The ultimate make-ahead breakfast with a zesty kick.

Feeding a small crowd for brunch or breakfast before everyone goes HANGRY CRAZY can be, well, how do I put it…

Downright stressful.

And I don’t know about you, but I’m already a BEAR in the morning…

So the last thing I want to do on Christmas morning or a relaxing family weekend is slave away over a hot stove at the crack of dawn.

After years of this struggle, I’ve finally found the solution…

And it’s in the form of this baked Mexican Breakfast Casserole.

Really it’s just like a taco, lasagna, and frittata had a delicious, food baby.

Once you prep it ahead of time all you have to do is pop the whole thing in the oven when you wake up on busy mornings! It’ll feed your whole crowd and can easily be made gluten-free.

This easy breakfast casserole is full of Mexican flavors and served for a healthy meal.

Ingredients and Substitutions

For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.

Eggs, ground meat, cheese, tortillas, spices, vegetables, and salsa are the ingredients in this Mexican breakfast casserole recipe.
  • Cheese. Any type of shredded cheese may be used though cheddar, Monterrey jack, or a Mexican cheese blend are the best options.
  • Ground Meat. A combination of ground beef and ground breakfast sausage is recommended.  Feel free to substitute one for the other or swap out the beef for ground turkey or chicken.
  • Taco Seasoning. This is where the majority of the flavor comes from in the dish.  It’s best if you can make your own homemade Taco Seasoning so you can control the amount of spice and salt added. However, store-bought mixes may also be used.
  • Salsa. Use mild or medium heat salsa depending on how spicy you’d prefer it to be. Try making your own with Roasted Tomato Salsa, Fresh Tomato Salsa, or Tomatillo Salsa Verde.
  • Tortillas. Corn tortillas work best in this recipe. It is not advised to substitute with flour tortillas since they will become gummy after baking with the other ingredients.

Step-by-step Instructions

Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.

Make the base.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Add oil, onions, and peppers to a large skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the ground beef and sausage, cooking for 6-8 minutes until browned. Use a potato masher to crumble the meat, then add taco seasoning, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine.

Onions and bell peppers are sautéed in a skillet.
Ground beef is cooked in a skillet on the stove.
Ground beef is added to the sautéed vegetables and cooked in the skillet.

Prep the layers.

In a medium mixing bowl combine salsa, corn, and black beans. Stir it all up.

In a large bowl mix eggs, ¼ cup milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Cut 8 corn tortillas into quarters.

Corn tortillas are cute into four triangles.
Canned corn, beans, and salsa are mixed together in a bowl.

Build the casserole.

Spray a 13×9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

Layer half the meat mixture in the bottom, then top with 16 tortilla quarters. Pour over half the salsa-corn mix and sprinkle 1 cup of cheese. Repeat the layers, then pour the egg mixture evenly on top and finish with the remaining cheese.

Chopped tortillas are layered on top of the cooked ground meat.
Shredded cheese is sprinkled on top of the breakfast casserole before baking.

Bake in the oven.

Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake the breakfast casserole in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue cooking for an additional 15-25 minutes.

You’ll know the casserole is done baking when the middle no longer jiggles and the top is golden brown.

This Mexican Breakfast Casserole is served with fresh avocado and tomato for a healthy brunch.

Serve it up.

While this casserole tastes delicious when served on its own, you can also try out a few different options. Any of your favorite taco toppings would be delicious, including:

Mexican breakfast casserole is served with a wooden spoon.

FAQs

Can you freeze breakfast casserole?

You can definitely freeze breakfast casserole! Be sure to tightly wrap it and keep it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 to 3 months.

How to reheat breakfast casserole?

You can reheat a casserole in the microwave or the oven. The microwave will be quicker, but the oven will ensure you maintain that golden brown top.

Do you cover a breakfast casserole while baking?

It is best to cover a breakfast casserole for the first part of the baking process, then uncover it. This keeps the top from burning while the eggs have enough time to cook.

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What to serve with it?

While this casserole is delicious on its own, you can easily add any of these breakfast recipes to complete the meal.

Add something sweet, like Gluten-Free Pancakes, Blueberry Pancakes, Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, or Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread.

Don’t forget the Roasted Tomato Salsa, Fresh Tomato Salsa, or Tomatillo Salsa Verde.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns really round out this meal.

Tap stars to rate!

4.95 from 19 votes

Mexican Breakfast Casserole Recipe

By: London Brazil
Say goodbye to the morning hangry because this Mexican Breakfast Casserole is so easy to prepare ahead of time and pop in the oven when you're ready to eat! The classic breakfast casserole gets a little bit of a Mexican cuisine flair with layers of fluffy eggs, spicy salsa, ground taco meat, black beans, corn, cheese, and corn tortillas.
This easy breakfast casserole is full of Mexican flavors and served for a healthy meal.
Yield 10 servings
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total 1 hour 10 minutes
Print Pin Comment
An image of an envelope sealed shut with the Evolving Table logo.

