Best Taco Lasagna Recipe [VIDEO]
Taco Lasagna is full of flavors, cheesy and delicious. This lasagna is the perfect combination of Mexican inspired ingredients, put in a traditional lasagna dish. It is an easy meal to make for the whole family to enjoy!
We love Mexican inspired foods, and we have a full collection of them on our blog. Starting from our popular Instant Pot Taco Soup to Chicken Tortilla Soup. After receiving multiple requests, we added the delicious Taco Lasagna to the list.
Taco Lasagna
This Taco Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. What is even better, it combines the Taco flavors with Lasagna is one recipe, which raises this dish to a whole new level. I am in love with Mexican food, and especially tacos. My most ordered dish at any Mexican place would definitely be a taco plate. Another favorite meal of mine is, of course, lasagna. So combining the two together in one easy to make dish, is a dream come true.
The Taco Lasagna combines the beef cooked with chunky and spicy salsa, taco seasoning, tortillas and lots of cheese. I added some veggies into the mix, such as onion, some garlic, and green bell pepper, to lift up the flavors in the dish. Also, to make it a more traditional Mexican meal, I added a blend of Mexican cheese, and beans.
The lasagna turns out perfectly cooked, juicy, flavorful and ready in just about one hour, from start to finish. This meal can be served with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, avocado, salsa, fresh cilantro or some chopped fresh jalapenos for a spicier kick. Another fun part of this meal is that instead of lasagna noodles, you use flour or corn tortillas.
Taco Lasagna Recipe Tips
- Use quality ground beef. This will make the dish more flavorful.
- To shave off a few calories, substitute ground turkey or chicken for ground beef.
- Similarly, you could use reduced-fat cheese. Also, you can use your preferred cheese in this recipe.
- Add more or fewer veggies upon discretion. I like to use one green bell pepper, but a cup of zucchini would work great as well.
- While I have used tortillas instead of lasagna noodles, you can also make this Taco Lasagna with traditional lasagna noodles.
- For a fresh burst of vibrant flavor and color, sprinkle some minced cilantro or parsley on top of this Taco Lasagna before serving.
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Can I swap the meat in this recipe?
Absolutely! While I used ground beef in this Taco Lasagna, using ground chicken and/or ground turkey will work perfectly well.
Taco Lasagna Topping Suggestions
- Bacon crumbs or chopped bacon
- Cheddar cheese or Mozzarella cheese
- Chopped green onion, parsley or cilantro
- A dollop of sour cream
- Crema Fresca
- Fresh salsa
- Chopped jalapenos and guacamole
WHAT SHOULD I BAKE THE TACO LASAGNA IN?
- For perfectly Taco Lasagna I recommend using 9×13 non-stick baking pan for this recipe.
HOW TO FREEZE COOKED TACO LASAGNA
- First, let the lasagna cool to room temperature. An entire cooked lasagna can be frozen in a freezer-safe dish. Most glass or ceramic casserole dishes are fine for this purpose.
- If the lasagna has been but into individual pieces, refrigerate it first, for the layers to settle. It makes wrapping them easier.
- Next, cover the lasagna with freezer-safe plastic wrap. Then, wrap the plastic around the entire dish, to make sure there are no gaps in the wrap where air could get in and cause freezer burn.
- The individual lasagna slices can be individually wrapped in freezer-safe plastic wrap and foil or added to freezer-safe bags. This is a great alternative for those who don’t want to thaw an entire lasagna or want to cook smaller food portions.
- Freeze for up to 3 months for best flavor. It will keep good for 6 months or more.
HOW TO THAW AND REHEAT FROZEN TACO LASAGNA
- The night before you intend to have the lasagna for dinner, transfer it from the freezer to the fridge and thaw it overnight.
- Once thawed cook the lasagna or reheat if it has been already cooked.
- If you try to bake it while it’s still frozen or partially frozen, it will cook unevenly and it won’t be as good.
Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Total time: 1 hr
Ingredients
- 12 flour or corn tortillas (8 inch ones)
- 1 can (15 ounces) black or pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
- 2 cans (16 ounces) refried beans (refried beans)
- 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
Beef Layer:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 small onion (finely diced)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 green bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1 can (7 ounces) diced green chiles
- 3 cups salsa
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cornstarch Slurry:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons water
Topping:
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place a baking rack in the middle of the oven.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch deep casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Beef Layer:
- Place a large skillet or cast iron pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot add 2 tablespoons of oil to it.
- Add the beef to the skillet and cook unmoved for 1 minute, so it gets a nice sear. After that, use a wooden spoon to break the beef.
Cook stirring for about 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Drain grease from the pan, leaving only about 2 tablespoons.
- Add diced onion, diced bell pepper, minced garlic, diced green chiles, 3 cups of salsa and taco seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir and bring to a simmer, simmer for 2 about two minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Cornstarch Slurry:
- Mix cornstarch with water until cornstarch is dissolved and add to the beef mixture. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Make sure you stir, to avoid the beef from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the skillet from heat and set aside.
Assembling the lasagna:
- Add two tortillas to the prepared pan. Cut 1 tortilla into quarters and add each quarter to the corners of the pan, to cover any empty spaces there. Cut 1 tortilla in half, and add each half to each side of the pan, straight side touching the pan and covering the empty space.
- Add half of the refried beans and carefully spread them on top of the tortillas, trying to avoid moving the tortillas.
- Add half of the beef mixture and spread it evenly.
- Add half of the black or pinto beans, on top of the beef mixture.
- Top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese.
- Repeat with another layer of tortillas, remaining refried beans, remaining beef mixture, remaining black or pinto beans and 1 1/2 cups cheese.
- Top with another layer of tortillas, spread 1 cup of salsa over the final layer of tortillas and sprinkle 1 cup of shredded Mexican blend cheese.
Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let the lasagna cool for 30-40 minutes, before slicing and serving.
- Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.
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