A delicious Mexican inspired favorite, Three Layer Cheesy Taco Bake is a kid-approved, super easy one dish meal. Layered corn tortillas, beef, refried beans, spices, taco sauce, oozing cheese and more come together in this incredibly flavorful dish that bakes to perfection in less than one hour!

We are absolutely hooked on tacos.

So when I first made Three Layer Cheesy Taco Bake, it was met with little resistance. Once my kids realized it had all their favorite parts about taco night (tortillas, meat, seasonings, sauce, cheese and toppings), they were totally on board.

I don't know about you, but I think there's something fun about making a dinner in layers--especially when those layers are cheesy. It's like building the best meal from the bottom up to the top!

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👪Why you'll love it
🥘Ingredients
🔪Instructions
🥣Substitutions
🍽Equipment
🍶Storage
🥄Related
🍴Pairing
📋Recipe
💬 Comments

👪Why you'll love it

Perfect for busy weeknights- There's less clean up involved with this one dish meal. Plus, it can be assembled ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you're ready to enjoy it, simply pop it in the oven.

Keeps well- Once baked, this easy taco casserole keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Kid approved- This comforting casserole is all about tacos and cheese, making it an instant hit with the family! Even better, you still get to enjoy all your fav Taco Night fixings too. Our rule is if it goes well with a taco, it goes well with this cheesy taco bake!

🥘Ingredients

For a complete list with measurements, see the printable recipe card below

lean ground beef- I often use extra lean; ground turkey would work too
onion- this is used to accentuate the beef's flavor while cooking
taco seasoning, or make your own with chili powder & cumin- I like controlling my spice level, but sometimes I'm short on time and taco seasoning comes to the rescue
salt & pepper
refried beans- I typically use a can of fat free beans in this taco bake
taco sauce- feel free to swap this for enchilada sauce for a spicier, sweeter vibe
12 corn tortillas (6 inch)- I know corn tortillas aren't everyone's thing, so you could opt for street taco flour tortillas instead
sour cream- I use reduced fat Daisy's or Breakstone's
finely shredded Mexican cheese blend- feel free to swap this for your fav cheese

🔪Instructions

For a more detailed set of instructions, see the printable recipe card below

Cook the ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat until meat is browned; drain.
Add taco seasoning (or chili powder and cumin), salt, pepper and water; stir.
Stir in the refried beans. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the first layer, spread ¼ cup of the taco sauce on the bottom of a prepared 13x9 baking dish. Place 4 tortillas on top of the sauce (they will overlap slightly).
Spoon half the meat on top of the tortillas. Spread all of the sour cream on top of this layer.
For the second layer, spread ½ cup of the taco sauce over the sour cream. Place 4 more tortillas on top of the sauce.
Spread the remaining meat over the tortillas. Sprinkle half (4 oz.) of the shredded cheese over the meat.
For the third and final layer, place the last 4 tortillas on top. Pour on the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake (covered) at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes. or until cheese is slightly browned and casserole is slightly bubbling.
Let stand 5 minutes before serving and garnish with your favorite taco fixings.

🥣Substitutions

Meat: Use extra lean ground turkey instead of beef

Tortillas: Small flour tortillas (street size) can be used instead of corn tortillas

Vegetarian: Omit the meat, add a can of black beans, use canned vegetarian refried beans, and plant based/dairy free sour cream

🍽Equipment

skillet with lid
meat chopper
measuring cups
measuring spoons
mixing spoons
13 x 9 casserole dish, lightly greased

🍶Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within five days.

Reheating instructions: Bake covered at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until the casserole is heated through.

You may also freeze this for up to 3 months. If never cooked, thaw completely and follow original baking instructions. If cooked and then frozen, thaw completely and then bake covered at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.

🥄Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

🍴Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Three Layer Cheesy Taco Bake:

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📋Recipe

Three Layer Cheesy Taco Bake

Kitchen Ready Betty

If you're a fan of tacos and cheese, you will love Three Layer Cheesy Taco Bake! This one dish, family-approved meal has all the best flavors of taco night--without all the cleanup. Corn tortillas are layered with beef, cheese, taco sauce and sour cream in a 13x9 casserole dish.

After it bakes, you have an incredible, comforting dish that will have everyone asking for more!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Rest Time 5

Total Time 1 10

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained I often use extra lean
1 medium onion, diced
3 ½ tablespoons chili powder or 1 packet of taco seasoning to replace chili powder and cumin
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
⅓ cup water
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans
1 ¼ cups (10 oz.) taco sauce
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas can substitute flour street tacos
1 cup sour cream I use reduced fat
8 ounces finely shredded Mexican cheese blend

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the ground beef and diced onion in a skillet over medium heat. Use a meat chopper to break up any large clumps. Once meat is browned, remove from heat and drain.
Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper and water; stir. Return the skillet to the stovetop and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Stir in the refried beans. Remove from heat and set aside.
Layer #1:
- - Spread ¼ cup of the taco sauce on the bottom of a prepared 13x9 baking dish.
  - Place 4 tortillas on top of the sauce (they will overlap slightly).
  - Spoon half the meat on top of the tortillas.
  - Spread all of the sour cream on top of this layer.
Layer #2:
- Spread ½ cup of taco sauce over sour cream.
- Place 4 more tortillas on top of the sauce.
- Spread the remaining meat over the tortillas.
- Sprinkle half (4 oz.) of the shredded cheese over the meat.
Layer#3:
- Place the last 4 tortillas on top.
- Pour on the remaining sauce.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Cover with foil and refrigerate for later--OR--bake right away (covered) at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes. or until cheese is slightly browned and casserole is slightly bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving!
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within five days.
Reheating instructions: Bake covered at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until the casserole is heated through.
You may also freeze this for up to 3 months. If never cooked, thaw completely and follow original baking instructions. If cooked and then frozen, thaw completely and then bake covered at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.

Notes

I almost always use 93 or 96% extra lean ground beef for this recipe. I would not recommend going below 85%.

Be careful when following the instructions...each layer is assembled a little differently.

This meal is very satisfying, yet filling. The four of us only eat half of this for dinner (which is great, because then there's a full leftover waiting for next time).

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