How To Make Taco Lasagna
INGREDIENTS
Onions, Peppers & Garlic: These three ingredients are the base of my meat sauce. Both the sautéed onions and peppers add bulk and just a touch of sweetness. As for the chopped garlic? Well, it just makes everything taste a little better, doesn’t it?
Ground Beef: 85% lean ground beef is my go-to here, enough fat and great beefy flavor.
Taco Seasoning: I used a combination of chili powder, ground cumin, and flour to flavor and thicken my meat sauce. The flavor is similar to a packet of taco seasoning but without any added salt.
Black Beans: I love the flavor and texture of good old canned black beans in this casserole. Want more beans? Add two cans instead of one, and your meat sauce will have even more fiber.
Salsa: Salsa is a fantastic, flavor-packed simmer sauce, and I love how it makes the whole lasagna just taste more taco. One 15-oz. jar is all you need here, and you can use mild, medium, or spicy, depending on your heat preferences.
Creamed Corn: If you haven’t treated yourself to a can of creamed corn recently, take this recipe as a good time to do just that. It’s just lightly creamy and naturally sweet, and I like to spoon it between the layers of our lasagna.
Flour Tortillas: To resemble tacos as closely as possible, I used medium flour tortillas instead of lasagna noodles here. (Slightly stale tortillas are absolutely fine to use: they soak up even more delicious sauce!)
Cheeses: A blend of sharp cheddar and pepper Jack gives this lasagna plenty of gooey cheese pull moments and tons of flavor too. Buy an 8-oz. block of each cheese, and grate it on the large holes of a box grater. Sure it’s a little extra elbow grease, but the cheeses will melt better.
Toppings: Chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro lend freshness and crunch to each bite. A generous drizzle or dollop of sour cream adds a little tang. The world is really your taco-topping oyster here, so don’t be shy about topping your lasagna with chopped scallions, crushed tortilla chips, or slice jalapeños too.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Chopped onions and peppers are sautéed until just tender and starting to brown in spots. You want to fully cook these veggies in this step because they won’t continue to soften much more once other ingredients are added.
Next it’s time to get some good color on the ground beef. You want to break up the big pieces with a spoon to help the meat cook evenly, but resist the urge to stir constantly. The beef will brown better if it’s left to sizzle in the skillet for a bit. Before you add any spices, spoon off any extra fat: Turn off the heat, push the beef mixture to one side of the skillet, then gently tilt the skillet toward the empty side. The extra fat will start to pool on the empty side, where it can be easily spooned off or blotted with a small wad of paper towels.
Once the beef has browned, sprinkle in a DIY taco seasoning of chili powder, ground cumin, and flour. The seasoning needs to cook for about 1 minute, enough time for the flour to lose its floury taste and for the spices to bloom in the hot oil.
To finish the sauce, add drained black beans, a jar of salsa, and 1/4 c. water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Once the beef sauce is finished, this taco lasagna comes together really quickly. First, spoon a little bit of the meat sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased 13" x 9" pan and top with 2 flour tortillas. The tortillas will almost cover the whole surface area, but if you like, you can use pieces of another tortilla to fill in any gaps.
Next add about a quarter of each of the cheeses and half of each the creamed corn and the beef sauce. Repeat with 2 more tortillas, more cheese, and the rest of the creamed corn and beef. The lasagna is topped with a final layer of tortillas and all of the remaining cheese.
After just 30 minutes in a 400° oven, your taco lasagna is ready for its garnishes: chopped fresh tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. You can add a dollop of sour cream to each portion or, if you prefer a drizzle, thin sour cream with a little cold water and then spoon over top of the baked lasagna.
What Serve With Taco Lasagna
Just like when making tacos, everyone has their own favorite toppings and sides. Create the perfect taco lasagna for you! If you're looking for something fresh on the side, our avocado tomato salad is the perfect fresh side for our taco lasagna. Similarly, guacamole provides a nice green freshness to any Tex-Mex dish.
Lets be honest, no taco party is complete without margaritas. Try one of our many variations and kick your dinner up a notch!
Recipe Tips
Choose your preferred protein. 85% lean ground beef is my go-to protein here but it’s hardly the only option. If you want a lighter protein, ground turkey, ground chicken, or cooked and shredded chicken would all be delicious here. For more spice, use bulk chorizo sausage, and for a meatless option, any plant-based crumble will work.
Have fun with the beans. I used black beans in my taco lasagna but you should feel free to use what you have in your pantry. Canned pinto or kidney beans are both great substitutes.
Use your favorite tortillas. If you have corn tortillas on hand, they can be used for lasagna layers too. You will need more: 4 to 6 tortillas per layer, depending on the size.
Storage
The taco lasagna, assembled and ready to bake, can be refrigerated for 2 days. The baked cooled lasagna can be kept in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
DIRECTION
Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly grease a 13" x 9" baking dish with oil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp. oil. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
Step 2
Add beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat.
Step 3
Add chili powder, flour, and cumin to skillet and cook, stirring, until meat is coated and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans, salsa, and 1/4 c. water. Cook, scraping browned bits from bottom of skillet, until beans and salsa are combined and warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Step 4
Spread a small amount of beef mixture on bottom of prepared dish. Top with 2 tortillas. Sprinkle with one-quarter of cheddar and one-quarter of pepper Jack. Top with half of creamed corn and half of remaining beef mixture. Top with 2 tortillas, one-quarter of cheddar and one-quarter of pepper Jack, then remaining creamed corn and beef mixture. Finish with remaining 2 tortillas, cheddar, and pepper Jack.
Step 5
Bake lasagna until cheeses have melted and filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand about 10 minutes.
Step 6
Drizzle with sour cream. Top with onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.
