An easy weeknight meal that comes together in one pot, this Walking Taco Casserole is filled with all your favourite flavours from a taco but in a casserole form! Topped with crunchy Fritos chips and melted cheese on top, this casserole comes together quickly and easily.
Loaded with ground beef, corn, and beans then topped with melted cheese, Fritos, lettuce, sour cream, and jalapenos, this walking taco casserole is the definition of a comfort dish! So filling and fun to eat, this is a recipe the whole family will love.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Casserole Recipe
- It's simple. All you need are simple everyday ingredients that you might already have at home!
- It's family friendly. I mean, what kid doesn't want chips for dinner?!
- It's a hearty, one pot dinner that comes together so quickly and easily.
Ingredients You'll Need
- oil — I like to use olive oil to saute everything with. Feel free to use whatever oil you'd like.
- onion — I use a small yellow onion. Feel free to use whatever onion you have on hand.
- garlic — the more garlic, the better!
- ground beef — I recommend using lean ground beef so you don't have to drain away any fat.
- black beans — feel free to swap this for pinto beans or navy beans!
- corn
- taco seasoning — you can use homemade taco seasoning or just a pre-made one.
- seasoning — for additional seasoning, I add dried oregano and onion powder.
- salsa — I use a mild salsa, feel free to use a spicy salsa if you prefer this walking taco casserole to have more of a kick to it.
- shredded cheese — use whatever shredded cheese you like! I use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella.
- Frito chips — feel free to swap this for your favourite Dritos chips instead!
- lettuce — I use romaine lettuce. Feel free to use whatever lettuce you like.
- sour cream
- jalapeno — remove the seeds! I usually wear gloves while doing so.
How To Make Walking Taco Casserole
- In a large over-safe pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and saute for 2 minutes before adding garlic. Cook for another minute.
- Add the ground beef along with the taco seasoning, dried oregano, and onion powder. Cook the ground beef, crumbling with a wooden spoon until mostly cooked through.
- Add the salsa and mix to combine and cook for a minute.
- Add the black beans and corn. And stir to combine.
- Top the taco casserole evenly with shredded cheese.
- Broil the taco casserole under high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Alternatively, cover the pan and let the cheese melt.
- Top the walking taco casserole with Fritos chips, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and jalapeno before serving.
Recipes Variations
- Don't have salsa? Use enchilada sauce instead.
- Fritos chips can be swapped with Doritos or your favourite chip of choice.
- Use your favourite beans instead of black beans! I love using navy beans.
- Feel free to use ground turkey instead of ground beef if you want something more lean for this walking taco bake.
- Switch the cheese for a Monterey jack cheese or a Mexican cheese blend.
Tips and Notes
- Use guacomole, pico de gallo, or avocado corn salsa for additional topping ideas.
- Easily double or triple this recipe and transfer the taco beef mixture to a large baking dish before baking.
- Make sure the skillet you use is oven-safe if you are broiling it. This is the skillet that I use.
A walking taco an individual-sized bag of Doritos cut open along the long edge then filled with the usual taco meat and topping. Then you eat this "taco" while walking around! Hence the name. The original walking tacos were made with Fritos corn chips as it was based on Frito pie. The walking taco is perfect for camping, tailgating, or in my case, an overnight Ragnar trail race where I had my first one thanks to Janice from Salads 4 Lunch! A walking taco casserole is essentially a casserole form of the walking taco.
If you want to make this casserole ahead of time, hold off topping with Frito chips, lettuce, sour cream, and jalapeno. You can top individual dishes if you want! This way leftovers/the casserole can be stored in the fridge without worrying about the toppings getting soggy.
You can freeze the taco meat mixture (no cheese, Fritos, lettuce, sour cream, and jalapenos) in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for 3 to 4 months. Remove from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight before adding the toppings.
Recipe
Walking Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 head garlic, diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can corn, rinsed and drained
- 2½ tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ cup salsa
- ½ to 1 cup shredded cheese
- 2 to 3 cups Frito chips
- 1 to 2 cups shredded lettuce
- Sour cream, to serve
- Jalapeno, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large over-safe pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and saute for 2 minutes before adding garlic. Cook for another minute.
- Add the ground beef along with the taco seasoning, dried oregano, and onion powder. Cook the ground beef, crumbling with a wooden spoon until mostly cooked through.
- Add the salsa and mix to combine and cook for a minute.
- Add the black beans and corn. And stir to combine.
- Top the taco casserole evenly with shredded cheese.
- Broil the taco casserole under high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Alternatively, cover the pan and let the cheese melt.
- Top the walking taco casserole with Fritos chips, shredded lettuce, sour cream, and sliced jalapeno (optional) before serving.
Nutrition
More Recipes You May Like
More places to find me: @onepotonlyrecipes on Instagram and One Pot Only on Pinterest.
Leave a Reply