This is what it looks like when walking taco, and Tex-Mex salad had a casserole. Super easy to make & loaded with your Mexican favorites. You can make it in advance and bake later for a relaxed Sunday brunch or weekend dinner.
Do you love the Tex-Mex flavor fusion? Then this recipe for walking taco casserole is for you. This is a fun dish to make and have during Sunday dinner, especially if you have a huge family or group of friends.
I love this taco bake with Fritos. It’s a dish you can eat sitting down or walking around. Yes, it can be a bit messy, but, hey, you have to enjoy good food by getting your hands into it.
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For this walking taco recipe, I love using crunchy Frito corn chips. It puts “walking” in this walking taco meat casserole. My kids love it! They even eat all the black beans and meat that I bake with a thick layer of cheddar.
Of course, I don’t stop at the cheese. I top it all off with ranch salad dressing to bring freshness into each bite. When your family tries this recipe, they will ask for more and love you more! You might just include this in your weeknight dinner menu.
Imagine bubbly and cheesy, tangy, beefy, taco goodness on a crunchy bed of Fritos. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. But wait, if you’re a veggie lover like me, you would want to top your walking taco casserole with shredded lettuce, scallions, tomatoes, cilantro, and red onion.
By the way, my ranch dressing recipe is tangier than the store-bought one because I add some lime juice to it. If you’re a busy mom like me, this is an easy and delicious dinner that’s fun, flavorful, and fresh!
What is taco casserole?
A taco casserole is composed of taco ingredients in the form of a casserole. I love any casserole recipe that has ground beef in it because you don’t chew much. Also, having ground beef in the dish ensures that you have meat in every bite.
In this walking taco casserole, you get to volumize that ground beef by adding the black beans. I usually have leftovers with my recipe, so my family and I enjoy it one more evening in the week.
You can get ready-made taco seasoning from your local grocery store, but this walking taco casserole uses homemade taco seasoning, which makes it fab-level.
Vegetarian walking taco casserole
I know this recipe is mainly cheesy beef, but if you want to turn it into a vegetarian dish, you can do so with ease.
Just replace the meat with firm tofu. Make sure you drain the tofu first before sautéing it. For the beans, you can get the vegetarian type of refried beans.
If you want to be more adventurous with flavor, you can use seasoned jackfruit or even Shiitake mushrooms that can give you the mouthfeel of pork.
Want to make it healthier?
Savoring the taco-seasoned cheesy beef is satisfying, but what if you want a healthy version of it?
Here are a few substitutions you can make. I have tried these ingredient alternatives, and they kept flavors intact as you feel a little less guilty with every bite.
- You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef. It will transform the dish into a lighter one.
- Choose low-fat shredded cheese.
- Use low-sodium ingredients.
- Add shredded or diced vegetables as the turkey cooks.
You can top your Frito taco casserole with fresh vegetables like tomatoes and lettuce, the moment you serve it. Also, substitute sour cream with plain regular or Greek yogurt.
What goes well with walking taco casserole
If you’re thinking of making this walking taco casserole for a quite a big dinner, you can serve it with empanadas de camote or sweet potato turnovers or homemade tamales.
You can rotate your toppings: refried beans, salsa, sliced black olives, shredded lettuce, sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, lime wedges, Fritos, and sliced jalapenos.
Swap it up!
Anything goes with this walking taco casserole recipe. You cannot go wrong because you can just prepare it according to your taste and preference. Make it a bit sweeter, spicier, or even cheesier—Swap the Fritos with soft or fried tortillas. If you want lamb or pork instead of beef, it’s fine as well.
Can you freeze this?
Absolutely! This taco bake recipe with Fritos freezes well. This makes it ideal for making in advance for a party, a picnic, or a visit to a friend.
If you want to thaw it, place the casserole in your fridge overnight. It would be entirely thawed for dinner the following day.
Here are the steps to thaw the dish properly.
How to store and freeze it
- Just cook the beef mixture in your pan and assemble everything in your baking dish. Don’t put the cheese on top just yet.
- Cool everything entirely first and then cover the baking dish with plastic wrap first and then aluminum foil. You can then freeze it up to three months.
- Thaw it overnight in your refrigerator.
