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This easy taco casserole with ground beef, tater tots, refried beans, and lots of cheese is one of my favorite weeknight dinners! It’s easy, it’s delicious, and is a dish everyone will love.
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“So delicious. I used hash browns with bell peppers O’Brien’s mixture instead of tater tots. So easy everyone loved it. Thank you” – Dawn
Easy Taco Casserole Recipe
I find casseroles are the easiest way to get a delicious dinner on the table, and this taco casserole is a quick favorite. It’s easy to prepare and ready in under an hour, perfect for Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo! The best part? My kids devour it without a single complaint. And honestly, who doesn’t love the idea of eating tacos with a fork?
Made with ground beef, tater tots, refried beans, cheese, and more, it’s a meal I make it on repeat, and it never gets old because I can switch things up each time with different toppings. Whether I’m in the mood for something spicy, fresh, or extra cheesy, it always hits the spot.
If you like casseroles, you’ll love our Doritos casserole or our cheesy tater tot casserole.
Easy Taco Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef any ground meat works too (454g)
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning 1 package or homemade (37g)
- 16 oz. can refried beans (454g)
- 16 oz. bag frozen tater tots (454g)
- 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained (411g)
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (226g)
Optional toppings:
- shredded lettuce
- black olives
- chips
- sour cream
- salsa
- roma tomato diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the ground beef and diced onion. Cook until the meat is browned and onions are translucent. Drain fat from pan if necessary.1 lb. ground beef, 1 small yellow onion
- Reduce heat to low and add in the taco seasoning and diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes.2 tbsp taco seasoning, 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- Spread the refried beans into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place the frozen tater tots on top of the beans in a single layer.16 oz. can refried beans, 16 oz. bag frozen tater tots
- Spread the meat mixture evenly on top of the tater tots.
- Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the meat mixture. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- Top with lettuce, black olives, chips, sour cream, salsa, and diced Roma tomato if desired. Serve immediately.shredded lettuce, black olives, chips, sour cream, salsa, roma tomato
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Taco Casserole Step by Step
Get the oven going and prepare a baking dish: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Cook the beef: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the 1 lb. ground beef and 1 onion. Cook until the meat is browned and onions are translucent. Drain fat from pan if necessary.
Reduce heat to low and add in the 2 tbsp taco seasoning and a 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes.
Layer casserole: Spread 1 16 oz. refried beans into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place 1 16 oz. bag frozen tater tots on top of the beans in a single layer. Spread the meat mixture evenly on top of the tater tots.
Top with cheese: Sprinkle 8 oz. cheddar cheese over the meat mixture. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Add toppings: Top with lettuce, black olives, chips, sour cream, salsa, and diced Roma tomato if desired. Serve immediately.
How to Store
You can easily prepare or partially prepare this taco casserole ahead of time. Make the ground beef mixture the day before and store it in the fridge.
Another option is to make it a freezer meal. Fully prepare the casserole (without toppings), and freeze until you’re ready to bake. Then you’ll just need to defrost and increase the baking time.
If you end up with leftovers, store covered the baking dish with plastic wrap, or scoop into airtight containers, and refrigerate up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
Toppings are completely up to you! I like to use typical taco toppings like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, jalapenos, and sour cream. And, of course, no Mexican meal is complete without a side of simple salsa and creamy guacamole, but you can also add some zing and drizzle with homemade taco sauce.
If you want to add crunch, top the casserole with crushed up tortilla chips, leftover taco shells, or use Frito’s, Dorito’s, etc.—whatever you have on hand.
Hi! I’m wanting to make this as a freezer meal. What would you recommend for oven temp and time if I plan to put it straight from the freezer to the oven?
Same oven temp, just about twice as long of a cook time!
Excited to try this! I’ve read a few comments about using Tater Tots, although it may initially seem “weird” as described, loaded Tater tots, Loaded Fries, Loaded HB are a huge thing!! So I am excited to Taco Up my tots and give this a go. Thanks for the creative idea!! Anymore loaded Tater Tot casseroles using ground pork sausage?? Those are a fave too :)
We hope you love it! We have a Mexican tater tot casserole and a cheesy tater tot casserole!
Do I cook meat before freezing?
Yes!
It’s a casserole, it’s going to be a little weird but taste delicious in the end!
Hi Becky! Greetings from Guadalajara, Mexico. I want to tell you that I tried this recipe, because I thought it was funny. It’s kind of weird but tasty. I didn’t find tater tots but I used hash brown. I’m going to try some of your recipes although, honestly, they have nothing to do with real mexican food! :)
Congratulations!
I am sorry to hear it wasn’t your taste!
We thought this was good! I was torn between baking the tater tots first to crisp them or just following the recipe, but decided to go with the recipe and they turned out fine. I also added some Mexican blend cheese on top of the cheddar for something different. Another one I’ll be making again!
Thanks for sharing, Helen! I encourage spicing things up with fun modifications!
So delicious. I used hash browns with bell peppers O’Brien’s mixture instead of tater tots. So easy everyone loved it. Thank you
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Dawn!
It was excellent. I mixed my hamburger with onions, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes and 1/2 can refried beans. I added about 3 tablespoons of taco sauce to liquefy it some. The tater tots I baked first till crisp.. To assemble I put a smear of taco in a 11×7 casserole dish, 1/2 the taco meat, then all the tater tots, shredded cheese, rest of taco mixture, then more shredded Mexican cheese. I cut a jalapeno thin and laid on cheese. 20 mins covered, 10 without 350 degree oven . So good. Served with guacamole n sour cream.
Sounds mouthwatering, Michelle!