This walking taco casserole is the ultimate comfort food casserole. Made with a creamy taco meat base, crunchy chips, and melted cheese, this dish is simply divine.
Recipe: $17.63 | Per Serving: $5.87 | Servings: 4
We love to enjoy tasty taco-flavored recipes around here because tacos are AMAZING (and versatile). Similar to my Easy Dorito Taco Salad, this dish combines all the beloved flavors of the popular "walking taco," but in a convenient casserole format.
Imagine layers of seasoned ground beef, gooey cheese, crunchy chips, and all your favorite taco toppings, coming together to create a meal that's perfect for gatherings, game days, or a weeknight dinner.
For more taco fun, make sure to check out our Instant Pot Taco Zucchini Boats, Air Fryer Tortilla Chips, and Nacho Cupcakes.
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's simple. This recipe is so quick and easy to assemble that it's sure to become an instant favorite for weeknight meals.
- A great combination of textures. From the melty cheese to the crunchy chips and soft meaty filling, this casserole has got it all.
- It's versatile. This walking taco casserole with Doritos is extra cheesy and packed with different flavors and textures that work incredibly well together. You can add any of your favorite taco toppings to customize this recipe.
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Taco seasoning mix- You can use storebought taco seasoning or two tablespoons of DIY Taco Seasoning.
Doritos nacho flavored chips- For added cheese flavor and a nice crunch. While you could make the walking taco casserole with Fritos, our favorite will always be nacho-flavored tortilla chips.
Shredded cheese- We like to use shredded cheddar cheese but you can use any cheese of preference. Remember cheese that you shred yourself will melt more nicely than pre-shredded.
Enchilada sauce- This will help to incorporate a lot more flavor and moisture so that the casserole doesn't feel dry.
Optional toppings: Personal choice but can include shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, diced tomato, and sliced jalapenos.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Substitutions
- Enchilada sauce: While we typically use enchilada sauce, salsa is a suitable alternative, whether chunky or smooth.
- Ground beef: Experiment with ground turkey or chicken for a different flavor profile. It's worth noting that you can save money by stretching meat, just reduce it to just 1 pound of ground beef and it will still be delicious and satisfying. Increase the toppings or filler ingredients to maintain the dish's substance.
- Sour cream: Swap sour cream for plain unflavored Greek yogurt or softened cream cheese.
- Doritos: Replace Doritos with Fritos, plain tortilla chips, or even chili cheese-flavored chips for a unique twist.
📖 Variations
There are a lot of ways that you can switch up this walking taco bake. For example, you can add in:
- Canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- Whole kernel corn
- Bell peppers (added to the ground beef and onion step so that they soften)
🔪 Instructions for Walking Taco Casserole
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and place a 12 inch cast iron skillet on the stove over medium heat.
Step 2: Cook your ground beef and onions together in the skillet until the meat is browned and the onions are soft. Drain the grease.
Step 3: Add in the enchilada sauce, Rotel, sour cream, and taco seasoning packet. Stir until well combined.
Step 4: Turn off the heat and top the meat mixture with broken Doritos.
Step 5: Sprinkle the cheese on top of the chips.
Step 6: Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted completely.
Step 7: Top with any additional optional toppings before serving.
🍴 Recipe Tips
- Cheese Tips: While pre-shredded cheese saves time, freshly shredded cheese melts better. Opt for cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack for the best results.
- How to Measure Tortilla Chips: Crush the chips to roughly ¼ inch in size before measuring them in a cup. Stack the chips and press down gently to break them without creating a mess.
- It's Portable: Whether you're enjoying it at home or taking it along for a camping trip, keeping the casserole in a cast-iron skillet makes it easily transportable for the whole family.
How to make without a cast-iron skillet
- In a Regular Skillet: Brown the ground beef and onions until cooked through. Discard excess grease, then mix in the other ingredients until creamy and well combined.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Pour the mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish and assemble as directed.
- Bake: Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, then serve with your desired toppings.
🍳Reheating
Microwave Method: Reheat a portion of the recipe by placing it on a microwave-safe plate. Heat in the microwave until warmed through.
Tip: The chips will be soft regardless of the reheating method chosen, so opt for the fastest option. If desired, add additional chips when serving to achieve crispness in every bite.
⏲️Make Ahead Instructions
Preparation: Prepare the creamy meat mixture as directed in the recipe.
Storage: Place the prepared meat mixture into an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating: When ready to eat, reheat the meat mixture on the stove for a few minutes until warmed through.
Assembly and Baking: Assemble and bake as directed in the recipe. If assembling in a baking dish, you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time to heat up the cold meat mixture.
💭 Recipe FAQs
You may be pleasantly surprised to find that this recipe can easily be modified to be gluten free by using a gluten free taco seasoning mixture and gluten free chips.
Yes, this recipe can be doubled if you have a large enough cast iron pan or if you plan to assemble and bake it in a 9x13 baking dish. A 9x13 should provide about 10 servings worth.
Yes! This recipe can be made in a slow cooker. Brown the ground beef and onions in a skillet on the stove and transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in the sour cream, Rotel, sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 2-3 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low. Turn off the crock pot and top with the Doritos and cheese. Add lid and wait until the cheese has melted before serving.
❤️ More Delicious Casserole Recipes
If you tried this Walking Taco Casserole, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Walking Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef ($9.94)
- 1 small onion, diced (1 cup) ($0.91)
- 1 can (10oz) Rotel, undrained ($1.36)
- 1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce ($1.00)
- ½ cup sour cream ($0.50)
- 1 packet taco seasoning mix ($0.54)
- 2-3 cups Doritos nacho cheese flavor, broken but not crushed ($1.16)
- 8 ounces shredded taco blend cheese ($2.22)
Optional toppings:
- shredded lettuce
- salsa
- sour cream
- diced tomato
- jalapenos, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and place a 12 inch cast iron skillet on the stove.
- Cook your ground beef and onions together in the skillet until the meat is browned and the onions are soft. Drain the grease.
- Add in the enchilada sauce, Rotel, sour cream, and taco seasoning packet. Stir until well combined.
- Turn off the heat and top the meat mixture with broken Doritos.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top of the chips.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted completely.
- Top with any additional optional toppings before serving.
Notes
- Red salsa can substitute enchilada sauce. Try Fritos, plain tortilla chips, or chili cheese flavored chips instead of Doritos. For variety, add canned black beans or corn (drained and rinsed) and bell peppers to the skillet with beef and onions.
- Shred cheese for better melting. Measure tortilla chips after breaking into ¼-inch pieces. Prepare the filling up to 2 days ahead, store in the fridge, then reheat before assembling and baking.
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