Frito Taco Casserole

Frito Taco Casserole is the kind of easy Southern comfort food dinner that’s guaranteed to bring everyone to the table. Layers of seasoned ground beef, melty cheddar cheese, zesty taco flavors, and crunchy Fritos corn chips come together in a hearty, family-friendly casserole that’s packed with flavor. Whether you’re feeding a hungry family on a busy weeknight, serving friends on game day, or bringing a dish to a potluck, this simple Tex-Mex favorite is always a crowd-pleaser.

Easy Frito Taco Casserole Recipe

Down South, you can count on a good casserole to show up at just about every potluck, church supper, family reunion, and covered dish dinner. While classic Southern casseroles will always have a place on the table, this Frito Taco Casserole brings a fun Tex-Mex twist that’s just as welcome.  It’s one of those easy dinner recipes made for busy weeknights, that the entire family will love.

It’s hearty, cheesy, easy to transport, and feeds a crowd without stretching the budget. Set it out with bowls of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and jalapeños so everyone can dress up their own serving. Don’t be surprised if you head home with an empty casserole dish and a few requests for the recipe.

Key ingredients you’ll need to make Frito Taco Casserole: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card and quantities.)

• Beef – Two pounds of lean ground beef for a beefy taste.
• Fritos – One bag of original Fritos for the corn chip layer.
• Onion – Diced sweet onion or yellow onion complements the beef.
• Peppers – One small jalapeno pepper adds a little heat.
• Oil – Olive oil or vegetable oil for cooking the beef and veggies.
• Salsa – Mild, medium or hot salsa use your preference.
• Beef Stock – Beef stock or beef broth adds moisture.
• Spices – One packet of store-bought taco seasoning, chili powder, garlic salt and lemon pepper
• Mix-Ins – Canned black beans or pinto beans plus sweet corn adds bulk and makes this a one dish meal.
• Cheese – Shredded sharp cheddar cheese for a melty cheesy flavor.
• Toppings – Shredded lettuce, Diced, tomatoes, Sour cream,  Sliced jalapenos, Diced avocado, Green onions, Salsa, Cilantro

How to Make Frito Taco Casserole Recipe

• Heat Oven and Prepare Dish – Preheat the oven to 375degrees f. Spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Saute Ground Beef – Cook the ground beef, onion and jalapeno in olive oil until the beef is browned and no pink remains. Drain excess grease from pan.
• Add Salsa and Seasonings – Add salsa, beef stock, taco seasoning, chili powder, garlic salt and lemon pepper. Stir well and simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
• Mix-ins – Add beans and corn, if using. Stir to combine. Simmer 2-3 minutes.
• Assemble – Spread half of the Fritos evenly across the bottom of the prepared dish, sprinkle with shredded cheese and top with the taco meat mixture. Sprinkle top with shredded cheese.
• Oven – Transfer dish to preheated oven and bake uncovered per the baking time in the recipe.
• Add Fritos to Top – At the end of baking, top with reserved 1 cup cheese and fritos. Return to the oven and bake until bubbly and golden brown.
• Serve – Scoop and serve with a dollop of sour cream and your favorite toppings.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Frito Walking Taco Casserole

• Large skillet.
• Knife and chopping board.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• 13×9-inch baking dish.
• Cheese grater.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Protein – You could use ground chicken or ground turkey for the meat layer.
• Cheese – You can use mild cheddar cheese colby jack cheese, monterey jack cheese or spicy pepper jack cheese.
• Chips – You could use chili cheese fritos, scoops, crushed Doritos or regular tortilla chips.
• Salsa – A thick salsa works best in this taco casserole. You can use mild salsa, medium salsa or hot salsa according to your personal taste.
• Rotel Tomatoes – You could use Rotel tomatoes in place of salsa.
• Beans – You can use different beans in place of black beans, swapping them out for pinto beans or light red kidney beans. You could also dollop refried beans on the ground beef layer.
• Sweet Corn – Corn is optional but it adds a slight sweetness and texture.
• Taco Seasoning – If you’d like to make your own taco seasoning see my recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning here.
• Favorite Taco Toppings – The sky’s the limit with toppings! Top with sour cream or a drizzle of crema, black olives, pico de gallo, diced onion, tomato or cilantro. Add diced avocado or guacamole.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers – Store leftover taco casserole covered with foil or plastic wrap or an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating – Reheat in a preheated 350°F oven, individual servings in the microwave or in an air fryer.
• Freezer – Freeze leftover casserole for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat just before serving.

More Casserole Recipes to Make

• Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole uses uncooked chicken to make prep a cinch.
• Six ingredient Easy Cornbread Casserole. 
• This Pineapple Casserole is delicious alongside holiday ham.
• You can never go wrong turning inexpensive green cabbage into this Cheesy Cabbage Casserole.
• An all time family favorite Easy Broccoli Casserole recipe.
• The family will flip for these Loaded Potato Cakes.
• Homemade Green Bean Casserole.
• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole for those busy oven days.
• Carrot Au Gratin from The Pioneer Woman.

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