This Taco Bake Casserole recipe is an excellent, family friendly one-dish meal perfect for weeknight dinners. It is literally your favorite beef taco loaded into a casserole dish with crunchy tortilla chips and topped with gooey cheese and all of the other cool toppings your heart desires.
What You’ll Need
One of the great things about this easy taco casserole recipe is its versatility. Nearly every single ingredient can be scaled up or down based on what you have on hand or personal preference. A full list of ingredients with measurements is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Ground Beef – Ground beef is a magical protein that when cooked properly, has oodles of beefy flavor. Properly, of course means, to actually brown the meat.
- Vegetable oil- If you are using a seasoned cast iron skillet, then no oil is needed, but if you are using stainless or something else you’ll need a small amount of oil.
- Onion, garlic and cilantro– For flavor and seasoning. Feel free to add more or less based on your personal preferences, and of course, omit the cilantro if it takes like soap.
- Low-Sodium Beef Broth– This moisture will help build a sauce with the cheese and other flavors to make it saucy.
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles– I like the one with mild green chiles, but feel free to use plain tomatoes.
- Taco seasoning– Make your own or buy a packet at the store. This hefty little pouch is a one step way to elevate the Latin flavors.
- Sour cream– For serving and garnish. Plain Greek yogurt is an excellent swap. Crema Mexicana is also a good pick and a little thinner; better for drizzling than dolloping. Some like cream cheese for a thicker base.
- Sharp cheddar cheese– Any flavor or blend of cheese is excellent in this dish. Also a great way to use up all the odds and ends in the vegetable crisper. Pepper jack, white American, cotija, queso, or any other melty cheese.
- Tortilla Chips– The quick baking time is just enough to adhere the whole dish together. The chips will stay slightly crunchy, but make a base, much like Frito Pie or Walking Tacos.
Get Cookin’
It’s a cinch to prep this flavorful casserole! Make sure to have everything measured and set out — it comes together quickly!
- Prep. Preheat the oven and prep the casserole dish or 9X13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook the Beef. Brown the beef over medium-high heat well in a large cast iron skillet or, if using any other large skillet, use vegetable oil or another neutral oil to prevent sticking. Make sure to visit our notes on how to properly brown beef to prevent a grey, rubbery mess. If the beef has a lot of excess grease or liquid evaporating, drain it off as you go.
- Saute the Aromatics. Add the onion and garlic, continuing to cook until the onion starts to soften, it won’t be fully soft.
- Mix in More Ingredients. Add the diced tomatoes, beef broth, cilantro and taco seasoning to the meat mixture. As you stir it, the taco seasoning will thicken with the beef broth and make is a strong red color.
- Add the Dairy. Add the sour cream and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix and remove from the heat whole you assemble.
- Build the Casserole. Start with a layer of coarsely crumbled tortilla chips on the bottom of the dish. Top with half of the beef mixture and then half of the remaining shredded cheese. Repeat these layers once more.
- Cook. Bake in the oven, uncovered, until the cheese melts.
- Serve. Remove and allow to cool before cutting to serve and topping with desired toppings.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻🍳
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- Salt – We use low-sodium beef broth since the cheese and the taco seasoning impart just enough salty goodness.
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- Seasoning – The blend of spices in taco seasoning adds layers of flavor. You can buy it or make your own taco seasoning to keep around for when you need it.
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- Sauces – We use beef broth to help build the flavorful sauce that keeps everything moist and delicious.
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- Swaps – You can definitely customize this recipe! Switch up the ground meat that you uses, swap in some different cheeses, or adjust the seasoning. Or, spice it up with some diced jalapenos, hot sauce, or cayenne pepper powder.
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- Senses – The smell of this dish cooking will have everyone running to the table! It’s also easy to make it fun and colorful with garnishes like tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream.
Make it a Meal
You can totally make this dish your entire meal! But if you’re looking to add on to it, try a simple salad, chicken tortilla soup, or Mexican rice.
Storage and Freezing
To make a taco bake ahead of time, prepare the whole dish and assemble. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours and then bake for an additional 5 minutes (25 minutes total).
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in the oven or microwave. The sad news is that the tortilla chips might get a little soggy, unfortunately, you’ll never get that crunch back
Can I Freeze Taco Bake Casserole?
You can certainly make this ahead of time and freeze it. This is great for when you’re making a meal for someone, prepping for the arrival of a baby, or just have leftovers you’d like to freeze. Here are my tips for freezing a casserole.
Recipe FAQ’s
The sky’s the limit! Top your casserole with diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, chopped cilantro, sour cream, or a squeeze of lime juice.
You can definitely make this substitution! Ground turkey is a leaner alternative that works perfectly in a taco bake casserole.
Swap out the meat for hearty alternatives like mushrooms, black beans, lentils, or a medley of sauteed vegetables.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
I can never have enough Mexican-inspired recipes up my sleeve! Here are more of my favorites.
Taco Bake Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
Taco Bake:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil , optional
- 1/2 cup white onion , chopped
- 3 cloves fresh garlic , minced
- 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles , drained
- 3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup cilantro , leaves and stems, roughly torn
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 2 cups cheddar cheese , shredded and divided
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 medium bag tortilla chips , lightly crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a medium casserole dish or 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, brown the 1 1/2 pounds ground beef. If using stainless steel, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to prevent sticking. IF the beef has a lot of fat or liquid evaporating, drain it off as you go.
- Add the chopped 1/2 cup white onion and minced 3 cloves fresh garlic, continuing to cook until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the drained 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles, 3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth, chopped 1/2 cup cilantro and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. Toss to coat and heat, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix and then remove from heat to allow mixture to thicken.
- Coarsely crumble half of the tortilla chips with your hands, place in the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with half of the browned beef mixture and then half of the remaining shredded cheese. Repeat these layers once more.
- Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting to serve and topping with desired toppings.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
This was fantastic! I prepped it ahead of time and then when we got home from the beach, threw it in the oven. Everyone loved it and I was happy to have an easy dinner!
Yes! This is exactly my jam. Exactly! I love Taco Bell, and I’m a big believer in making anything into a casserole whenever possible. I can’t wait to make this!
I love how easy this recipe is. and how often I already have all the ingredients on hand. Perfect throw together dinner
Soooo good! Everybody loved it and the leftovers were honestly even better the next day. Definitely adding this to our regular rotation.
I love the idea of using this for taco Tuesday. I get a little bored with our normal tacos and this combines all of my favorite taco ingredients in a yummy casserole!
Wow, such an easy one pot dish! Love how versatile it is! wonderful share!
My family would go crazy over this. Can’t wait to try it!
YUM. I’ve tried something like this before and it was too soggy. Loved your hint to drain the meat really well. I cooked the meat first and let it drain on paper towel for a good 10 minutes. That trick made all the difference. Thanks. Family loved it.