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The post Easy Ground Beef Taco Casserole (Mexican Lasagna Recipe) appeared first on Family Dinners.

]]> This super delicious Mexican taco casserole with ground beef is incredibly easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. It only takes 15 minutes of hands-on prep time to make this easy weeknight meal. You can even prep it the day before! Mexican lasagna combines all your favorite Mexican flavors, such as taco meat, refried beans, salsa, melty cheese and sour cream. If you love Mexican food, then this layered Mexican casserole recipe with ground beef will definitely become a family favorite. It is the best Mexican taco bake recipe you have ever tasted.

Mexican casserole on a plate with a dollop of sour cream and a fork

What is Mexican Taco Casserole?

Mexican taco casserole or Mexican lasagna is a layered dish like a traditional lasagna but with a Mexican-inspired flare. It combines flour tortillas with layers of taco-seasoned ground beef, salsa, sour cream, and melty cheese. Baked to perfection in the oven, this mouthwatering comfort food makes a perfect dinner for busy weeknights. Everyone will love it! This is really the best Mexican lasagna recipe out there. In this Mexican casserole recipe ground beef plays a starring role. Combined with spices, salsa, and refried beans, the filling is juicy and delicious.

Mexican casserole recipe with ground beef on a plate.

Why You’ll Love This

  • Notable: easy to make taco bake that combines all your favorite Mexican flavors
  • Main Ingredients: ground beef, refried beans, salsa, taco seasoning, water, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, flour tortillas, tomatoes, cilantro
  • Cooking Method: oven baked
  • Nutrients: excellent source of protein with 38g per serving
  • Cooking Time: 15 minutes prep time, 25 minutes cooking time
  • Pairs well with: guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, leafy salad
  • Special Equipment Needed: skillet, mixing bowls, 9×13-inch baking dish
wooden spoon scooping taco bake out of a casserole dish
close up of Mexican taco casserole showing all the different layers

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this Mexican lasagna recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this ultimate Mexican casserole you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Casserole Ingredients

Optional Garnish

  • 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
  • ¼ cup sliced black olives

Variations and Substitutions

Ground beef: You can substitute ground chicken or ground turkey for the ground beef.

Flour tortillas: Substitute yellow corn tortillas or almond flour tortillas for the flour tortillas if preferred.

Refried beans: Make your own easy homemade refried beans in the Instant Pot. Use 2 cups of homemade beans.

Salsa: Make your own easy restaurant style salsa for this recipe. If desired, a great option is to substitute for red enchilada sauce mixed with some canned green chiles.

Cheddar cheese: Substitute some cheddar cheese for Monterey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack cheese.

ingredients for easy Mexican taco casserole with ground beef

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you want to turn this delicious Mexican taco bake into a whole meal, serve our incredible Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes for dessert. It is a really easy recipe. They are fluffy with just the right amount of spices and topped with the most amazing Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

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Casserole Dish — We love using this glass baking dish as it cooks food evenly, you can easily see the food while it cooks and it also looks good as a serving dish.

Instructions

This section shows how to cook this Mexican burrito casserole recipe in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

MAKE BEEF MIXTURE : Firstly, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef. Drain grease. Then add water and taco seasoning to the ground beef. Mix and simmer for a 2-3 minutes. Next, add refried beans and ½ cup of salsa to the cooked ground beef mixture. Stir to combine and remove from heat.

browning ground beef with taco seasoning in a skillet
finished beef mixture with salsa and refried beans

PREPARE OVEN AND OTHER TOPPINGS: In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 cup salsa with 1 cup sour cream. Stir and mix well. Then preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

salsa and sour cream in a bowl
tortillas in a casserole dish topped with sour cream mixture and beef mixture

LAYER THE CASSEROLE: Firstly, lay 2 tortillas in the bottom of the baking dish. Then spread ⅔ cup sour cream mixture over tortillas, followed by ⅓ of taco beef mixture. Afterwards sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese over top of beef mixture. Top with a layer of tortillas. We tear the tortillas to make sure all parts of the cheese layer are covered without the tortilla going up the side of the dish. Then, repeat sour cream, taco meat mixture and shredded cheese layers and top again with tortillas. Add a last layer of sour cream and beef mixture, and finally finish by topping the casserole with 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Stef says….

I prefer to use flour tortillas in my Mexican lasagna. However, you can substitute for corn tortillas if you prefer.

taco meat topped with cheese
layer of ripped tortillas

BAKE AND SERVE: Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted in all the layers. No need to cover with aluminum foil. Finally, remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro and fresh diced tomatoes, if desired.

final layer of cheese on Mexican taco casserole with ground beef
finished Mexican taco casserole with ground beef

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love the combination of Mexican flavors in this casserole then you’ll also love our Loaded Beef Nachos. These colorful and mouthwatering loaded nachos are an amazing game day and party snack and most likely the best homemade nachos you have ever tasted.

Great Make Ahead Meal

This amazing Mexican meal is perfect for making ahead of time. In case you are not planning on baking the casserole immediately, we recommend letting the meat mixture cool completely before assembling the dish. Afterwards finish layering the casserole completely. Then cover tightly with cling wrap or plastic foil. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days before baking. Otherwise freeze for up to a month. Whenever you are ready to bake the casserole, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake at 350ºF for about 20-30 minutes. The casserole is rather cold when it comes out of the fridge, and therefore needs a bit longer in the oven.

