Taco Casserole is a family favorite weeknight dinner and a great potluck recipe! Everything you love about a taco is baked into one casserole dish. Crunchy corn chips are topped with a seasoned mixture of ground beef, corn, black beans, cheese and more. Top it off with all of your favorite fixings and enjoy this easy casserole recipe that’s so filling and flavorful!
Taco Casserole
I love when I can just toss a bunch of tasty ingredients into a casserole dish and call it dinner – and that’s exactly what this easy taco casserole recipe is all about! Ground beef is cooked with onions before being tossed together with corn, black beans, cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning. That seriously satisfying mixture is then spread into an even layer over your favorite brand of crunchy corn chips and baked to perfection in just 15 minutes until that cheese is fully melted and making your mouth water! It’s an incredibly easy taco casserole recipe that’s perfect for both weeknights at home with the family or big potlucks with friends.
Enjoy more of the very best easy casserole recipes like Tuna Casserole, Ham and Rice Casserole, and Stovetop Hamburger Helper!
What toppings should I serve with taco casserole?
The options here are pretty limitless! Black olives, sour cream, avocado slices, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, more cheese… You see what I mean about limitless? I recommend serving this taco casserole with a toppings bar, that way everyone can top off their serving exactly how they want. More cheese for me, please!
How to Make Taco Casserole
Cook the beef. Cook the ground beef and yellow onions over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked. Drain any excess liquid once cooked.
Make the mixture. Add the corn, black beans, cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning to the meat mixture. Cook for just 5 minutes to heat through.
Assemble the casserole. Place the corn chips in the bottom of a 9×10 baking dish. Top with the meat mixture in an even layer.
Bake. Bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered at 400°F until the cheese has melted and the casserole is heated all the way through.
Top it off! Remove the casserole from the oven and top with tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, green onions, sour cream and whatever else your heart desires. Enjoy!
Storing Taco Casserole
You can store leftover taco casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note that with time, the corn chips won’t be as crunchy as they first were, but they’re still tasty. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through. I do not recommend freezing this taco casserole recipe.
Can I make this casserole in the Crockpot?
Yes! Taco casserole can be made in the slow cooker following all of the same steps. Cook it on low for 2-3 hours to fully melt the cheese and warm it all the way through. It’s great to serve it at parties this way, that way it stays nice and warm the whole time. If serving out of the Crockpot, keep the heat set to warm, not low or high.
Ingredient Notes for Taco Casserole
Ground Beef – Feel free to swap this with ground chicken or turkey if you’d prefer.
Black Beans – Make sure to drain the black beans, but don’t worry about rinsing them.
Cheese – If possible, grate the cheddar cheese straight off of the block. It’ll have a much better flavor and consistency that way instead of using pre-grated cheese that’s coated in anti-caking powder.
Salsa – Grab your favorite jar of red or green salsa or use my favorite Easy Blender Salsa recipe!
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Easy Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Beef or Chicken
- ½ Cup Yellow Onion
- 2 Cups Corn
- 2 Cups Black Beans drained, but not rinsed
- 3 Cups Shredded Cheddar cheese
- 16 Ounces Salsa
- 1 Packet Taco Seasoning
- 9.25 Ounces Corn Chips
- 2 Cups Tomatoes diced
- 2 Cups Lettuce chopped
- ½ Cup Cilantro Leaves
- ½ Cup Green Onions sliced
- ½ Cup Sour Cream
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef and yellow onion on medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked in a medium-sized skillet. Drain any excess liquid from the beef.
- Add the corn, black beans, 1 cup of cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning to the meat mixture. Cook for 5 minutes to heat through. Set aside.
- Place the corn chips in the bottom of the 9x10 baking dish.
- Top with the meat mixture.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered at 400 ° F until melted and heat all the way through.
- Remove from the oven and top with tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, green onion, and sour cream.
- Serve immediately.
It called for 3 cups of cheese but only said to mix in one cup. So I added some on top before baking, and kept a little to add when serving. I probably could have mixed in more before baking, but this is good.
This casserole was delicious and so easy to make. I made it for my family and they loved it. I divided the casserole and shared with a neighbor and she loved it too!
This was fantastic! Will make again 100%.
Hi,
I want to make this a day ahead before serving . Will the corn chips get soggy. I’m taking the made up casserole to a friend
Hi! If you’re making it ahead I would save the corn chips for dipping or having on top of the casserole instead 🙂
I tried this recipe and found it very tasty…reminded me of a hot walking taco. There was too much filling to put in a 9×10-inch baking dish but just right for a 9×13-inch pan. I think it was just a typo in the recipe. I added the extra 2 cups of cheese after the meat mixture, then baked.
I used my own homemade salsa that I bottle with tomatoes from my garden each year, and I used 3 Tblsps. Spice Island Brand Taco Seasoning.
We dished up individual portions of the casserole and let each person put on whatever toppings they wanted rather than topping the entire casserole all at once. That way leftovers can be topped with fresh toppings.
There are only two of us, so next time I’m going to freeze half the filling in a Ziplock bag and only make a half recipe at a time. Then the Fritos and toppings will be fresh when I make it up.
Thanks for a new and easy weeknight dinner. Mary
Thank you for posting this. I thought the 9×10 might be an error, so I searched the comments to see if anyone else noticed and now I have my answer!
Recipe does not say when to add remaining 2 cups of cheese but I assume they go on top of meat in oven?
Yes, thanks for letting me know that was missing! The remaining cheese goes on top before baking.