Taco Casserole
This Taco Casserole stacks three cheesy layers of soft flour tortillas with a well-seasoned beef and black bean filling to make the easiest taco dinner ever! I brown the beef with onion and green pepper, then stir in thick, chunky salsa for a rich, saucy filling with loads of Tex-Mex flavor. Adding beans and fresh veggies also helps me stretch one pound of ground beef into eight servings for only $1.70 each, and the whole thing is ready in 45 minutes. Set out your favorite toppings at the table and let everyone finish their own slice. This casserole is a huge people pleaser and the kind of simple meal that turns an ordinary night into a mini fiesta!
All the Taco Flavor in One Baking Dish
I do love a good beef taco, but filling and folding tortillas one by one isn’t always realistic on a busy night. So I skip the taco assembly line and layer everything into one baking dish instead! The filling stays simple with ground beef, canned black beans, jarred salsa, and a couple of fresh veggies. Instead of reaching for a packet, I use chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper straight from my spice cabinet to make a homemade taco seasoning. There’s no added water, so the filling stays concentrated and easy to layer.
Once the salsa and beans are stirred in, I cook the filling until it looks thick and no loose liquid pools in the skillet. Then it gets layered up between soft flour tortillas with plenty of cheddar. Since everything in the filling is already cooked, this beauty only needs about 20 minutes in the oven to heat the layers and melt the cheese!
Recipe Success Tips
- Aim for a thick and scoopable filling. Think taco meat you’d pile onto a tortilla, not a loose meat sauce. I use 80/20 ground beef, so I spoon off the excess rendered fat after browning, but leaner beef likely won’t need draining. Then to make sure the filling is as thick as possible for layering, rinse and drain the beans well, use thick and chunky salsa (I use a shelf stable Thick & Chunky salsa from Walmart), and let everything simmer for about 4 minutes. When a spatula leaves a clear path through the skillet without watery liquid rushing in, you’re ready to layer!
- Fully cook the beef before assembling. Once the filling is tucked between the tortillas and cheese, you won’t be able to stir it or check the beef easily. Make sure no pink remains and the beef reaches 160°F in the skillet before building the layers.
- Wake up the spices. Stir the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper into the cooked beef and vegetables for about 1 minute. That brief heat helps release the spices’ flavor compounds, making them smell warmer and taste toastier before the salsa goes in. Keep them moving so they don’t scorch.
- Layer it like lasagna! Think of the tortillas as the pasta sheets in a traditional lasagna. Overlap two burrito-size tortillas in each layer, then spread one-third of the filling and cheese evenly over the top before repeating. During testing, I found that the larger tortillas curved slightly up the sides of my 9×13-inch baking dish, helping to hold the filling in place and making the casserole easier to slice. Those exposed tortilla edges also turn deliciously crisp in the oven (my favorite part!).
- Make it vegetarian. Skip the ground beef and double the black beans for a completely vegetarian taco casserole on a budget. You can also swap in whatever vegetarian ground ‘meat’ crumbles you like.
- Raid the veggie drawer. I kept things simple and budget-friendly in this taco casserole with green pepper and onion, but any color bell pepper will do the trick. Red, yellow, or orange bell peppers are slightly sweeter. Mushrooms, corn, spinach, or squash would also be delicious. Keep the total amount close to 2 cups, and cook off any moisture the vegetables release before adding the salsa so the filling stays thick.
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Taco Casserole
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Equipment
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9×13” Casserole Dish
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Medium Skillet
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray $0.01
- 1 lb. ground beef $5.94*
- ½ onion small dice, (135g, 1 cup) $0.47
- 1 green bell pepper medium dice, (125g, 1 cup) $0.78
- 1 Tbsp chili powder $0.08
- 1 tsp ground cumin $0.04
- 1 tsp paprika $0.04
- ½ tsp dried oregano $0.02
- ¼ tsp cayenne $0.04
- ¼ tsp salt $0.01
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.04
- 16 oz. jarred mild thick and chunky salsa $1.92**
- 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed, $0.92
- 2 cups cheddar cheese grated, (200g) $1.72***
- 6 large flour tortillas burrito size, $1.59
Instructions
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Gather and prepare all ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 oven-safe baking dish.
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Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the ground beef, onions, and green peppers, and sauté for 5 minutes until the meat is browned and the vegetables are tender.
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Using paper towels, carefully soak up the excess grease and discard.
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Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, dried oregano, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
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Add the salsa and drained black beans and continue cooking for 4 minutes.
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To assemble the taco bake, lay two tortillas overlapping each other on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with ⅓ of the meat filling and ⅓ of the cheese. Repeat the layers three times.
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Bake for 20 minutes in the oven until it is melty. Remove them from the oven, slice, and garnish with any toppings you like!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
**I use mild, thick, and chunky salsa, specifically the jarred Great Value brand salsa from Walmart. It’s a great price, and it’s not too thin. You can use whatever salsa you enjoy or even make your own pico de gallo. Just make sure it isn’t too watery, or it may make the tortillas soggy.
***You can substitute any other cheese in your fridge. Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack cheese (which will make it spicier), Colby Jack, or any cheese blend you like will work great.
