Name: Walking Taco Casserole
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef (80/20); 1 cup red onion, diced; 4 tbsp taco seasoning; 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained; 1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies; 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, or a blend); 1 9.25 ounce bag Fritos corn chips; sour cream; sliced black olives; green onions (sliced); salsa; lime wedges; shredded lettuce; halved cherry tomatoes; chopped cilantro; hot sauce; guacamole or avocado slices

What is a walking taco?

Walking tacos are all your favorite taco fillings piled into an individual bag of Fritos corn chips. You can eat them with a fork while walking around, so they are perfect for tailgating or camping.

This walking taco casserole recipe, also called a walking taco bake or Frito pie, has all the same ingredients, but in a casserole dish and it's baked in the oven. It's an easy weeknight meal the entire family will love.

Why we love it

Easy: This Frito pie recipe is super easy to make in one pan. Start on the stovetop and finish in the oven in less than 30 minutes.

Customizable: You can customize this walking taco bake with all your favorite toppings, or can let everyone add their own toppings.

Make ahead: Unlike individual walking tacos, this casserole version can be made ahead. You can assemble the taco casserole, and just pop it in the oven when it's time to eat.

Ingredient Notes

Ground beef: Lean ground beef (90%) works best for this taco casserole. Regular ground beef has a lot of fat when cooked, and extra lean will need fat added to the skillet. Ground beef is economical and versatile, and it's ideal for casseroles of all kinds, like my zucchini ground beef casserole (a must try).

Onion: I use a red onion, but yellow or white onions are also fine.

Black beans: This recipe includes canned black beans, also called turtle beans.

Diced tomatoes: This recipe includes canned diced tomatoes with green chiles (Ro-tel) You can also add the tomatoes and green chilies separately.

Taco seasoning: Homemade taco seasoning is super easy to make. You can try my taco seasoning recipe, or you can use a store-bought packet of taco seasoning.

Cheese: I'm using cheddar because that's what I had, but I sometimes make this walking taco bake with mozzarella, Monterey jack, or a Mexican blend cheese.

Fritos corn chips: We love this casserole with Fritos, but you can also use Doritos or tortilla chips.

How to make walking taco casserole

Full instructions and ingredient quantities are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

In a 10" oven-proof skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and onions, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 7-10 minutes. If needed, drain the fat. (photo 1)

Stir in the taco seasoning. (photo 2)

Add the black beans and the tomatoes with green chilies and stir to combine. (photos 3 and 4)

Remove from heat.

Photos of the recipe process in four steps.

Tips and variations

Skillet: Walking taco casserole is easy to make with an oven-proof skillet. However, you can also transfer the filling to a casserole dish before baking.

Taco Meat: Substitute ground turkey for equally delicious results.

Beans: You can use kidney beans or pinto beans instead, or omit the beans altogether. Refried beans are another great option.

Tomatoes: If you want to leave out the green chilies, you can just use diced tomatoes. Other options are enchilada sauce or red salsa.

Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese is great, but you can use Monterey jack cheese, mozzarella, or a Mexican cheese blend. You can also stir some cream cheese into the beef mixture.

Corn: Try adding some corn kernels to the filling. Or try my chili corn salsa as a topping.

Make ahead: Assemble the whole casserole according to the recipe, except for the corn chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you want to bake it, top with the corn chips and bake.

Leftovers: If you have leftover taco casserole, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, put it in a 350° oven for 10-15 minutes. If the corn chips become soggy from being refrigerated, the oven will crisp them up again.

Recipe

Comments

5 from 14 votes (1 rating without comment)

Walking Taco Casserole