Walking Taco Bake with Ground Beef- Delicious layers of seasoned ground beef, with corn, black beans, salsa, a blend of Mexican cheeses, and loads of toppings like crunchy chips make this easy weeknight casserole dish a family favorite.
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From Chicken Taco Soup to Layered Taco Dip and Steak Tacos, I can't get enough tacos! I even made Taco Stuffed Shells!
If you love walking tacos, then you're going to love this easy weeknight meal. It's the perfect dish for potlucks, Taco Tuesday, and Cinco de Mayo because it has so much Tex-Mex flavor!
I like to use my own taco seasoning mix which is a mixture of garlic powder, chili powder, and other seasonings. However, store-bought taco seasoning will work in a pinch.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick and delicious 30-minute meal.
- Easily customized to suit your family's preferences.
Ingredients
This is meant to be a brief overview of the Walking Taco Casserole recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below.
- lean ground beef
- onion
- store-bought or homemade taco seasoning
- water
- salsa
- sour cream
- black beans
- corn
- Frito corn chips
- shredded cheese
Optional Toppings
Add your favorite taco toppings, such as sliced avocado, shredded lettuce, black olives, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, chopped bell peppers, salsa, chopped cilantro, parsley, or green onions.
Instructions
This casserole can be made in an oven-safe skillet, or put into a 9x13 baking dish. If you are using a baking dish, I recommend lightly greasing the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with the onions.
- Then, drain any excess grease from the beef mixture.
- Next, stir in the taco seasoning and water.
- Add the salsa and sour cream; mix well.
- Stir in the black beans and corn.
- Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheese.
- Add a layer of corn chips to the top of the casserole.
- Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the cheesy is melted and the casserole is bubbly.
- Uncover and cook for 5 minutes more.
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Ang's Tips
✔️ Use 90% lean ground beef, which has less saturated fat, for a slightly healthier option.
Related: Hashbrown and Ground Beef Casserole
Storage
To Store: Cover with aluminum foil or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To Reheat: Microwave individual servings in 30 second intervals until warmed through.
To Freeze: Prepare the casserole without the chips. Wrap in 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. Be sure to label! Freeze for 2-3 months.
To Thaw: Allow the casserole to thaw overnight in the fridge.
Shortcut / Make Ahead
Make a big batch of Slow Cooker Ground Beef Taco Meat (I like to double or even triple this) and stick it in the freezer in 1lb freezer bags. Then you can just pull out what you need anytime and half your prep work is done!
You can also use leftover crockpot shredded beef taco meat instead of ground beef.
This casserole can be made up to 2 days ahead of time without the chips. Cover and refrigerate. When it's time to bake it, add the chips on top and add about 5 additional minutes to the baking time.
Variations
The first time you try any new recipe we recommend that you make it just as it is written on the recipe card since that is how the taco bake recipe has been tested. However, the next time you make our recipe, you might want to try one of these ideas:
- Add a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles for even more flavor.
- Substitute pinto beans instead of black beans.
- This casserole can be made with ground turkey or leftover chopped chicken instead of ground beef.
- Add 1 cup of cooked rice to the ground beef mixture.
- Instead of salsa, use enchilada sauce.
- For an even creamier version, add 2 tablespoons of cream cheese to the ground beef mixture.
- While I like corn chips, you can also use crumbled tortilla chips or Doritos if you like.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with the onions.
- Then, drain any excess grease from the beef mixture.
- Add the ground beef to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and water.
- Add the salsa, sour cream, black beans, and corn.
- Top with a layer of shredded cheese.
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
- Add the corn chips and cook for 30 minutes more before serving.
Serving Suggestions
The great thing about this meal is that everyone can make their own plate just the way they want. There are so many different ways to enjoy this dish. Top individual servings with sour cream, avocado slices, extra cheese or Pico de Gallo.
Or, throw together a quick salad with chopped lettuce and diced tomatoes drizzled with some creamy and zesty ranch dressing on the side.
Here are some more Mexican favorites you'll love that are perfect to serve alongside our incredible one-pot taco bake:
Similar Recipes
Next time, try one of these delicious casserole recipes:
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake - tender chicken, creamy cheesy sauce, and broccoli with spaghetti.
- Quick Cheesy Taco Shell Skillet - 20 minute pasta and taco meat skillet meal with lots of cheese.
- Ro-Tel Chicken Spaghetti - shredded chicken with diced tomatoes and green chilies baked in a creamy cheese sauce.
- Pasta with Sausage and Broccolini - a light and flavorful pasta dish that's packed with scrumptious Italian sausage, good-for-you broccolini, and Parmesan cheese.
- Chicken Pasta Bake - the perfect dish to feed a hungry crowd, they'll love the creamy pasta with loads of shredded chicken and cheese.
- Cheesy Hamburger Casserole - ditch the boxed stuff for this tastier version of Hamburger Helper.
- Chicken Stuffing Bake - made with simple ingredients that are probably in your pantry RIGHT NOW!
- Hamburger and Potato Casserole - this cheesy casserole is always a family favorite, and it's ready in under one hour.
Related: Ground Beef Casseroles
Let's Cook!
Not ready to make this taco casserole with corn chips yet? When you do make this delicious recipe, please come back and comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Walking Taco Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 medium to large onion chopped
- 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 cup water
- 2 cup salsa
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 15 oz cans black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 15oz cans corn kernels drained
- 4 cups Frito corn chips divided
- 3 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet with the onions.2 lb ground beef, 1 medium to large onion
- Then, drain any excess grease from the beef mixture.
- Next, stir in the taco seasoning and water.4 tablespoons taco seasoning, 1 cup water
- Add the salsa and sour cream; mix well.1 cup sour cream, 2 cup salsa
- Stir in the black beans and corn.2 15 oz cans black beans, 2 15oz cans corn kernels
- Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheese.3 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- Add a layer of corn chips to the top of the casserole.4 cups Frito corn chips
- Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the cheesy is melted and the casserole is bubbly.
- Uncover and cook 5 minutes more.
Video
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anna says
I love walking tacos but I never thought to put it in a casserole dish and bake it - genius!
Erica says
I have made something similar to this but I used enchilada sauce instead of salsa. I will have to try it this way and see what my family thinks. Thanks for the recipe.
Heather says
You have so many great recipes, I can't wait to try this one, although I will probably use doritos on top instead of fritos.
Mel says
I like to use a shredded cheese mixture from the grocery store. I get the Mexican one that's good on tacos.
Samantha Murch says
This looks SOOO good! I love walking tacos and we have them a lot when we are camping! So "Walking Tacos" and "casserole" in the same recipe seems like a major win! My favorite toppings are cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and taco sauce. Over Doritos!! We use a fiesta blend cheese that is delicious and sour cream is a must-have too!! I've never tried it with Ro-Tel but that sounds good!
Libby Price says
I love the idea of the walking taco. I use fritos in mine. My favorite cheese is the Mexican cheese. The casserole looks like a good recipe to try too. Thank you for the idea. Favorite toppings are lettuce, tomatoes,, cheese and pepper rings some times and taco sauce.
Sarah says
Sounds really good, I've been enjoying sweet with savory so I think I would add some mango or papaya.
Joye I says
I tried this recipe and really liked it. It is a keeper in my recipe book