Quick & Easy Taco Casserole Recipe
Indulge in a flavor fiesta with this quick & easy taco casserole recipe! Get ready to dive into a mouthwatering medley of Tex-Mex goodness!
Layers of seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, and tater tots, all baked to perfection. A one-pan wonder that brings the sizzle of tacos to your table.
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Mexican food is something that our whole family enjoys eating. Taco Tuesday is a real thing around here, though to be honest, sometimes it ends up being on a Wednesday or Friday.
I don’t mind! As long as all my boys are eating something that they like, what is there to worry about?
Today I have a recipe for you to try on your next taco night. This easy taco casserole recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. It is simple to put together and can be in the oven in ten minutes.
It is also totally customizable, so you can adjust the recipe to fit what your family prefers. Doesn’t get much better than that, does it?
Recipe details
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20-25 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- Frozen tater tots – used as a base in this dish.
- Lean ground beef – cooked and drained.
- Taco seasoning – I like to use our homemade seasoning but a store bought packet works too.
- Water – for making the taco beef mixture.
- Salsa – this homemade recipe is one I use however a jar from the store works in a pinch.
- Shredded cheese – tex mex is my favorite but any will do.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F.
2. Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil non-stick cooking spray.
3. Add all of the tots to the pan and bake them for 10 minutes.
4. Remove and set aside.
5. In a large skillet, brown your ground beef and drain off any excess grease.
6. Add in the taco seasoning, 1/3 cup water, and 1 cup of salsa.
7. Mix everything together until well combined.
8. Remove half the tots from the pan, leaving one layer to cover the bottom of the pan.
9. Top with the ground meat mixture.
10. Spread half of the cheese over top of the meat.
11. Add a second layer of the tots to the casserole.
12. Top with the remaining cheese.
13. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and tots are cooked through.
Recipe notes
Para-cooking the tots helps them to retain their crispness under the weight of meat sauce.
Alternate ingredients
- Make your own homemade taco seasoning with this recipe. It uses simple pantry staples that you likely already have, like garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin, and onion powder.
- Try adding black beans, refried beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans in with the meat mixture. This is a great way to include extra protein in the meal while also stretching the amount of ground beef you are using.
- Substitute ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken. You could also try ground pork in this recipe.
- Chopped bell pepper or mild green chilies are nice.
- For extra creaminess, mix cream cheese into the meat. Stir everything together until the cream cheese has completely melted before continuing with the recipe.
- Any combination of cheese can work, depending on what you have or what your family likes best. Along with the other types mentioned above, I like pepper jack or even a pre-shredded tex-mex mix.
- Serve with all of your favorite taco toppings like extra salsa, sour cream, tortilla or corn chips, black olives, guacamole, green onions, or pico de gallo.
- Use this casserole as a filling for flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or hard taco shells. This works especially well with leftovers.
If you like this taco casserole, check out some of my other Mexican-inspired recipes. This crockpot salsa chicken, keto taco soup, and skillet steak fajitas are all winners at our house.
If you love this taco casserole recipe, please give it a five star review and help me share it on Facebook and Pinterest.
Recipe card
Tater Tot Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 32 oz frozen tater tots
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 oz packet taco seasoning
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup salsa
- 2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 F.
- Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil non-stick cooking spray.
- Add all of the tots to the pan and bake them for 10 minutes.
- Remove and set aside.
- In a large skillet, brown your ground beef and drain off any excess grease.
- Add in the taco seasoning, 1/3 cup water, and 1 cup of salsa.
- Mix everything together until well combined.
- Remove half the tots from the pan, leaving one layer to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Top with the ground meat mixture.
- Spread half of the cheese over top of the meat.
- Add a second layer of the tots to the casserole.
- Top with the remaining cheese.
- Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and tots are cooked through.
Nutrition
