Cheesy Taco Lasagna
This dish is assembled casserole-style and filled with the most irresistible mixture of seasoned ground beef and black beans, tortillas, sour cream, and plenty of melted cheese.
Serves6 to 8
Prep20 minutes
Cook43 minutes to 45 minutes
If there’s a special place in your heart for ground beef tacos, let me introduce you to its layered cousin: taco lasagna. It’s assembled casserole-style, just like a lasagna, and filled with the most irresistible mixture of seasoned ground beef and black beans, tortillas, sour cream, and plenty of melted cheese. Finish it with all your favorite toppings, and you’ve got a family-friendly dinner the whole table will devour. So, grab your trusty 9×13-inch baking dish, and let me show you how it’s done.
What Is Taco Lasagna?
Take everything there is to love about ground beef tacos — the browned ground beef kissed with warm spices, the tortillas, cheese, and salsa — and then borrow some inspiration from the ways you’d layer a lasagna, and you’ve got taco lasagna.
This version of taco lasagna is layered with corn or flour tortillas (pick your favorite one!), seasoned ground beef and black beans mixed with salsa, lots of shredded cheese, and creamy sour cream. And of course, don’t forget the toppings! Any of your favorite taco toppings are fair game here. We especially love shredded romaine, chopped tomatoes, avocado, fresh cilantro, pickled jalapeños, and extra sour cream.
If you’re feeding a crowd or have a lot of hungry eaters around the table, it’s a fun alternative to building a lot of individual tacos.
Can I Make a Vegetarian Taco Lasagna?
Yes! While the recipe calls for ground beef, it’s easily adaptable to make it vegetarian; here are several options to make that happen.
- Plant-based meat alternative: Swap in an equal amount of your favorite plant-based meat alternative, like Beyond Beef or Impossible Burger. It has a similar texture to ground beef and cooks up much the same way.
- Soyrizo: Use an equal amount of chopped or crumbled Soyrizo. It’s also packed with lots of seasoning and spices, and will lend some extra flavor to the taco lasagna.
- Crumbled tempeh: Tempeh is another plant-based option that will work for taco lasagna. Simply break into crumbles and follow the recipe as written.
What’s the Best Way to Reheat Taco Lasagna?
Taco lasagna is at its best when eaten right after it’s cooked. With that said, the leftovers (which will keep for a couple of days in the fridge) are still pretty amazing and reheat well. As taco lasagna sits, the sour cream layer will soak into the tortillas, and the tortillas will soften a little, but you’ll still get clean, layered slices.
For the best results, reheat taco lasagna in a covered baking dish in a 350℉ oven until heated through, 10 to 20 minutes. Total cook time will vary depending on how big the pieces are. Covering the baking dish with foil will prevent the lasagna from drying out.
What to Serve with Taco Lasagna
Since it’s layered with a mix of ground meat, beans, and melted cheese, the best sides to serve with taco lasagna are fresh, bright, and easy enough to pull together while the casserole bakes. A simple salad, slaw, or cauliflower rice are all great options.
Taco Lasagna Recipe
This dish is assembled casserole-style and filled with the most irresistible mixture of seasoned ground beef and black beans, tortillas, sour cream, and plenty of melted cheese.
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 43 minutes to 45 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
medium yellow onion
- 1
medium red bell pepper
- 2 cloves
garlic
- 1 (about 15-ounce) can
black beans
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
- 1 pound
lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon
chili powder
- 2 teaspoons
ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon
dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (about 16-ounce) jar
tomato salsa, divided
- 12
(8-inch) corn or flour tortillas, divided
- 16 ounces
sour cream, divided
- 16 ounces
shredded Mexican cheese blend (about 4 cups), divided
For serving (optional):
Shredded romaine lettuce
Chopped tomato
Fresh cilantro leaves
Sliced avocado
Pickled jalapeño slices
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350℉.
Dice 1 medium yellow onion (about 1 cup). Core, seed, and dice 1 medium red bell pepper (about 1 1/2 cups). Mince 2 garlic cloves. Drain and rinse 1 can black beans.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound lean ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate, then pour off any fat from the skillet.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the skillet, add the black beans, and stir to combine. Add 1 tablespoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from skillet from the heat. Transfer 1/4 cup tomato salsa from a 16-ounce jar into a 9x13-inch baking dish, then pour the remaining salsa into the skillet and stir to combine.
Assemble the lasagna: Spread the salsa out in the baking dish into a thin layer. Arrange 4 (8-inch) tortillas in a single layer on top of the salsa, overlapping them as needed. Dollop and spread 2/3 cup of the sour sour cream. Spoon half of the meat mixture over the sour cream and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with 1 1/3 cups of the shredded Mexican cheese blend.
Repeat layering the following: 4 tortillas, 2/3 cup sour cream, the remaining meat mixture, and 1 1/3 cups shredded cheese. Top with the remaining 4 tortillas and remaining 2/3 cup sour cream. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/3 cups cheese.
Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with the desired toppings.
Recipe Notes
Beef substitutions: Substitute an equal amount of plant-based meat alternative (like Beyond Beef or Impossible Burger), soyrizo, or crumbled tempeh for the ground beef.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a covered baking dish in the oven until heated through.