Mexican Lasagna with Tortillas + Video
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Make Mexican Lasagna with ground beef, tortillas, veggies, beans, and cheese layered into one mouthwatering casserole. This easy taco lasagna recipe is bursting with south-of-the-border flavors. Prep it in just 15 minutes!
Mexican Lasagna
I may be the Slow Roasted Italian, but I sure do love me some Mexican food!
So when I found a way to combine spectacular south-of-the-border flavors with my favorite baked dish, the taco lasagna was born!
This recipe is like getting the best parts of tacos, burritos, and enchiladas all in one scrumptious bite.
And the best part? You’ll have it on the table in 30 minutes or less!!
Recipe Video
To see us make Mexican lasagna from start to finish, watch the video in this post!
For more of our favorite Mexican recipes, try tender barbacoa or this cilantro lime rice. Both are favorites of ours from Chipotle Mexican Grill, and you are going to love our copycat versions!
Craving more casseroles? This chicken enchilada version has all the delicious taste you love from your favorite chicken enchilada recipe without all of the work.
Or, start with a base of Mexican rice for a simple skillet recipe that comes together in just 30 minutes.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Meat – Seasoned ground beef is a classic taco ingredient, but feel free to change up the protein if you want to.
Ground turkey, chicken, or even venison are all leaner options that would be tasty. Or, use sautéed mushrooms, shredded tofu, or protein crumbles for a vegetarian option. - Tortillas – I used large flour tortillas, but you can use whichever size you prefer. Even corn tortillas would work!
- Beans and Veggies – Here’s where you can really make this recipe your own. Swap black beans for pinto beans, or replace the diced green chiles for bell peppers.
Don’t like olives? Substitute pickled jalapeno slices or leave them out altogether. - Cheese – Pepper Jack and Colby Jack create a balance of spicy, creamy flavor.
Sharp cheddar or your favorite Mexican blend would be just as delicious in taco lasagna with tortillas! - Enchilada Sauce – Whip up a batch of our homemade recipe or grab your favorite from the store.
Tips for Assembling Taco Lasagna with Tortillas
- Measure and divide the ingredients.
Having everything measured out ahead of time will make assembly go faster and smoother!
- Drain, drain, drain!!
The more liquid that’s in the dish, the soggier it will be! First, strain out any grease when browning the ground beef before adding the beans and veggies.
You’ll also need to drain (and rinse!) the black beans, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and sliced black olives.
Leave the liquid from the green chiles, though — that’s just extra flavor!
- Time saving tip:
I often have portions of seasoned ground beef stored in my freezer.
If you make yours with onions, all you need to do is warm it in the pan with the beans and veggies for a few minutes!
Prep Ahead
- Shred cheese and onion
- Open all the canned items
- Chop scallions and cilantro
- Preheat oven to 425°F
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Large Skillet – A wide, deep skillet is best to ensure everything cooks evenly.
- 9×13 Baking Dish – This set is one of my favorites! It comes with a lid for easy storage and is great for casseroles too.
- Cheese Grater – Fresh cheese makes this recipe even better! Skip the bagged shreds and buy a block to grate yourself.
- Wooden Spoon – Use this to break up the ground beef and stir everything together. It’s much better at scraping the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan than plastic utensils.
- Can Opener – It seems like a no-brainer, but a good can opener can save your hands and a lot of frustration as well!
Serving Suggestions
Allow taco lasagna with tortillas to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Much like traditional lasagna, this makes it easier to slice and serve!
Feel free to add your favorite taco toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, or salsa.
Enjoy a slice on its own or add a side of Mexican rice and beans. Even a fresh green salad would be welcome!
Storing and Reheating Mexican Lasagna
Allow the dish to cool, then store leftovers tightly covered or in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
Warm individual portions in the microwave. Or, place the dish back in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes.
Just be sure to let the pan sit on the counter while you preheat the oven so it doesn’t crack!
Want to freeze Mexican lasagna with tortillas?
Assemble as directed in an aluminum baking dish, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to bake, remove the plastic and foil and bake from frozen! Simply add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
Taco Lasagna Recipe FAQ
Only the name! Both feature layer upon layer of scrumptious south-of-the-border flavors with a little kick of heat to wake up your taste buds.
Flour or corn tortillas separate the layers rather than the traditional lasagna noodles, and the dish is packed with seasoned ground beef, beans, veggies, and plenty of cheese.
Mexican lasagna with tortillas is only as spicy as you want it to be!
I like to use New Mexico chili powder because it features an earthy, sweet flavor and subtle, spicy heat. It’s mildly hot, which means yo can use more or less to build just the right amount of heat.
If you’re afraid the heat will be too much, you can always use half New Mexico chili powder and half regular chili power.
Yes, you can definitely make this taco lasagna recipe with noodles.
Simply replace the tortillas with cooked lasagna noodles and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Casserole Recipes
Mexican Lasagna with Tortillas + Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion, grated or finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon New Mexico chile powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 14.5 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes, 1 14.5-ounce can
- 15 ounces black beans, 1 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn
- 4 ounces fire roasted diced green chiles, 1 4-ounce can
- 10 ounces enchilada sauce (or our homemade enchilada sauce), 1 10-ounce can
- 12 8” large flour tortillas
- 8 ounces shredded pepper jack cheese
- 4 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 6 ounces sliced black olives, if from a can, drained
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet, over medium high heat. Add beef, onion, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to skillet. Brown beef for about 5-7 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans and corn. Stir to combine. Allow to cook while you begin preparing the baking pan.
