Mexican Lasagna

Mexican Lasagna is a fun and tasty way to mix up your classic Italian lasagna! We’re replacing the lasagna noodles with tortillas and instead of beef with marinara sauce, this dish is filled with a saucy Mexican-flavored beef mixture. This recipe is simple to make, and everyone loves it… even picky kids!

In fact, this Mexican casserole dish has become a go-to dinner option because my family can’t get enough of it! Add some Mexican rice and guacamole on the side and you’ll have a meal that will earn you rave reviews.

This was so delicious! Easy to make and my whole family gobbled it up!

— Jill

Ingredients and swaps

This casserole includes all of the typical ingredients that are found in most Mexican dishes. It’s really versatile too! Don’t feel like you have to strictly follow the ingredient list – change things up based on what you have available and what your family prefers. Here’s a note about the ingredients that I typically use:

• Oil. For browning the meat and cooking the onion.
• Lean ground beef. I like to use lean ground beef, but any ground meat will work great. However, if you’re using ground beef with a higher fat content, you’ll want to drain off any excess grease after it’s cooked.
• Spices. We’re using chili powder, cumin and salt for delicious flavor. Sub with some taco seasoning, if you’d like.
• Onion. A must for most any Mexican dish!
• Black beans. Beans give this a tasty boost of protein and fiber. Sub with kidney or pinto beans, if you’d like.
• Taco sauce. Feel free to use any favorite taco sauce, enchilada sauce or salsa. Be sure to use a mild variety, if you or members of your family are sensitive to heat.
• Corn. Fresh, canned, or frozen corn will work. If using canned corn, drain before adding to the beef mixture.
• Flour tortillas. I like to use flour tortillas or even tortillas made with a corn-flour blend, since they are a bit sturdier than corn tortillas. However, feel free to use any favorite tortillas.
• Cheese. Any favorite shredded cheese works great. We like cheddar, monterey jack cheese or pepper jack in this recipe.
• Optional garnish. Top this taco lasagna with avocado, tomatoes and cilantro or any other Mexican toppings that you love!

Since this recipe is so versatile, you can feel free to use a little more or less of the ingredients listed, depending on what you have in your kitchen. Also, make any substitutions to fit your preferences.

How to make this recipe

This Mexican casserole seriously could not be easier to throw together! Here’s the simple process, but reference the full recipe below for more details.

1. Brown the meat. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meat and chopped yellow onion, season with chili powder and cumin. Brown the meat, breaking up with a spatula.
2. Add ingredients to meat. With the meat mixture, add taco sauce (or enchilada sauce or salsa), black beans and corn. Stir to combine and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Assemble in baking dish. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer and fit in the casserole dish. Build the lasagna in layers of meat mixture, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, sprinkle cheese again.
4. Bake. Place lasagna in a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes and until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
5. Rest and serve. When the baking dish comes out of the oven, let it sit for about 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with your favorite Mexican toppings!

Expert tips

Even though this Mexican lasagna recipe is really quite simple, here are a few tips for best results.

• Freshly grated cheese. I recommend grating your own cheese for this recipe. The bagged pre-shredded cheeses are coated in anti-caking agents and just don’t melt as smoothly.
• Heat level. You control the heat in this dish depending on what taco sauce or salsa you choose. Be sure to use mild, if your family is sensitive to spice.
• Resting time. Let the baked casserole rest for about 20 minutes before slicing it. This will help the layers hold together.

Frequently asked questions

Variations

This dish is super versatile and easy to customize with different ingredients, depending on what you like and have on hand.

• Meat. Try using ground turkey, ground chicken or ground bison instead of the beef.
• Beans. Feel free to swap the black beans with pinto beans or kidney beans. You could even add in veggies, like diced red bell pepper, green chiles or diced tomatoes.
• Cheese. Use any favorite cheese – cheddar, Colby, monterey jack cheese or pepper jack are all great options.
• Tortillas. We typically use flour tortillas in this recipe, but you can substitute them with corn tortillas or even actual lasagna noodles.
• Spice it up. If you love spicy, you have a few options to kick up the heat: 1) add about 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper when adding the other spices, 2)  use “hot” hot sauce or salsa, 3) add chopped, pickled jalapeños to the filling, 4) add minced chipotle peppers to the filling, or 5) swap the cheddar cheese for pepper jack. Alternatively, you can allow everyone to control the spice level of their own portion by offering hot sauce or “hot” salsa as a topping option.

Serving suggestions

This dinner is hearty enough to serve on its own and doesn’t really need any sides, especially if you load it up with toppings! However, sometimes I make a light, fresh green salad with chopped tomato, diced avocado and this chipotle ranch. Just don’t forget the homemade salsa and skinny margarita!

Toppings

This taco lasagna is pretty amazing all on its own, but just like all good Mexican food, whether it’s tacos, burritos, fajitas, tortilla soup, or enchiladas, they are even better with toppings! You can even create a topping bar and then let everyone choose their favorites! Here’s some ideas:

• Sliced black olives. Really compliments all of the ingredients in this dish.
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt. Love the creamy tanginess with the bold Mexican flavor profile!
• Tomatoes. Quartered cherry tomatoes or seeded, chopped Roma tomatoes or skip the plain tomatoes and use pico de gallo.
• Cilantro. Adds delicious fresh flavor.
• Avocados. Chopped or sliced avocados happen to be my favorite Mexican topping!
• Guacamole. Use my homemade guacamole recipe (so good!), your favorite recipe or even use store bought.
• Lettuce. Shredded iceberg or Romaine lettuce offers a fresh, crisp, contrasting crunch.
• Red onion. A little thinly sliced red onion adds extra fresh zestiness to the meal.
• Hot Sauce or salsa. Offer hot sauce and/or salsa, so individuals can customize the heat.

Make ahead

This is a great make ahead meal and can be made up to one day in advance. Assemble the layers, then cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Take it out of the fridge while the oven preheats to take the chill off. You may need to add 10-15 minutes onto the bake time.

How to store, freeze & reheat leftovers

• To store. Let this cool completely and then either cover the whole pan and place it in the refrigerator or put individual slices into airtight containers and place them in the fridge. Leftovers are delicious and this dish will stay good for about 4 days in the fridge. To reheat, place a slice on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until heated through.
• To freeze. This is a great candidate for the freezer! You have two options here – you can either bake the casserole first, cool it to room temperature, slice into servings, place in freezer safe containers and then freeze. Or, to freeze the whole pan, you can bake it, bring it to room temp, and then freeze the entire pan. Once ready to reheat, thaw it out in the fridge, then bake it, covered at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.

This one is a major crowd pleaser for both kids and adults! I hope y’all love this dinner as much as my family does!

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.