This Healthy Taco Casserole recipe is a one pot, cheesy, and filling taco casserole with corn tortillas the whole family will love. Full of veggies, gluten free, with only one pot to clean.
About One Pot Taco Casserole
This healthy taco casserole recipe is the epitome of an easy dinner with everything cooked in one pot and ready in under an hour.
This one pot taco casserole with corn tortillas is tasty, easy, and budget-friendly.
Plus, it can be customized based on your preferences.
If you're looking for a fun variation for taco night, you'll love this taco bake casserole with tortillas.
I like to use a dutch oven to cook everything and then use it to make this taco casserole as opposed to dirtying a skillet and a baking dish.
However, you can always cook the meat and veggies in a skillet. Then, transfer the taco meat to a casserole dish and bake, if you prefer.
Ingredients
Ground beef: I prefer ground sirloin, lean ground beef, or 90/10 or 85/15 ground beef, so you don't have to drain as much grease. Lean ground turkey, chicken, or pork can be alternatives. For a vegetarian option, you can use two (15-ounce) cans of rinsed & drained black beans or pinto beans.
Veggies: Bell peppers and onions add substance to the casserole plus nutrients. Sauteeing veggies with the ground beef adds flavor to the taco casserole as well as bulk up the dish so you get a larger serving.
Any color bell pepper works well. For extra color, use a yellow, orange, or green bell pepper since the tomatoes are red. That being said, red bell peppers are delicious in this taco bake recipe.
Or substitute bell peppers for poblano peppers for a slightly spicier taco bake casserole.
Yellow onion, red onion, white onion, or sweet onion are all good choices.
You can add other veggies like diced carrots and chopped zucchini.
Spices: Chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper season this one pot taco casserole. You are basically making your own homemade taco seasoning.
Canned tomatoes: Use a combo of canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, preferably no-salt-added to keep the sodium from being super high.
Cheese: Any cheese tastes great on this easy taco casserole recipe. Good options include cheddar, Monterey jack cheese, pepper jack, Mexican cheese blend, or shredded mozzarella cheese.
Tortillas: Corn tortillas work best in this recipe because they absorb some of the moisture from the meat sauce. Since corn tortillas are a little drier than flour tortillas, it keeps them from being too mushy.
However, if you prefer flour tortillas, this Mexican casserole will still be tasty! You could also use crushed tortilla chips or leftover crumbled taco shells.
Recipe Cost
- Ground Beef 1 pound: $5.49
- Bell peppers 2 medium: $2
- Onion 1 medium: $0.50
- Chili powder 1 tablespoon: $0.25
- Paprika 1 teaspoon: $0.15
- Cumin 1 teaspoon: $0.13
- Garlic powder 1 teaspoon: $0.08
- Oregano ½ teaspoon: $0.04
- Salt ½ teaspoon: $0.01
- Cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon: $0.02
- Diced tomatoes 1 (15 ounce) can: $1.06
- Tomato sauce 1 (8 ounce) can: $0.53
- Cheese 4 ounces: $1
- Corn tortillas 6 small: $0.60
TOTAL COST: $11.86 or $2.97/serving (Based on San Diego grocery stores 2024)
Note that this is not the recipe; it's simply to show the cost breakdown of ingredients. Scroll down to the full recipe to see the specific ingredients and directions.
Budget-Friendly Tips
Make a bigger casserole:
Bulk up the casserole with budget-friendly pantry staples like beans and rice to make the serving size larger or to serve more people.
*Add one or two (15-ounce) cans of beans, rinsed & drained, when you add the tomatoes.
*Stir 2-3 cups of cooked brown rice or white rice to the casserole right before you cover with cheese and tortillas.
*Add 2 cups of cooked pasta right before you cover with cheese and tortillas. OR add 1 cup uncooked pasta + 1 cup of water when you add the tomatoes.
Use Budget-friendly Meat:
Ground turkey can often be more budget-friendly than beef.
Or look for ground meat in the freezer section where it is often a little less expensive than fresh ground meat.
How to Make Healthy Taco Casserole
Time needed: 45 minutes
Healthy Taco Casserole recipe is a one pot, cheesy, filling taco casserole with corn tortillas the whole family will love.
- In an oven-safe pot, cook ground beef, onions, and bell peppers.
Drain excess grease if needed.
- Meanwhile, chop tortillas.
- Add spices to the ground meat mixture.
- Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Simmer.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Top with tortillas and more cheese.
