This taco casserole has it all! Everything you love about tacos is baked into this flavorful casserole. The one-pot dish features ground beef, taco sauce, seasonings, tomato sauce, corn chips, and your favorite taco toppings. The meat mixture is finished with the toppings and tortilla chips or corn chips and the casserole is baked to perfection. Serve the casserole with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, or any combination of toppings.
Recipe Variations
There are dozens of ways you can customize this recipe. Here are a few ideas:
- Replace the ground beef with ground turkey or use diced or shredded cooked chicken. Or use leftover pulled pork.
- Instead of taco sauce, use enchilada sauce or salsa.
- For the chips, use Fritos, Doritos, tortilla chips or homemade tortilla strips.*
- Add 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning to the mixture.
- For crisper lettuce, add it just before serving or offer it as a topping.
Layered Taco Bake
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Use your favorite toppings and layer as you like!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup taco sauce
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Dash hot sauce or cayenne pepper
- 6 ounces corn chips, coarsely crumbled
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- Shredded lettuce
- Taco toppings for garnish (e.g., sour cream, avocado or guacamole, salsa, pickled onions, black olives)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Break the beef up with a spatula and add the chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, and hot sauce or cayenne. Continue cooking and stirring for 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink.
- Add the taco sauce and tomato sauce to the beef. Bring the mixture to a simmer; reduce the heat to low and continue simmering for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt, as needed.
- Turn half of the mixture into the baking dish and top with half of the crumbled chips. Add the remaining ground beef mixture and top with diced tomato, shredded cheese, chopped onion, and lettuce. Sprinkle the remaining chips over the top.
- Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Notes
*To make corn tortilla strips cut 4 small corn tortillas into 1/2-inch strips. Toss them a tablespoon of vegetable oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Arrange the strips in a single layer on baking sheets and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
