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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And, if you're in the mood for more fantastic Mexican-inspired recipes, you have come to the right place. Mexican food is my love language. You've got to try my Instant Pot Carnitas, Beef Enchiladas, or my Chicken Taquitos! They're all so good and all so easy!
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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!
What You'll Need
- Ground Beef, Onion, Garlic, and Taco Seasoning - The base layer of beefy goodness.
- Canned Tomatoes and Green Chiles and Red Enchilada Sauce - These guys create the saucey component.
- Pinto Beans and Shredded Cheese - They get gently folded into the beef mixture to finish the taco bake filling.
- Tortilla or Corn Chips - I love chips for the crunch in this recipe. You can also top with flour or corn tortillas.
How To Make It
A Taco Bake is a simple thing of beauty. There's very little to it. I'll give you a brief rundown here, but the specifics will live in the recipe card below.
Simply:
- Brown the beef with the aromatics and taco seasoning.
- Add the sauce components and simmer.
- Fold in the cheese and pinto beans.
- Top with chips and more cheese.
- Bake.
- Garnish and enjoy!
That's it! Told ya it was easy!
Chips vs. Flour Tortillas vs. Corn Tortillas
You will find other recipes for Taco Bakes that utilize other types of chips/tortillas. I love the chips here because of the crunch. Give me all the crunch and more.
However, if you want to use tortillas instead of chips, you absolutely can! I would put a layer of either corn tortillas or flour tortillas on top of the taco bake mixture, top with extra cheese and then bake. You'll just end up with a softer layer instead of the crunch from the chips.
As always, make this recipe your own! Use what you have and what you love!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Taco Bake gluten-free? Can you make it dairy-free?
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.
What are other options besides the red enchilada sauce?
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.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use ground chicken or ground turkey if you prefer.
- You can substitute your favorite canned bean. I think the chili beans with the sauce would be really good here.
- Make it spicy by adding chipotle in adobo to the ground beef mixture.
- You can also use green enchilada sauce if that's you're preference.
Tips and Tricks
- Make your own taco seasoning for this recipe!
- Homemade red enchilada sauce is superior to anything in the can. Take my word for it. And, it only takes a few minutes to throw together.
- My Instant Pot Pinto Beans would be fantastic instead of using canned.
- Serve with everything Mexican garnish imaginable. I love all of them. Salsas, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, queso fundido, etc.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- The taco bake leftovers will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, simply portion out and warm in the microwave in small increments until heated through.
- 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.
Taco Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 med onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 tablespoon 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.
- Fold in 1-1½ cups of shredded cheese and the pinto beans.
- 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
If you guys make this Easy Taco Bake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
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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Tonya says
Love, love this one! The crunch is exactly what I prefer and my kids devoured it. Will be adding to the rotation immediately! Thank you!
Rufus says
I'm so very glad to hear you liked it! Have a wonderful day!