- Smooth about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Lay tortillas on the bottom of the pan, slightly overlapping until pan is covered (about 4 tortillas).
- Spoon half of the beef mixture over top of the tortillas, spread evenly. Layer tortillas on top of beef mixture. Smooth about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 of each of the cheeses on top. Scatter the green chiles over the cheese. Add the remaining beef mixture. Spread evenly. Layer tortillas on top of beef mixture. Spoon remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of tortillas. Garnish top with olives and scallions.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and lasagna is warmed through. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2012, updated and republished March 2024
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I am so glad I found this. I used to make this and thought I had made this up back in the 1990's and well I did use thick salsa and lasagna noodles. Never thought to use tortillas instead. But it was great that way also. Will be trying it your way but I still love my thick salsa and lots of cilantro and cheese cheese cheese LOL!! Thanks for sharing also
Just made this,didn't think I'd like it cause I don't like the beans or black olives,but to my surprise it was excellent,made double the recipe, microwaved fresh corn on the cob, family coming by to eat it up!��thanks for a great recipe quick and simple!!
Made this tonight, simple and delicious!Didn't think I would like it but made double the recipe and glad I did!sent picture to family member and a few are on their way!!!lol thanks for this recipe I used fresh cooked corn on the cob YUMMY
We are so happy to hear that!
This was very, hubby wants it again.
We are so happy to hear that!
I'm a Taco-holic and would love to try this but I'm also diabetic. Do you think it would work with low carb tortillas? I'd also have to pare down the corn and black beans. Thanks
Also try thomas' wraps…..low carb
Made this for Dinner tonight and it was a big hit!! My teenagers loved it and so did my husband and I. I am so glad i made the extra pan to put in the freezer bc we will definitely be wanting this yummy Mexican Lasagna again soon!!!
Delicious!!!!!!!
I am so pissed! Where the hell is the video????? I've looked, scanned every inch of this page and canNOT find it!!!!
The video is at the top of the page. Just wait for it to load.
Whew! Dang…and not even a thank you after directing this person to the location of the video…Oh well…I made this tonight and it was absolutely fabulous! We will definitely be making it again and again and again! Really enjoy your blog by the way…thanks for all the great recipes you post!
What temp do you bake it at?
Preheat oven to 425°F.
I ran across this recipe on facebook I think a couple of weeks ago. I needed a pretty quick, tasty dinner for my family tonight, so I decided to try this mexican lasagna. It is so good!! The flavors are great and the recipe itself is just too easy. I just paired it with a nice green salad and called it a meal. It is hearty and satisfying. I'll definitely put this in my rotation!
Can you make it the night before and refrigerate and then bake or would it be soggy? Thank you!
I have a feeling the enchilada sauce would make the tortillas soggy. The leftovers the next day tasted good, but the tortillas were almost gooey.
Think I'll try this but sub chorizo for hamburger…
I love it. It's such a great mashup recipe. All those southwest flavors!
This was really good. I didn't have New Mexico Chile powder so I used regular and added 1/2 tsp. Chipotle powder…it added a nice Smokey flavor and a bit of heat. This was the best mexican casserole i have made. Thank you!
This looked really good in your great video. Tried it last weekend and was disappointed that it was too spicy for our tastes. (I have to learn to edit recipes with heat!) I would make again and just leave out the chili powder – maybe up the cumin a bit. Or just add the corn and beans in my usual enchilada casserole.
I made it according to the recipe and found it missing something. I’m giving it a whirl with taco seasoning tonight. I know the flavor will be what my family likes, that way.
I left out the olives, not a fan. Instead of just black beans, I accompanied them with pinto beans. I used wheat tortillas. I also doubled the Beans, Tomatoes, & corn(canned)..It was extremely good! Family cleaned their plates & it made PLENTY.😍 Will not disappointed..Quick n easy
Love this at my house. We use just the filling for taco meat and it's delish!
Made this for dinner tonight, can't wait! One issue: you make a big deal of using New Mexico Chile powder so I went to three stores to find it. The problem is no where in the directions does it say to add it. So once it's all ready to go in the oven I have this chili powder sitting unopened on the counter! I hope this turns out anyway. Next time I'll know better…
Step 2. Says it.
My family doesn't like beans. What would you substitute?
Wonder if this can be made in the Instant Pot
Delicious!! I doubled the recipe because 1 lb of hamburger is just not enough! I just cooked it in a slightly bigger dish. Definitely a make again!!
just put mine in the oven and I double the recipe as well. We'll see how it comes out
Such a hit with our picky eater and my Fiancé! I used low carb tortillas and you couldn't even tell! Quick and easy dinner, definitely a keeper.
I like this recipe. Easy to make, just switched flour tortillas for corn and omitted the olives. The only thing I found really jarring was the fact that it is called Mexican, when it is so very not Mexican because they don't use olives in their food or flour tortillas in casseroles.
Maybe re-name it to Tex-Mex because that's what is is…?