Easy Taco Bake is the recipe you need when you want easy, cheesy, quick, and comforting. It checks all of the boxes and it’s perfect for a last minute, weeknight dinner. And, everyone will be happy!
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There are days where I need something that takes little to no effort, almost no time to make, and tastes amazing for the entire family. This Easy Taco Bake Recipe is just that. At almost all times, I have all of these ingredients in the freezer, fridge and/or pantry. The prep work is almost non-existent and it’s a one-pot wonder!
Ground beef, chopped onions, and garlic get a healthy sprinkle of taco seasoning. Canned diced tomatoes with chiles and red enchilada sauce along with a big handful of shredded cheese help make this dish the ooey, gooey, cheesy hero it is. Topped with tortilla chips and a quick trip in the oven to get bubbly and you’ll add the Easy Taco Bake to your weekly rotation – and everyone will thank you for it!
taco bake ingredients
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Taco Seasoning
- Canned Tomatoes and Green Chiles
- Red Enchilada Sauce
- Pinto Beans
- Shredded Cheese
- Tortilla or Corn Chips
- Shredded Lettuce, Green Onion, Jalapeño, Pico De Gallo, Sour Cream, for topping
how to make an easy taco bake
To begin, brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic together with your taco seasoning of choice (mine is really good, btw). Add the canned diced tomatoes with chiles and the red enchilada sauce to the skillet, allowing this mixture to simmer for just a few minutes. You want this mixture to cook until the beef is done and the sauce has thickened just a wee bit. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Next, is the cheese. I don’t actually measure this. To measure cheese is to ignore your heart, so I add a good heaping handful to the beef mixture and stir it to combine just a bit. Grab your chip of choice. I used a lower sodium tortilla chip, but you could top with anything from a Frito to Doritos. Use what you have and what you love! Top the taco bake mixture with with the chips, broken up just a bit if you prefer.
Add extra cheese to the top of the chips, because cheese and you know we don’t measure it. I also love giving the taco bake a healthy sprinkle of green onions if I have them on hand.
Bake the taco and chip mixture in a 350° oven for about 20 minutes or until everything is nice and bubbly. Serve up the taco bake with all the garnishes in your arsenal. I consider myself an expert at the garnish game and suggest piling them on. I love shredded lettuce, extra cheese, sour cream, avocado, jalapeño slices, radishes, cilantro, and a good quality salsa, but you can’t go wrong. However you do it, just enjoy.
recipe frequently asked questions
This Taco Bake Recipe is gluten-free as long as you verify that the taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, and chips are certified GF. Some brands can include flour for thickening agents, so just be mindful.
To make this recipe dairy-free, just sub out your favorite DF sour cream and cheese.
I chose a red enchilada sauce because that was what was staring at me in the pantry. You could use green enchilada sauce, a salsa verde, your favorite jarred salsa, or even just stir in some pico de gallo. The idea behind this ingredient is to make this recipe a bit saucier. You use what you have and what you love.
Yes! To freeze this recipe, make the Taco Bake mixture, but don’t add the chips. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Simply thaw out the mixture at a future date, top with chips and extra cheese, heat, and serve as directed.
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Taco Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 med onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 1 15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2-3 cups colby jack cheese, shredded measure with your heart
- 2-3 cups tortilla chips or corn chips, for topping
- shredded lettuce, green onion, jalapeño, pico de gallo or salsa, sour cream, for topping also, garnish with your heart
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic together with your taco seasoning of choice in a large skillet.
- Add the canned tomatoes and the red enchilada sauce to the mixture, allowing it to simmer for just a few minutes. Simmer until the beef is cooked through and the sauce has thickened just a bit. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Stir in 1-1½ cups of shredded cheese.
- Top with tortilla chips and top remaining cheese.
- Bake the taco and chip mixture in a 350° oven for about 15-20 minutes or until everything is nice and bubbly.
- Remove from oven, garnish, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Easy Taco Bake recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
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