We love casseroles, and it’s easy to see why these filling dishes are favorites. They can be prepared ahead of time, Freeze for future mealseasily feeds a crowd, and can be made with almost any ingredient. from Sweet breakfast casseroles To simplify Budget-friendly optionsmost casseroles cook inside. Less than an hour For a meal that is time-efficient without sacrificing taste.
Last year, our readers loved making. Bourbon Chicken So much so that it became The most saved recipe of 2023. Now, as we close out 2024, one new recipe gained more popularity than any other in the Allrecipes community: The perfect taco casserole.
Its simplicity and versatility have quickly earned it a place in many people’s food rotations. Home cooks love how easy Taco Casserole is to customize, the straightforward list of ingredients, and that it cooks in just 30 minutes.
What Makes Our Best Taco Casserole So Good?
Lean ground beef and Canned beans Make the base for this dish, filling and flavoring each serving. Jared salsa and shredded cheese liven things up, while chunks of crunchy tortilla chip add irresistible texture, resulting in a hearty, scoopable dish. The casserole is topped with a generous layer of cheese with diced tomatoes, green onions and black olives for fresh flavor in every bite.
Here’s what fans have to say about the best taco casserole recipe.
- “It was fantastic. I would normally use refried beans with a dish like this, but the chili beans were the best!” The reviewer says Lady Laughslot. “They added just the right amount of flavor to it. Our whole family loved this recipe. We will definitely be eating it again.”
- “This is a great recipe for a busy weekday meal. It tastes great and satisfies your craving for restaurant-style Mexican food,” says reviewer Donna Correa. “I have made it as it is and will make it again.”
- “Easy and delicious,” said Neta. “The recipe to go forever!”
How to make this Taco Casserole
This casserole packs a lot of great flavor and texture into one pan, but the best part is the simplicity of the recipe.
Cook your ground beef in a large pan until browned and crisp. Add the salsa to the pan and simmer until the salsa has absorbed the liquid. Then, add the beans to a can and continue cooking until the beans are completely reheated.
The next part involves assembling the casserole. Spread tortilla chips on bottom of baking dish and top with beef mixture, then sour cream. Finally, place the olives, green onions, and tomatoes on top of the sour cream and finish with a heavy dusting of cheese.
Place this casserole in the oven for about 30 minutes, and let all the wonderful aromas of Mexican cuisine fill your kitchen.
Tips to make the perfect taco casserole even tastier
As always, we encourage you. Custom recipes Customize and share your results. Here are some additions that our readers love:
- Stir in taco seasoning.: Add a store-bought packet of taco seasoning or use your own pantry. Home version to add extra flavor. During step 4 of the casserole instructions, stir the seasoning into the meat mixture until it is well combined with the other ingredients.
- Change the protein.: This recipe calls for ground beef as the base, but you can swap it out. The chicken Or ground turkey. To save time, you can also use chopped. Rotisserie Chicken.
- Add additional vegetables.: add Boiled onions and black pepperjalapeños, or canned corn (be sure to drain first) for extra flavor and nutrients. Top with additional fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, avocado cubes, and chopped cilantro.
- Mix in the cooked rice.: Rice will make this dish more appealing and increase the serving. Add to the cooked 1 cup. Mexican rice Or pick up a microwave steamer bag of rice from the grocery store for a quick boost.
- Lighten it up.: In addition to using leaner meats like turkey or chicken, you can lighten this meal by substituting sour cream and cheese. You can use lower-fat counterparts, reduce the amount used, or opt for it. Plain Greek Yogurt Substitute for sour cream.
No matter how you make it, there’s no doubt that this easy dish will quickly become a favorite and find its way to your table again and again.
How to substitute ingredients for this recipe
One of the great things about this casserole is that you can use whatever you have on hand if you don’t want to run out to the store. Take a hint from the Allrecipes community on how to modify this recipe:
“I substituted ground beef for chicken. I cooked and shredded [the chicken] And I added green chile sauce to the salsa to spice it up a bit. We didn’t have tortilla chips so we used Taco ballsbroke it was great. The good thing about this recipe is that you can adapt it to whatever you have on hand and make it work,” said reviewer JoMom.
“It’s great,” says reviewer Sherry Higgins. “I added taco seasoning to the salsa and the meat and bean mixture, used up. Ground turkeyadded a touch more cumin (we love cumin!) and doubled the recipe. I also used a regular container of salsa and one. Pico-type salsa Container The last change I made was that I put a layer of Mexican rice on top of the meat/bean/salsa layer and before the sour cream. And yes, this dish will be included in the rotation!