This walking taco casserole is everything you love about the Midwest classic, baked in one pan. Seasoned ground beef, black beans, sour cream, and salsa get layered with cheese and Fritos, then baked until bubbly. It’s on the table in 40 minutes.
If you’ve never had a walking taco, it’s a bag of Fritos topped with taco meat, cheese, and whatever toppings you want, eaten straight from the bag with a fork. They were a classic part of my childhood in the Chicago suburbs. This casserole version gives you all that flavor with less mess and enough to feed a crowd. It’s also naturally gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free taco seasoning.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef – I used 90/10 ground beef, which has 10% fat. You can use your favorite ground beef with whatever fat percentage for this recipe. You can use ground turkey or chicken as a leaner alternative.
- Black beans – I used canned black beans for this recipe. Rinse and drain the black beans before using.
- Salsa – I used mild salsa for this recipe because I just wanted to create a saucy mixture without much heat. You can use hot or medium salsa instead if you prefer. Salsa verde will also work in a pinch.
- Sour cream – To make the beef mixture creamy, a little bit of sour cream is added to the taco meat.
- Gluten-free taco seasoning – Packets of taco seasoning that you find in the grocery store are not always gluten-free, so be sure to check for a gluten-free version if you need it to be gluten-free. You can also make my homemade gluten-free taco seasoning recipe, which is super simple.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – I used Tillamook Triple Cheddar Farmstyle Thick Cut Shredded Cheese, which is a combination of sharp, medium cheddar and white cheddar cheeses for this recipe. Use your favorite cheddar cheese for this recipe, or use other varieties like monterey jack cheese, pepper jack cheese, or colby jack cheese.
- Frito corn chips – You can use regular Fritos or Frito scoops for this recipe. Both are labeled as gluten-free. If you can’t find Fritos, you can use tortilla chips instead.
Tip
To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute the ground beef with your favorite plant-based crumbles or use extra black beans or mushrooms in its place.
Topping ideas
I topped my Frito taco casserole with cherry tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and cilantro to keep it simple. If you’re looking for more topping ideas, try the following:
- Fresh: diced avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, lime wedges
- Creamy: sour cream, guacamole
- Spicy: pickled jalapeños, hot sauce, roasted jalapeños
- Extra: green onions, sliced black olives, pickled onions
Step-by-Step instructions
This walking taco bake is very simple to make in just one pan. The below photos with matching steps are meant to help you see the recipe made at various stages so you can make it perfectly every time. It is not the full recipe with ingredient measurements.
For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Feel free to use your favorite beans or a combination of different beans like pinto beans or kidney beans.
Definitely! While shredded cheddar cheese is what I typically use, you can experiment with other cheeses such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend for different flavor profiles.
Yes, I use mild salsa to keep my Frito taco pie less spicy, but you can use medium or hot salsa instead if you like a higher spice level.
Yes! Feel free to add more vegetables to the casserole, such as diced bell peppers, zucchini, or even roasted sweet potatoes, to incorporate extra flavor or to add some hidden vegetables.
Storage Instructions
Serving Suggestions
This is a full meal on its own, but if you’re feeding a crowd or want to make it a spread, set out guacamole and black bean corn salsa for extra toppings. Homemade chili lime tortilla chips are great for scooping. And if it’s game day, a pineapple margarita doesn’t hurt.
More gluten-free one pot meals to try
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.
Walking Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs (680 g) ground beef
- 1 cup (150 g) yellow onion - diced (from 1/2 yellow onion)
- 15 oz (425 g) can black beans - rinsed and drained
- 1 cup (240 g) mild salsa
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free taco seasoning - homemade or store-bought
- 1 1/2 cups (170 g) shredded cheddar cheese - 6 oz
- 2 cups (80 g) Frito corn chips
Optional Toppings:
- 1 cup (55 g) shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup (90 g) diced tomato or halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup (5 g) cilantro - chopped
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place a skillet or cast iron pan on the stove top over medium heat. Add 1.5 lbs (680 g) ground beef and 1 cup (150 g) yellow onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the beef with a spatula as it cooks.
- Cook until no more pink remains and the onions are translucent. If there is a lot of fat in the skillet, drain most of it with a spoon.
- Add the 15 oz (425 g) can black beans, 1 cup (240 g) mild salsa, 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, and 2 tablespoons gluten-free taco seasoning. Stir to combine.
- Let cook 2-3 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
- If your skillet is not oven-safe, place the ground beef mixture into a greased 2 quart baking dish or 7×11-inch baking dish.
- Top with 1 cups (113.52 g) shredded cheddar cheese. Sprinkle 2 cups (80 g) Frito corn chips on top of the cheese. Top with remaining 0.5 cups (56.48 g) shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Top with your desired toppings before serving, like sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced avocados, diced tomatoes, jalapeño, pickled onions, fresh cilantro, or black olives. I used 1 cup (55 g) shredded lettuce, 1/2 cup (90 g) diced tomato or halved cherry tomatoes, and 1/4 cup (5 g) cilantro.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Gluten-free: Fritos are labeled gluten-free, but always check your taco seasoning. Many store-bought packets contain gluten. Use my homemade gluten-free taco seasoning to be safe.
- Protein swap: Ground turkey or chicken works in place of beef. Brown it the same way.
- Make ahead: Assemble the casserole without the Fritos and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Add Fritos and cheese right before baking.
- Leftovers: Store without Fritos if possible, they get soggy. Add fresh chips when reheating.
- Nutrition: Calculated without optional toppings.
Nutrition
Had this last night and the family is obsessed.
This was amazing. It was so easy to make and I liked that it was already put together as a dish. The Fritos were still crisp.
Easy and excellent!
Thanks, Tammy!