- Bake, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
*To prevent a thin casserole, make sure it is thicker than soup before you cover it in cheese and tortillas. If needed, simmer the mixture on the stove for about 5-10 more minutes until some liquid evaporates.
Variations
Ingredient Options
Ground beef: Use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or cooked beans.
Cheese: Cheddar, Monterey jack cheese, pepper jack, Mexican cheese blend, or shredded mozzarella cheese are all good in this casserole.
Additionally, if you prefer less cheese, you can decrease the cheese. I like plenty of cheese on my casserole, so I make sure to do a double layer. Plus, this also prevents the tortillas from becoming too soggy.
Spices: You can use one taco seasoning package in place of the chili powder, cumin, etc.
How To Make Vegetarian
Skip adding ground beef to the skillet, and saute the veggies in 1 tablespoon of oil like avocado oil, olive oil, or canola oil.
When adding the spices and tomatoes, add two (15-ounce) cans of beans that have been rinsed and drained. Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas are all good options.
Follow the remaining recipe instructions.
Alternative Prep & Cooking
Sauté the veggies and ground meat in a large skillet. Add spices and tomatoes + tomato sauce. Then transfer the ground meat mixture to a casserole dish and bake for the recommended baking time.
How to Make Allergy-Friendly
This healthy taco casserole recipe is naturally gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free. If you use dairy-free cheese, it can be dairy-free.
Corn tortillas are gluten-free, but double check if needed.
How to Fix a Mistake
Too thin: Let the casserole sit for about 5 minutes before serving so it thickens.
Too spicy: Add cooked beans or rice ot the mixture. Or top with extra cheese and/or a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with tortilla chips.
Make-Ahead Ideas
You can assemble this easy taco casserole recipe ahead of time and bake when you are ready.
Assemble up to 24 hours in advance. For best results, wait until just before baking to top with cheese and tortillas.
Be sure to remove the pot from the fridge at least 20 minutes before preheating the oven so you don't put a cold casserole dish in the oven - which can cause it to break.
Storage Suggestions
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
To reheat:
- In the microwave: Place on a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for 45 seconds at 100% power. Stir and microwave for another 30-45 seconds until warm.
- In the oven: Put the taco casserole in an oven-safe dish, and cook for about 5-10 minutes in a 350F oven until warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use them in a taco casserole. Chop the corn or flour tortillas and use them as the topping for this one pot healthy taco bake recipe.
Nutrition Benefits
One serving provides 34 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, 112% RDA of Vitamin C, 64% of Vitamin A, 31% of calcium, 30% of potassium, and 28% of iron.
Plus, you'll get two full servings of veggies from the onions, bell peppers, and canned tomatoes.
Onions and bell peppers offer antioxidants and other nutrients.
Canned tomatoes offer the same benefits as fresh tomatoes like antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals: Vitamin C, Vitamin K, biotin, and potassium to name a few.
Also, the heat used to can the tomatoes helps release the lycopene stored in these red beauties which is less bioavailable in their fresh counterparts.
Lycopene is a phytochemical that has been shown to help promote heart health and prevent certain cancers like prostate cancer.
What to Serve with this Healthy Taco Casserole Recipe
This one pot meal has everyone in one serving including protein, veggies, carbs, and fat.
But it's great topped with sliced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro or green onions, scoop of pico de gallo, a dash of hot sauce, and/or a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. Or serve with low sodium salsa and tortilla chips.
Honestly, whatever your favorite toppings are for taco meat will work in this one pot taco casserole.
Final thoughts:
This tasty, easy, and budget-friendly healthy taco casserole recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
It's a great recipe because it takes less than an hour to make and your entire family will love it.
MORE HEALTHY CASSEROLES YOU'LL LOVE:
One Pot Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 2 medium bell peppers diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (15-ounce can) diced tomatoes no-salt-added
- 1 (8-ounce can) tomato sauce no-salt-added
- 1 cup shredded cheese 4 ounces, divided
- 6 small corn tortillas chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In an oven safe pot or skillet, add the ground beef, bell peppers, and onions over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the meat is done.
- Drain or pat the excess grease with paper towels.
- Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper to the beef and veggies. Stir well.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat, and top with half of the cheese. Top with chopped tortillas and top the tortillas with the remaining cheese.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before enjoying!
Video
Notes
What to Use in This Recipe
Meme
This post was originally published on September 15, 2017. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen
This looks like a flavorful and satisfying weeknight meal 🙂 perfection!
Meme
Thanks, lady! xo