Authentic, delicious, and simple!
Anytime I have a friend or loved one in need of an easy casserole meal, this Mexican Lasagna recipe immediately comes to mind!
As if the ease of preparation weren’t enough, it’s also PACKED full of flavor thanks to a homemade taco seasoning mix.
This recipe is a great twist to your typical Taco Tuesdays without sacrificing any of the Mexican flavors the whole family loves. Put this easy lasagna recipe on your meal plan now. It’s the best thing since well, tacos.
(If you’re looking for the more classic dish, check out this lasagna recipe with no-boil noodles!)
We make this one all the time! Tasty!
Natalie
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Seasoning. If you don’t have taco seasoning at home or from the store, simply mix up cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder before adding to the dish.
- Lean ground beef. 85/15 or 90/10 are the best options since there is some fat for flavor but not enough to make the dish greasy. You can opt for ground turkey for a lighter option.
- Canned items. You’ll need crushed tomatoes, corn, and black beans for this recipe.
- Tortillas. Corn tortillas provide the texture you want, plus they soak up the flavors beautifully. Avoid flour tortillas if possible.
- Veggies. Bell pepper, jalapeño, and a sweet onion are sautéed together to create a depth of flavor.
- Cheese. While shredded cheddar cheese was used in the recipe, feel free to change it up with pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or another variety.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Sauté the veggies and meat.
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium or medium-high heat. Add the diced bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion. Sauté the vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they’re just getting tender.
Use a spatula to push the cooked veggies to the side of the skillet. Carefully add the ground meat and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes.
Finish the filling and layer.
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the taco meat mixture in the skillet. Stir well. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the beef mixture and cook for another 5 minutes.
Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. (If you skip this step, the ingredients will stick and burn.) Start by spreading ⅓ of the meat mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Then, layer 6 tortillas, another ⅓ of the meat mixture, ½ can of corn, ½ can of beans, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Repeat one more time with the rest of the ingredients.
Bake and serve.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes in a preheated 350℉ oven. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
Top this cheesy taco lasagna recipe with fresh cilantro before serving.
FAQs
Mexican lasagna is delicious with all your favorite taco toppings. Try salsa, green onions, sour cream, cilantro, avocados, or even Pico de Gallo!
Yes! You can assemble the lasagna up to a day in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, add about 10 extra minutes since it will be starting from cold.
Absolutely. Assemble the lasagna, wrap it well, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
Yes! Swap the ground beef or turkey for black beans, pinto beans, or even a veggie crumbles substitute.
What to serve with it?
This Mexican lasagna goes perfect with all of your favorite traditional sides.
Try Instant Pot Black Beans, Refried Black Beans, Cilantro Lime Rice, Mexican Rice, or Instant Pot Mexican Rice.
Everyone will love this Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Whip up some Homemade Guacamole or Tomatillo Salsa Verde and Homemade Tortilla Chips.
Don’t forget the drinks! This Mexican 75 is delicious.
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Taco Lasagna with Corn Tortillas
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 bell pepper seeded and finely diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and finely diced
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef 85/15 or 90/10
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can corn drained
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh cilantro, finely chopped optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the avocado oil, bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and continuing cooking for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.1 tablespoon avocado oil, 1 bell pepper, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1 medium onion, 2 garlic cloves
- Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add the ground beef to the other side. Continue cooking, crumbling the meat with a potato masher to break it up, for 7-8 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink.1 ½ pounds ground beef
- Pour in crushed tomatoes and taco seasoning and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stir, and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes.1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Begin layering with ⅓ of the meat mixture, then add 6 tortillas on top. From there, add another ⅓ of the meat mixture, ½ can of corn, ½ can of beans, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, meat, corn, beans and cheese.12 corn tortillas, 1 (15.25-ounce) can corn, 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue baking for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned. Serve with cilantro, if desired.Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
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Video
Notes
- Use sturdy corn tortillas. Soft corn tortillas work best since they soak up flavors without getting too soggy. Avoid flour tortillas, as they can become gummy when baked.
- Spice: Add extra jalapeños, or sub in a spicier pepper.
- Make it ahead. Assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours in advance, cover it tightly, and refrigerate. Bake as directed, adding 5 extra minutes if baking straight from the fridge.
- Freezing instructions. Wrap the unbaked lasagna tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Easy Mexican Recipes
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Hello – I made this last night and it was a HOME RUN!!! I added lots of good veggies and more seasonings I have from Texas (like Jalapeño Salt). This is super filling and I’m hoping it reheats well too. Many thanks for sharing this unique and tasty dish.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Dixie! It’s a great idea to plus up the veggies and seasonings. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Reasonably tasty but needed more heat for us so next time I’ll try two jalapenos and see if that makes the difference for us.
Hi Jan! Everyone’s preferences are different, let me know if you like the extra heat with an additional jalapenos!
This was delish!!! I made it and only changed 2 things! Used ground turkey instead of beef and added green chilis! Most definitely a keeper recipe!
Ohhhh I love those tweaks! I bet it had a great spicy bite! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment- if you can, leaving a star rating would be hugely appreciated, too! 🙂
We make this one all the time! Tasty!
So happy to hear that!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, Natalie 🙂