Servings: 8
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 30–35 minutes
Total: about 1 hour
Dish: 9 × 13-inch / 23 × 33-cm baking dish
Ingredients
Beef filling
1½ lb (680 g) ground beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil, if needed
1½ tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
1 cup (240 g) salsa
½ cup (120 ml) water or beef broth
1 can (15 oz/425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup (170 g) corn, optional
Casserole layers
10–12 small flour or corn tortillas
2 cups (480 g) refried beans
2 cups (200 g) shredded cheddar cheese
1½ cups (150 g) shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican-blend cheese
1 cup (240 g) sour cream
½ cup (120 g) salsa or enchilada sauce
Fresh toppings
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1–2 fresh jalapeños, sliced
½ cup sliced black olives
½–1 avocado, diced
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ cup diced red onion
½ lime
Optional: crumbled queso fresco or feta
Optional: sliced green onions
Full Step-by-Step Recipe
1. Prepare the beef
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon.
Cook for about 6–8 minutes, until browned.
If there is a lot of excess fat, drain most of it.
Add:
onion
garlic
chili powder
cumin
paprika
oregano
onion powder
salt
pepper
cayenne
Cook for another 2–3 minutes.
2. Make it saucy
Add the salsa and water/broth.
Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the drained black beans and corn.
Cook another 2–3 minutes.
The filling should be moist but not watery.
For food safety, ground beef should reach 160°F/71°C, measured with a food thermometer.
A
Ask USDA
+1
3. Assemble the casserole
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
Lightly grease your baking dish.
Spread about ½ cup salsa/enchilada sauce over the bottom.
Layer 1
Add a layer of tortillas.
You can overlap them slightly. Cut tortillas in half if necessary to cover the corners.
Spread:
1 cup refried beans
about ⅓ of the beef mixture
about ⅓ of the sour cream
about ⅓ of the shredded cheese
Layer 2
Repeat:
tortillas → refried beans → beef → sour cream → cheese
Layer 3
Repeat again, finishing with:
tortillas
remaining beef
remaining cheese
Don’t put all of the fresh tomatoes, avocado and cilantro inside the casserole—they are best added afterward.
4. Bake
Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake another 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and bubbling.
For a more browned top, turn on the broiler for 1–3 minutes at the end.
Watch it closely because cheese can burn quickly.
5. Add the toppings
Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes.
Then cover the top with:
diced tomatoes
sliced jalapeños
black olives
avocado
cilantro
red onion
optional queso fresco
Squeeze fresh lime over everything.
This is what gives it the appearance shown in your photograph.
Homemade Taco Seasoning
If you’d rather make your own instead of using packaged seasoning, mix:
Ingredient Amount
Chili powder 2 tbsp
Ground cumin 2 tsp
Paprika 1½ tsp
Garlic powder 1 tsp
Onion powder 1 tsp
Oregano ½ tsp
Black pepper ½ tsp
Salt ¾ tsp
Cayenne ¼ tsp
Use approximately 2½–3 tablespoons for the beef.
Approximate Nutrition
Because the photograph doesn’t provide an ingredient list or exact quantities, these numbers are estimates for the recreated recipe, not laboratory-tested values. USDA FoodData Central is a major reference for food-composition data.
F
FoodData Central
Per serving — 1/8 of casserole
Nutrient Approx. amount
Calories 650–700 kcal
Protein 38–42 g
Carbohydrates 43–48 g
Fat 35–40 g
Saturated fat 15–18 g
Fiber 8–10 g
Sugar 5–7 g
Sodium 1,000–1,300 mg
Calcium 350–450 mg
Iron 4–5 mg
The actual values can change considerably depending on the tortillas, cheese, salsa, beef fat percentage and amount of sour cream.
To reduce calories
Use:
90–93% lean beef
reduced-fat cheese
Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
fewer tortillas
extra beans and vegetables
To increase protein
Use:
2 lb lean ground beef instead of 1½ lb
extra black beans
Greek yogurt instead of sour cream
Allergen / Dietary Information
Contains or may contain:
Milk/dairy: cheddar, Monterey Jack, sour cream, queso fresco
Wheat: if flour tortillas are used
Corn: if corn tortillas are used
Soy: possible in some packaged cheese, tortillas, salsa or seasoning products
Naturally gluten-free version
Use certified gluten-free corn tortillas and check every packaged ingredient for gluten/cross-contamination.
Dairy-free version
Replace cheese with a dairy-free melting cheese and sour cream with a dairy-free alternative.
Vegetarian version
Replace the beef with:
2 additional cans black/pinto beans, or
cooked lentils, or
plant-based ground meat.
Lower-carb version
Replace most/all tortillas with layers of:
zucchini
bell peppers
cauliflower
spinach
Storage
Refrigerator
Cool promptly and refrigerate leftovers in a covered container.
Best quality within 3–4 days.
Freezer
Freeze individual portions or the entire casserole before adding avocado, fresh tomatoes and cilantro.
For best texture, add those toppings after reheating.
Reheating
Microwave an individual portion for about 2–4 minutes, depending on your microwave.
For a whole casserole, cover and reheat at approximately 350°F/175°C until hot throughout.
Recipe Q&A
Can I use chicken instead of beef?
Yes. Use about 1½ lb cooked shredded chicken. Chicken should reach 165°F/74°C internally.
Can I use ground turkey?
Yes. Substitute ground turkey 1:1. It will be leaner and slightly lighter in flavor.
Can I make it without beans?
Yes. Increase the beef to about 2 lb or replace the beans with corn, peppers or additional refried beans.
Why is my casserole watery?
Usually one of three things:
Too much salsa/sauce.
Tomatoes released water into the casserole.
Beans weren’t drained sufficiently.
Let the beef mixture simmer until relatively thick before assembling.
Why did my tortillas become mushy?
Too much liquid is usually the culprit. Don’t soak the tortillas in sauce. Use only a thin layer of sauce.
Can I prepare it the night before?
Yes. Assemble it, cover and refrigerate, then bake the following day. Add approximately 5–10 minutes to the covered baking time if it goes directly from refrigerator to oven.
Can I use corn tortillas?
Absolutely. Corn tortillas give it a more enchilada-like flavor and are also useful for a gluten-free version.
Can I make it spicy?
Yes. Add:
extra jalapeños
serrano peppers
chipotle peppers in adobo
hot salsa
cayenne
How do I make it kid-friendly?
Leave the jalapeños and cayenne out of the casserole. Put them on the table as toppings.
What can I serve with it?
Good sides include:
Mexican rice
cilantro-lime rice
guacamole
green salad
pico de gallo
corn salad
tortilla chips
black beans
Can I make it without an oven?
Yes. Assemble it in a large covered skillet or Dutch oven and heat over low-medium heat until everything is hot and the cheese melts. The top won’t brown as much.
What is the secret to getting the beautiful top shown in the photo?
Don’t bake all the toppings. Bake the casserole with the cheese, then add fresh diced tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeños, olives and avocado after baking. This keeps the colors bright and gives the fresh, loaded appearance in your picture.
Best texture
For the closest result to the photograph:
crispy-edged tortillas + seasoned beef + refried beans + plenty of melted cheese + sour cream + fresh tomatoes + jalapeño + black olives + avocado + lots of cilantro.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
- Grandma’s Cream Puffs – Light, Crisp & Creamy - October 17, 2026
- Easy Crockpot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken - October 17, 2026
- Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes - October 17, 2026
