Taco Casserole

Taco Casserole Ingredients

This taco casserole has easy ingredients that are easy to find and likely already in your kitchen:

• Ground beef – The main ingredient of the casserole; I go with 85% lean.
• White onion – Cooks right with the beef, adding flavor without an extra sautéing step.
• Kosher salt – Seasons the meat.
• Chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, and garlic powder – Give the casserole its classic taco flavor!
• Diced tomatoes – Help to create the sauce that binds everything together. It’s great to buy these from the store, but you can also make your own diced tomatoes.
• All-purpose flour – Thickens the filling so the casserole is sliceable, not soupy. A little bit goes a long way!
• Corn tortillas – Layered like a lasagna to give the casserole its taco character. To give them a little more flavor and texture, char them slightly if you have a gas range.
• Cheddar cheese – Melts between the layers as well as on the top for a classic cheese-filled finish.

The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make This Taco Casserole

This casserole comes together so easily in just a few steps:

Brown the beef – Add the ground beef to a skillet over medium heat. Break it into small pieces as it cooks, then add the diced onion and salt. Cook until the beef is browned, and the onion has softened.

Bloom the spices – Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder, and stir into the beef. Then, add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook so the tomatoes and spices can come together. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture and stir it in, cooking just until the mixture tightens. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Assemble – Spread some of the meat mixture in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the tortillas over the bottom, slightly overlapping them and letting them come up the edges of the dish just a bit. Spread on half of the remaining meat mixture, then half of the shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat, ending with the remaining cheese.

At this point, the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day before baking.

Bake the casserole – Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the casserole is hot all the way through and the cheese is melted, 30-40 minutes. If baking straight from the refrigerator, the casserole may need a few extra minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with any of your favorite Tex-Mex-style toppings.

Recipe Tips

• Season the meat early – I always talk about seasoning at every layer, but it’s really true! Adding salt while the beef cooks seasons the filling from the inside out.
• Let the spices bloom – It seems trivial, but that one minute in the skillet helps the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic powder become more fragrant and flavorful.
• Add just enough flour – One tablespoon is all you need. It gives the filling body without making it thick or gluey.
• Char the tortillas if you can – This is optional, but a little char adds flavor and keeps the corn tortillas from tasting a little flat. They’ll still be delicious even if you don’t do this step!
• Let the casserole rest before slicing – A few minutes on the counter after coming out of the oven helps the layers settle so the first serving comes out cleaner.

More Casserole Recipes

• Chicken pot pie casserole
• Lasagna casserole
• Chicken pot pie with cheddar crust
• Pizza casserole
• If you want a more complex version of this casserole, you have to make loaded taco casserole!