This Beef Taco Casserole is an easy and delicious way to enjoy flavorful meals all week long! It’s cheesy, ooey-gooey, and filled with crispy chips and taco-flavored beef grounds. It’s the perfect one-pot dish for everyone in the family (even picky eaters!).
This six-ingredient beef taco casserole offers the perfect amount of flavor and just a kick of heat, so it’s picky-eater-approved! Made with delicious layers of seasoned ground beef, tomatoes, green chilies, chips, and melty cheese, it will satisfy taco cravings in less than half an hour. This dish is also great for get-togethers, taco nights, and even football Sundays.
If you’re still craving taco-inspired meals after eating this beef taco casserole, consider making one of the following dishes this week: The Best Pork Belly Tacos, Easy Taco Pasta Bake, or 7 Can Taco Soup with Ranch Dressing Mix.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pot – This one-pot beef taco casserole is a favorite in my household, especially during clean-up, as it requires minimal dishes!
- Six ingredients – This easy recipe requires only six ingredients, making it a great choice for weeknight meals.
- Picky-eater-approved – Everyone loves tacos, so they’ll love this layered taco casserole!
- Great for large families – If you have a bigger family or want to serve this for a get-together, you can double or triple the recipe as needed.
- Easy to customize – Sneak veggies into this casserole, use ground turkey, chicken, or pork, or include a different type of cheese – it’s easy to make this recipe your own.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pepper Jack: I love adding Pepper Jack cheese to this beef taco casserole, as it adds slightly more heat to the recipe. However, if you want a milder spice level or a different flavor, you can use other cheeses in this recipe. Asadero, queso quesadilla, and cheddar cheese all work great with this dish.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Ground Beef Taco Casserole
Quick Overview
- Preheat oven.
- Sauté beef and onions.
- Add other ingredients.
- Add layers.
- Bake.
Step by Step Instructions
Only cook the ground beef until it’s mostly browned, as it will cook more as the ingredients simmer.
You can also broil the beef taco casserole for 5-8 minutes to create a crispy, golden-brown cheese topping.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and diced onion. Sauté until the beef is mostly browned and the onion is tender.
Step 2: Stir in the tomatoes and taco seasoning. Simmer the mixture until it thickens slightly, then turn off the heat.
Step 3: Spread the ground beef mixture into an even layer.
Step 4: Spread about half of the cheese over the meat mixture. Then, spread the tortilla chips evenly over the meat mixture. (Note: For crispier tortilla chips, do not add them before baking. Instead, layer all of the cheese on top of the beef mixture and sprinkle tortilla chips over each serving after plating.)
Step 5: Finally, add the remaining cheese on top of the tortilla chips.
Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Topping Ideas
Easily customize this yummy beef taco casserole by adding your favorite taco toppings. Here are some ideas:
- Sour cream
- Mango Habanero Salsa
- Roasted Chili Corn Salsa
- Chopped green onions
- Sliced avocados
- Guacamole
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish this beef taco casserole with shredded lettuce, fresh chopped tomatoes, and cilantro to make it feel more taco-like. I love serving this layered beef taco casserole with some Mexican sides for a more filling meal. Here are a few ideas:
Expert Tips
- Leave the chips off until the end. I recommend adding this easy taco casserole recipe without chips for a crispier dish. This also allows you to enjoy the leftovers more, as the chips won’t be soggy later.
- Drain the ground beef grease. Once you’ve browned the meat for this beef taco casserole, I recommend draining the grease before adding the tomatoes. Otherwise, you’ll have an overly oily layer in the prepared baking dish.
Additions & Variations
- Try different flavors of Doritos or Fritos on top – Don’t be afraid to experiment with this beef taco casserole recipe. You can use any type of Doritos, Fritos, or tortilla chips you wish to create a yummy topping.
- Use other taco meat – If you want a lighter casserole, consider using ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. Pork also works well in this recipe.
- Include rotisserie chicken – If you want to shave a few minutes off this recipe, you can use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of ground beef. Remember to remove the skin when using this swap.
- Add fresh veggies on top—For extra nutrients, try adding chopped veggies like lettuce, onions, and tomatoes.
Recipe FAQs
If you find the taco meat in your beef taco casserole needs more flavor, you can add more of the taco seasoning mixture. You can also marinate the meat before browning it with options like soy sauce or Worcestershire. Pre-made taco marinades will also work well to provide extra flavor. The final option is to add more seasoning to the meat, such as cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne powder, etc.
I recommend baking this casserole at 425F for 5-10 minutes to create a melty cheese consistency. If you want to brown the cheese slightly, you can broil the casserole at 500F for a few minutes instead.
For this recipe, I prefer cooking the taco meat uncovered so you can be sure it doesn’t get overcooked. However, other taco recipes may require you to cook the meat covered.
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Easy Beef Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 10- ounce can diced tomatoes & green chilies
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 2-3 cups tortilla chips, Fritos, or Doritos
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and diced onion. Sauté until the beef is mostly browned and the onion is tender.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 yellow onion, diced
- Stir in the tomatoes and taco seasoning. Simmer the mixture until it thickens slightly, then turn off the heat.1 10- ounce can diced tomatoes & green chilies, 1 packet taco seasoning
- Spread the ground beef mixture into an even layer.
- Spread about half of the cheese over the meat mixture. Then, spread the tortilla chips evenly over the meat mixture. (Note: For crispier tortilla chips, do not add them before baking. Instead, layer all of the cheese on top of the beef mixture and sprinkle tortilla chips over each serving after plating.)8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded*, 2-3 cups tortilla chips, Fritos, or Doritos
- Finally, add the remaining cheese on top of the tortilla chips.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- Leave the chips off until the end. I recommend adding this easy taco casserole recipe without chips for a crispier dish. This also allows you to enjoy the leftovers more, as the chips won’t be soggy later.
- Drain the ground beef grease. Once you’ve browned the meat for this beef taco casserole, I recommend draining the grease before adding the tomatoes. Otherwise, you’ll have an overly oily layer in the prepared baking dish.
- Try different flavors of Doritos or Fritos on top – Don’t be afraid to experiment with this beef taco casserole recipe. You can use any type of Doritos, Fritos, or tortilla chips you wish to create a yummy topping.
- Use other taco meat – If you want a lighter casserole, consider using ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. Pork also works well in this recipe.
- Include rotisserie chicken – If you want to shave a few minutes off this recipe, you can use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of ground beef. Remember to remove the skin when using this swap.
- Add fresh veggies on top—For extra nutrients, try adding chopped veggies like lettuce, onions, and tomatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Beef Taco Casserole is awesome! Super easy to make and perfect for tasty meals all week. It’s loaded with cheese, crunchy chips, and seasoned beef. The whole family loves it, even the picky ones. Definitely a winner!
This beef taco casserole was so good! It was full of cheese and flavors! Yum, yum! We will definitely make this again!
This taco dish is a weeknight win. The layer of tortilla chips was a satisfying crunch. Easy and delish recipe!
This is a great beef taco recipe. I used cheddar because I can’t get pepper jack where I live (Italy)! Easy and delicious and perfect for weeknights!
I love tacos in casserole form! It’s easy to eat and this recipe is so delicious! It was perfect for our dinner last night!