- When it’s thawed completely, remove the aluminum foil and the plastic wrap and place it on the kitchen counter for about twenty minutes. Place the shredded cheese on top of the beef.
- Bake the casserole at 350° F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dish is bubbly. Tip: Cover with a foil when baking to reheat the cheesy beef and to prevent cheese from getting burned
Get these ingredients
For the Casserole:
- 1½ lbs ground beef
- 1 onion (diced)
- ½ cup of salsa
- 4 oz cream cheese (½ of the 8 oz block)
- ½ cup of water
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (add extra if you want spicy)
Seasoning:
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Toppings:
- 2 cups Fritos (or your favorite chips)
- 1½ cup black beans (rinsed)
- 1½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Tex-Mex Salad Toppings:
- 2 cups lettuce (romaine)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- ¼ cup red onion (diced)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp Jalapeno (pickled)
- 2 tbsp ranch dressing
- 2 stalks scallions
Step by step instructions
1 Don’t worry. This walking taco casserole is easy to make. You just start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
2 Then, get a large pan and place it on medium-high heat. Add in your beef. Use your wooden spatula to break it up and spread it. Let it cook down for three minutes.
3 Add your spices or the taco seasoning, which is a combination of salt, cumin, garlic & onion powder chili powder, and smoked paprika. If you can’t get all these ingredients, you can just get the store-bought taco seasoning: Cook the beef and the spices for two to three minutes.
4 Dice an onion and add it in. This will help absorb the excess fat rendered off from the ground beef.
5 When the onions soften, add in hot sauce, salsa, cream cheese, and water. Simmer until the mixture is creamy. You can turn the heat off and just set it aside.
6 Get a casserole dish and coat it with oil. Add in a layer of Fritos and then add a layer of cheesy beef. Put the rinsed black beans and some salt in there, too.
7 Once you finish the layers, top the casserole with shredded cheddar and bake it for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
As the casserole cooks, assemble your salad.
- In a large bowl, mix pickled jalapenos, lettuce, cilantro, scallion, tomatoes, and onions.
- Add in lime juice and ranch dressing. Toss everything together. Season with pepper and salt, if you prefer.
- When the casserole is done, take it out of the oven and top it with your salad.
- You can add more Fritos on top of the casserole and serve while still hot. You can add more hot sauce if you want.
Watch the video
Related recipes
Walking Taco Casserole Recipe
Print Pin RateEquipments:
- Oven
Ingredients:
For the Casserole:
- 1½ lbs ground beef
- 1 onion (diced)
- ½ cup salsa
- 4 oz cream cheese (½ of the 8 oz block)
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (add extra if you want spicy)
Seasoning:
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Toppings:
- 2 cups Fritos (or your favorite chips)
- 1½ cup black beans (rinsed)
- 1½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Tex-Mex Salad Toppings:
- 2 cups lettuce (romaine)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- ¼ cup red onion (diced)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp Jalapeno (pickled)
- 2 tbsp ranch dressing
- 2 stalks scallions
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
Cook the Beef:
- Add oil in the skillet and heat it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the ground beef. Break them up with a spatula and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add the seasonings (cumin, chili powder, garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika and salt). Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the diced onions, cook until translucent and most of the excess fat is being absorbed.
- Add the cream cheese, salsa, hot sauce, and water. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes creamy. Turn off the heat. Set aside.
Prep the Taco Casserole:
- Spray some oil on a casserole dish and add a layer of Fritos or any of your favorite chips.
- Then layer with the cool cheesy beef mixture and spread the (rinsed) black beans. Sprinkle some salt on top of the beans.
- Top with cheddar cheese, add extra if you want more cheesy.
- Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted or bubbly.
Prep the salad toppings:
- Add the shredded lettuce romaine, tomato, diced onion, cilantro, scallions, and pickled Jalapeno into a large salad bowl.
- Add the lime juice and ranch dressing. Toss everything together and season with salt and pepper if needed. Store in the fridge while waiting for the casserole.
- When the taco casserole is done baking, top it with the Tex-Mex salad and sprinkle some crushed Fritos. Serve and enjoy!
Watch the Video:
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
desiree says
I cant wait to try this recipe.. look so yummy. The beef mixture can be used on my sloppy joes sandwich as well.