Andrea says….

 I love to use spicy refried beans when we make this burrito casserole dish. We make our own refried beans in the Instant Pot. They’re really easy and you can adjust the spiciness.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best Mexican casserole with ground beef.

  • Tip: Drain the ground beef after it is browned. This will prevent your Mexican beef casserole from being too greasy.
  • Tip: Tear the tortillas to make a mostly single layer of tortillas. If your tortilla layer is too thick it will be chewy.
  • Tip: Make sure the liquid layers cover the tortillas completely or they will get crispy.
  • Tip: Don’t skimp on the cheese!

What To Serve With Mexican Ground Beef Casserole

We love to eat Mexican taco casserole with ground beef all by itself. However, sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:

Sides: Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice or Instant Pot black beans would be great side dishes to serve with taco casserole.

Salad: Pair this easy Mexican casserole recipe with a fresh salad. A green salad like our easy Italian salad or Stef’s delicious Taco Salad Shells.

Sauces: Traditionally, Mexican lasagna is served with guacamole, restaurant style salsa or pico de gallo. It would taste great with mango habanero salsa as well.

More Mexican Inspired Recipes

If you also love Mexican cuisine as much as we do then you have to try some spicy Sausage Rotel Dip and chips or these crowd pleasing recipes:

How To Store

Refrigerate: Let the Mexican taco casserole with ground beef cool completely before transferring into an airtight container or ziploc bag. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Taco lasagna leftovers can be frozen in a freezer safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Cut the taco bake into individual servings before freezing, for easy portion control when defrosting.

Defrosting: Thaw in the fridge overnight.

How To Reheat

You can reheat Mexican burrito casserole in the microwave, air fryer or oven.

a piece of Mexican taco casserole with ground beef on a plate with sour cream

Common Questions

Is it possible to use homemade refried beans and salsa for this recipe?

While we used store bought beans and salsa for convenience, you can of course use homemade refried beans and restaurant style salsa as well.

Can this casserole be baked in a disposable casserole pan?

Of course. Especially when you are making this dish for a party or potluck, we recommend baking it in a disposable aluminum casserole pan. That way you don’t have to worry about your dish breaking or being returned afterwards. It turns out just as delicious.

Can I add vegetables to Mexican layered casserole?

Yes, you can. You can easily stir fry a veggie blend of chopped bell peppers, diced white or red onion, sweet corn and even cut up zucchini. Then add a layer of the vegetable blend on top of the ground meat mixture before topping it with the shredded cheese. Additionally you can also add some whole beans such as black beans, pinto beans or kidney beans. Finally you can sprinkle the baked dish with sliced black olives alongside the fresh tomatoes and cilantro.

piece of burrito casserole on a plate with a fork and topped with sour cream
Print

Easy Layered Ground Beef Mexican Taco Casserole Recipe

Everything you love about tacos in a quick and easy Mexican lasagna with ground beef that feeds the whole family. This easy weeknight dinner gets rave reviews.
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword burrito casserole recipe, ground beef layered Mexican casserole recipe, layered Mexican casserole, Mexican lasagna recipe, taco casserole
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 563kcal
Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

  • large skillet
  • 9×13-inch casserole dish
  • mixing bowls

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1½ cups salsa divided
  • ¼ cup taco seasoning
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 6 burrito size flour tortillas

Optional Garnish:

  • 2 fresh tomatoes diced
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain grease.
  • Add water and taco seasoning to the ground beef. Mix and simmer for a 2-3 minutes.
    browning ground beef with taco seasoning in a skillet
  • Add refried beans and ½ cup of salsa to the taco beef mixture. Stir to combine. Remove from heat.
    salsa and refried beans added to the taco meat
  • In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 cup salsa with 1 cup sour cream. Stir and mix well.
    sour cream and salsa mixture in a bowl
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Then spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
  • Lay 2 tortillas in the bottom of the baking dish.
    2 tortillas in a casserole dish
  • Spread ⅔ cup sour cream mixture over tortillas.
    sour cream mixture spread over tortilla layer
  • Spread ⅓ of taco beef mixture over sour cream layer.
    layer of tortillas topped with sour cream mixture and ground beef mixture
  • Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese over top of beef mixture.
    taco meat topped with cheese
  • Layer with 2 more large tortillas. We tear the tortillas to make sure all parts of the cheese layer are covered without the tortilla going up the side of the dish.
    layer of ripped tortillas
  • Repeat sour cream, taco beef mixture and shredded cheese layers.
  • Layer with 2 more tortillas.
  • Repeat sour cream and taco beef mixture.
  • Top with 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
    final layer of cheese on Mexican taco casserole with ground beef
  • Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted in all the layers. Remove from oven.
    baked taco casserole in a baking dish
  • Optional: sprinkle with cilantro and fresh diced tomatoes.
    Mexican lasagna sprinkled with fresh tomatoes and cilantro

Notes

Tips: 
  • Drain the ground beef after it is browned. This will prevent your Mexican beef casserole from being too greasy.
  • Tear the tortillas to make a mostly single layer of tortillas. If your tortilla layer is too thick it will be chewy.
  • Make sure the liquid layers cover the tortillas completely or they will get crispy.
  • Don’t skimp on the cheese!

Nutrition

Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 2210mg | Potassium: 608mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2053IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 446mg | Iron: 4mg

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