Seasoning note: I make my own taco seasoning using the simple pantry spices listed here. Together, the spices, salt, and pepper come to 2 Tbsp plus ¼ tsp. You can use the same amount of your favorite store-bought taco seasoning instead if preferred. One thing I love about making my own is that I can adjust the flavor and heat. Add more cumin if you’re a big fan like me, or increase the cayenne if you like it spicy!
Prep it ahead: I don’t recommend layering this taco casserole ahead of time and baking it later because the tortillas will absorb the salsa and become very soft. You can, however, shred the cheese and prepare the taco filling ahead, then store everything separately in the refrigerator. Assemble the casserole shortly before baking and cook it a little longer (since everything is starting cold), until the center is hot and the cheese is melted.
Nutrition
how to make Taco Casserole Step-by-Step Photos
Gather all of your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly coat a 9×13-inch oven-safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook the beef: Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 lb. ground beef, ½ a diced onion, and 1 diced green bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, breaking the beef into small crumbles, until no pink remains and the beef reaches 160°F. The vegetables should be tender but still hold their shape. Keep cooking for another minute or two if needed.
Remove the excess fat: Carefully drain away the rendered fat, or blot it with paper towels held securely with tongs. If you’re using lean ground beef and there’s little or nothing to remove, you can skip this step.
Toast the spices until fragrant: Now add 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp cayenne, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Stir constantly for 1 minute, until the spices smell warm and fragrant. This brief toasting helps bring out the flavor of the spices.
Finish the filling: Stir in 1 (16 oz.) jar of mild thick and chunky salsa and a 15 oz. can of drained black beans. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and the filling looks cohesive. When you drag a spatula across the skillet, no watery liquid should pool in the space. If it does, cook for another minute or two before layering.
Build the layers: Overlap 2 burrito-size flour tortillas across the bottom of the prepared baking dish, allowing the edges to fold slightly up the sides. Spread one-third of the beef filling evenly over the tortillas, all the way to the edges.
Then sprinkle with a ⅓ of the cheddar cheese.
Repeat twice more with the remaining 4 tortillas, filling, and cheese to create three layers total.
Bake the taco casserole: Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted, the filling is bubbling around the edges, and the exposed tortilla edges are lightly browned and crisp. Let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes to help the layers settle, then slice into 8 servings and add your favorite fresh toppings. Enjoy!
How to Serve Taco Casserole
Add whatever fresh toppings you like or already have to each slice of taco casserole before serving. I love black olives, juicy tomatoes, and cilantro on mine, but use whatever sounds good! Those cool, crunchy salad toppings are so good alongside the hot, cheesy beef casserole. For sides, a batch of Spanish rice also serves eight, so it’s an easy way to round out the meal when you’re feeding a crowd!
I also think our cumin lime coleslaw with crisp cabbage and carrots tossed in a tangy lime-cumin dressing would be delicious, or guacamole for a classic taco pairing. The guacamole would also be delicious served with tortilla chips before dinner, then left on the table for spooning over each slice! And if friends or family are coming over, avocado margaritas make the meal feel fun and a little extra special for the adults. The recipe makes two drinks, so scale it up to suit your group.
Spanish Rice
$3.37 recipe / $0.42 serving
Cumin Lime Coleslaw
$3.00 recipe / $0.50 serving
Easy Guacamole
$4.61 recipe / $0.46 serving
Avocado Margarita
$4.07 recipe / $2.04 serving
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The tortillas do absorb moisture from the filling and become softer over time, particularly along the bottom, but the casserole is still delicious!
Make Ahead
Leftovers reheat well, but I much prefer this taco casserole fresh. If I want to get ahead on dinner, I’ll prepare the components separately instead of assembling the whole casserole in advance. Make the taco meat and shred the cheese, then store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Layer everything just before baking and add a few extra minutes to the cooking time since the filling will be starting cold.
Reheating
The microwave is the quickest option for individual slices. Cover and heat until steaming throughout, using short intervals so the edges don’t dry out. To reheat several portions, place them in a baking dish, cover with foil, and warm at 350°F until the center reaches 165°F. Remove the foil for the last few minutes to help firm up the tortilla edges.
Freezing
Freeze cooled portions in airtight freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Individual slices are easier to thaw and reheat than the entire casserole. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Just note the tortillas will be noticeably softer after freezing and thawing.
Try These Beef Taco-Inspired Recipes Next:
- This easy Taco Soup turns ground beef, two kinds of beans, corn, and tomatoes into a hearty bowl ready for all your favorite toppings!
- Our Taco Pasta is what I reach for when I want one-pot comfort. Pasta shells simmer in the taco-seasoned beef and tomato sauce before plenty of cheddar is stirred in at the end.
- Beef Taco Skillet lands somewhere between a skillet dinner and loaded nachos, with beef, black beans, tomatoes, tortilla chips, and melted cheese.
- Our Taco Salad starts with a bed of crisp lettuce topped with taco-seasoned beef, black beans, and corn. I love adding avocado, crunchy tortilla chips, and creamy lime dressing to finish each bowl.
More Easy Taco Recipes
Crispy Baked Beef Tacos
$8.88 recipe / $1.78 serving
Sheet Pan Tacos
$7.94 recipe / $1.32 serving
Fish Tacos with Slaw
$10.93 recipe / $2.73 serving
Smash Burger Tacos
$8.77 recipe / $1.46 serving
The post Taco Casserole appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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