Walking Taco Casserole
Elevate your next Taco Tuesday with this easy walking taco casserole filled with layers of seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, and gooey melted cheese, all topped with a crunchy layer of Fritos corn chips. It’s so easy to make and incredibly versatile to change up the ingredients depending on your preferences.
If you haven’t had a walking taco before, it’s very common in the Midwest where I’m from. You take a bag of Fritos and add a ground beef mixture seasoned with homemade taco seasoning. Then, you just add some cheese and your favorite toppings and eat it straight from the bag with a fork.
This walking taco casserole recipe is a play on the classic walking tacos, just in casserole form! This one-pan recipe is guaranteed to impress whether you’re making it for an easy weeknight meal or for guests. Best of all, it’s on the table in just about 40 minutes!
You’ll love this recipe because:
Table of Contents
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.
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:
- Diced avocado
- Pickled onions
- Green onions
- Diced red onions
- Sour cream
- Roasted jalapeños
- Pickled jalapeños
- Fresh corn
- Salsa
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Sliced black olives
- Lime wedges
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.
hints & tips
Storage instructions
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For best results, leave the Fritos off the casserole if you plan on having leftovers as they can get a little soggy in the refrigerator. Add the Fritos before reheating.
- Freezer Option: To freeze the walking taco casserole with Fritos, ensure it has completely cooled. Then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat frozen casserole, let it thaw completely before following the reheating instructions below.
- Reheat: To reheat individual portions, microwave them for 1-2 minutes until heated through. For larger portions, you can reheat the casserole in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 15-20 minutes or until warmed to your liking.
More one pot recipes to try
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Walking Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (680g)
- 1 cup yellow onion (diced (from 1/2 yellow onion) (130g))
- 15 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained (425g))
- 1 cup mild salsa (260g)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120g)
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (6 oz/170g)
- 2 cups Frito corn chips (80g)
Optional Toppings:
- 1 cup shredded lettuce (55g)
- 1/2 cup diced tomato or halved cherry tomatoes (180g)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped (5g))
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place a skillet or cast iron pan on the stove top over medium heat. Add the ground beef and 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 black beans, salsa, sour cream, and 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 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle the corn chips on top of the cheese. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of 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.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you have celiac disease or are on a gluten-free diet for any reason, be sure to double check ingredients to ensure they are gluten-free.
- If you are gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free taco seasoning as many brands of taco seasoning packets are not gluten-free found at local grocery stores. You can use my homemade gluten-free taco seasoning recipe that uses basic spices and is very simple to make.
- The nutritional information calculated is an estimate and does not account for any toppings that you add to your casserole, as the toppings you choose will vary in nutritional value.
Nutrition
I’m Megan
A gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food, showing you gluten-free can be easy and delicious, too. Let’s make gluten-free stress free together! Read more…
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!