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Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons oil or butter
  • 1 small green bell pepper
  • 1 small sweet onion finely
  • 1 teaspoon salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ pound ground sausage regular
  • ½ pound ground beef or turkey 93/7
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1 cup salsa mild or medium
  • 1 cup canned sweet corn drained
  • 1 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
  • 12 large large eggs
  • ¼ cup milk cashew, almond, or soy milk
  • 8 corn tortillas cut into quarters
  • 2 cups shredded cheese cheddar or Monterrey Jack

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375 °F.
  • Add oil, onions, and peppers to a large skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
    2 tablespoons oil, 1 small green bell pepper, 1 small sweet onion
  • Add ground sausage and beef. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Use a potato masher to crumble the meat. Add taco seasoning, ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Stir to combine.
    1 teaspoon salt, ½ pound ground sausage, ½ pound ground beef or turkey, 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • In a medium bowl combine salsa, corn, and black beans. Stir to combine.
    1 cup salsa, 1 cup canned sweet corn, 1 cup canned black beans
  • In a large bowl combine eggs, ¼ c. milk, ½ t. salt and ¼ t. pepper. Whisk to combine.
    12 large large eggs, ¼ cup milk
  • Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Layer half of the meat mixture, 16 tortilla quarters, half of the salsa/corn mixture, and 1 cup of cheese. Repeat all layers except for the last cheese layer. Pour egg mixture over the layers and top with remaining cheese.
    8 corn tortillas, 2 cups shredded cheese
  • Cover the baking dish with a piece of aluminum foil and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until middle no longer jiggles. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  • Serve with cilantro, green onions, avocados and extra salsa.
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was!

Tap stars to rate!

4.95 from 19 votes

Video

Notes

  • Seasoning: It’s simple to make your own taco seasoning.
  • Salsa: Store-bought is easy, but try making your own for the best flavor!
  • Baking: Be sure to leave foil on the top for the first part of baking.
  • Meal prep: Whip up this recipe the night before and just throw it in the oven the next morning.
  • Toppings: Don’t forget the sour cream, green onions, and salsa.
  • Spice:  If you like a kick, add in some chili powder, or top with spicy salsa or hot sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 373kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 274mg, Sodium: 1107mg, Potassium: 411mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 938IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 194mg, Iron: 3mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    Made this recipe?Leave a comment below!

    More Breakfast Casseroles

    Cooking breakfast or brunch for a crowd? Look no further than these casserole recipes:

    4.95 from 19 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    2. 5 stars
      My husband and I just made this dish but with found beef taco meat only just put a pound in and this is so yummy! We are beginning cooks so stuff like this is amazing to follow!

      Reply

      1. Yay, Mariah!! It’s one of our family’s favorite recipes, too! So happy you enjoyed it and the recipe was easy to follow. Thanks for the comment and rating 🙂

        Reply

    3. Do the layers go exactly as stated in the recipe? Seems like the tortilla should the the first layer. We are making this for a Gluten Free wife and mother for Mother’s Day.

      Reply

      1. Hi John! Yes, the layers go just as stated. You can switch them up if you want to, it shouldn’t affect the casserole too much! The eggs help to keep it all together. Hope your ladies enjoy the casserole 🙂

        Reply

    4. Hi London! I just found your site and I am printing recipes to try this week and this I’d definitely one of them. I’m so visual…..do you do any videos? The thing I’m hung up on is the layering….do you put the tortillas on the bottom of the pan? Or on top of the meat & salsa corn mixture? Thank you so much!!!😃😃😃

      Reply

      1. Hi Amy!! I am SO excited you found Evolving Table!! I do a lot of videos (normally 1/week!) but have not made one yet for this breakfast casserole recipe. You can see the videos I have done on Facebook and YouTube! As for the layering… In step 7 you will see the exact order I layer in (meat-salsa/corn-tortillas-cheese-repeat) Let me know if you have any other questions! Happy cooking 🙂

        Reply

    6. 5 stars
      We love this recipe and have made it when we have a group for breakfast. We used spicy Italian sausage to give it a bit more kick. The leftovers hold up well and are very tasty!

      Reply

      1. Hi Coleen! I love your idea to add spicy Italian sausage. That sounds delicious! Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂

        Reply

    7. Can I prepare this the night before and then bake it in the morning? If so, would you pour the egg mixture in or add that in the morning?

      Reply

      1. You totally can, Jenny! I would go ahead and pour the egg mixture in the night before and just cover it with aluminum foil. Thanks for the question!

        Reply

    8. Hi what would be the appropriate portions for a smaller version of this? Just like a personal version I could eat for 2-3 days. Love this site!!

      Reply

      1. Hi Erica!! The easiest way to make this in a smaller size would be to cut the ingredients in half and make it in a smaller pan (i.e. 8×8 inch square baking pan.) If you have any leftovers, feel free to freeze them in a freezer-friendly container and thaw it when you need a quick breakfast! Would love to hear what you think when you make it!

        Reply

    9. It says it’s vegetarian but calls for sausage and beef or turkey… Would you just leave those out and keep all other ingredients the same? Or substitute something for them?

      Reply

      1. Hi Donna! If you would like to make it vegetarian, you can always use a vegetarian “sausage” substitute for the sausage and beef. Thanks for the question!

        Reply