Main Dishes Casserole Recipes Beef Ground Beef Taco Bake Casserole 4.7 (200) 175 Reviews 48 Photos This taco bake is quick and easy and will satisfy even the most picky eaters! You can modify this simple casserole to add things you love. It's yummy! Top with tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, or whatever you like on your Mexican food. Submitted by Cherie Burgett Updated on October 11, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 48 48 48 48 Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 1 9x13-inch casserole Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Tired of the same old recipes on Taco Tuesday? Then mix it up with this irresistible (and incredibly easy) taco bake. This taco bake casserole is ready in less than an hour and it's packed with all your favorite taco flavors that everyone at the table will gobble up. Pour yourself a refreshing margarita and enjoy this top-rated recipe. How to Make Taco Bake You'll be shocked at how easy it is to make this taco bake. The full, step-by-step recipe is below — but here's a brief description of how to make this casserole: Brown the Beef Cook the ground beef and onions until beef is browned. Drain the grease and add water and taco seasoning. Cook until the water and seasoning mixture has thickened. Cook the Taco Mixture Add refried beans, olives, green chiles, and salsa to the ground beef mixture. Cook until all the ingredients are warmed through. Assemble the Casserole Sprinkle broken taco shells over the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with a layer of ground beef mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat all three layers. Bake Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted and bubbly. How Long to Cook Taco Bake? We like to follow this recipe, which calls for a 20 to 25 minute bake time. You'll know the taco bake is done when the casserole is warmed through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. What to Serve With Taco Bake You can top this taco bake just like you would top traditional tacos. Try adding shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or taco sauce. How to Store Taco Bake Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through. How to Freeze Taco Bake Assemble the casserole in a baking dish (use a disposable baking dish for easy freezing). Wrap the entire thing (pan and all) in a layer of storage wrap then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze the casserole for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as directed. You may need to add a few minutes to the bake time to account for the cold temperature. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise "The kids loved it. I love the versatility of the recipe. This time I used Doritos instead of taco shells and fire roasted tomatoes. Next time, I think I'll try lime tortilla chips and add guacamole, shredded lettuces, and sour cream to really dress it up," says FlyingTony. "This is my kind of recipe....easy and tasty!! Also quick to throw together. It was a big hit with our guests," according to Gotrecipe. Editorial contributions by Bailey Fink Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings cooking spray (such as Pam) 1 ½ pounds ground beef 1 cup chopped onion ½ cup water 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix 1 (10 ounce) can refried beans (Optional) 1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives (Optional) 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles ½ cup salsa 15 taco shells, broken up, or more to taste 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Cook ground beef and onions in a skillet over medium heat until beef is browned, 7 to 10 minutes; drain grease. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Stir in water and taco seasoning; cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add refried beans, olives, green chiles, and salsa. Cook and stir until ingredients are warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Place 1/2 of the broken taco shells in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour in 1/2 of the ground beef mixture over broken taco shells. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Sprinkle 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese over top. Repeat layers once more. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Serve hot and enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS I Made It Print 237 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 360 Calories 21g Fat 21g Carbs 21g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 360 % Daily Value * Total Fat 21g 27% Saturated Fat 9g 46% Cholesterol 65mg 22% Sodium 791mg 34% Total Carbohydrate 21g 7% Dietary Fiber 3g 11% Total Sugars 2g Protein 21g 42% Vitamin C 9mg 10% Calcium 216mg 17% Iron 3mg 14% Potassium 348mg 7% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.