haven't made this yet, but I plan to. My husband will go gaga over it! And I love that it is so simple to make and that it can be made ahead of time. Thanks for posting this recipe!