This oh so easy Mexican Lasagna Recipe is made with layers of corn tortillas, seasoned ground beef, black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, green chiles, and plenty of melty cheese. This flavorful, family-friendly casserole is ready in just an hour and makes a great weeknight dinner or freezer-friendly meal.
Busy nights call for an easy recipe, but it still has to be something the whole family will actually eat. That’s when we make this Mexican lasagna. It’s a fun twist on Taco Tuesday (taco lasagna for the win!) and comes together much more easily than a traditional Italian lasagna.
Serve it with your favorite toppings like sour cream, fresh tomatoes, and green onions, or add homemade guacamole, tortillas, queso, or Mexican Red Rice on the side. If you’re feeding a crowd and need more Mexican-inspired dishes, try these Green Chicken Enchiladas or Crockpot Carnitas!
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Mexican Lasagna Recipe
- Easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly for busy nights.
- Much easier than traditional lasagna, with no pasta noodles or complicated layering.
🍅 Ingredients:
- Ground beef – We use 85% or 90% lean ground beef. Ground chicken, ground turkey, or even plant-based ground meat can also be used.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion both work well.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic adds another layer of flavor to the seasoned beef.
- Taco seasoning mix – Use your favorite taco seasoning mix. Homemade taco seasoning works, too.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes – The fire-roasted tomatoes add great flavor to the meat mixture. Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles) or regular diced tomatoes can be substituted if needed.
- Green chiles – Canned diced green chiles add mild heat and flavor.
- Black beans – Canned black beans keep this recipe quick and easy. Drain and rinse them well before adding.
- Corn tortillas – Small, taco-size corn tortillas work best for creating the layers. Yellow or white corn tortillas are fine.
- Shredded cheese – We use a combination of shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar, but a Mexican cheese blend works well, too.
- Tomatoes – Diced tomatoes make a fresh, colorful topping.
- Green onions – Sliced green onions add a little freshness and crunch.
- Sour cream – for serving
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- Ground meat: Ground turkey or ground chicken can be substituted for the beef. Plant-based ground meat can also be used. I have two vegetarians in my house now and this is an easy substitute that keeps one of our favorite meals in rotation while meeting the dietary needs of everyone.
- Tomatoes: If you don’t have fire-roasted tomatoes, regular diced tomatoes work just fine. You can also substitute about 1½ cups of salsa; be sure to include the juices so the casserole has enough moisture.
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas are my preference because they hold up well in the layers, but soft flour tortillas can be used. They tend to become softer as the casserole bakes and can even become soggy.
- Cheese: Cheddar, Monterey Jack, a Mexican cheese blend, or a combination of cheeses all work well. For the smoothest melt, shred cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese.
- Add-ins: Corn, bell peppers, or black olives can be added to the beef mixture if you want to customize the casserole.
- Sauce: For a different flavor, try adding salsa verde or enchilada sauce to the meat mixture in place of some of the diced tomatoes.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Step 1: Cook 1 pound of ground beef and 1 medium diced onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the beef is browned and the onion is softened.
Step 2: Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
Step 3: Stir in ¼ cup taco seasoning and ½ cup water. Cook for another minute or two, stirring until the seasoning is well combined with the beef.
Step 4: Stir in one 14.5-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with the juices), one 4-ounce can of diced green chiles, and one 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed black beans. Cook until the mixture is heated through.
Step 5: Arrange 6 corn tortillas in the bottom of the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish, overlapping them slightly to cover the bottom.
Step 6: Spread ⅓ of the meat mixture evenly over the tortillas, then sprinkle with 2 cups of shredded cheese. Repeat the layers twice more, using 6 tortillas, ⅓ of the meat mixture, and 2 cups of cheese for each layer.
Step 7: Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30–40 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the cheese is fully melted.
Step 8: Remove the foil and garnish with 1–2 diced tomatoes and 1 sliced green onion. Let the Mexican lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve Mexican Lasagna warm with sour cream and your favorite toppings.
Tips for Making Mexican Lasagna:
- If you’re not using lean ground beef, drain any excess grease from the skillet before adding the taco seasoning and other ingredients.
- We love using shredded Jack and cheddar cheese, but you can also go with a Mexican cheese blend. For the smoothest melt, shred cheese fresh from the block. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can keep it from melting quite as smoothly.
- Don’t add extra liquid: Be sure to drain and rinse the black beans well, but leave the juices in the fire-roasted tomatoes. The tomato juices provide the moisture the corn tortillas need while baking, while excess liquid from the beans can make the casserole too wet.
- Want to add refried beans? You can spread a thin layer of refried beans over the corn tortillas before adding the meat mixture. I prefer serving refried beans on the side because adding them to the casserole can make the tortilla layers softer.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftover Mexican lasagna in an airtight container or cover the casserole tightly and refrigerate for 3–4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm larger portions in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Sure can! Assemble the Mexican lasagna according to the recipe, then cover it tightly and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake it. You can assemble it up to 24 hours in advance. If the casserole is cold from the refrigerator, you may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Yes! Mexican lasagna is a great freezer-friendly meal. Assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe baking dish, cover it tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. For the best texture, thaw the casserole in the refrigerator overnight before baking at 350°F until hot and bubbly.
You can also freeze individual portions for an easy meal later.
Yes, you can substitute soft flour tortillas for the corn tortillas. However, corn tortillas hold their structure better during baking, while flour tortillas become softer and may result in a slightly soggier casserole. For the best texture, I recommend using corn tortillas. If you prefer flour tortillas or that’s what you have on hand, they’ll still work in this recipe.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
If you tried this Mexican Lasagna Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Mexican Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
- 14.5 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes do not drain
- 4 oz. can green chiles
- 15 oz. can black beans drained and rinsed
- 18 small corn tortillas
- 6 cups shredded cheese Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese
- 1-2 tomatoes diced for garnish
- 1 green onion sliced for garnish
- Sour cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook 1 pound ground beef and 1 medium yellow onion in a large skillet over medium heat until the meat is browned and the onion softens.
- Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Add ¼ cup taco seasoning and ½ cup water and stir over medium heat until well combined.
- Stir in 14.5 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes (juices included), 4 oz. can green chiles, and 15 oz. can black beans (drained and rinsed) into the meat mixture and heat through.
- Line the prepared baking dish with 6 corn tortillas, overlapping slightly to cover the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Spread ⅓ of the meat mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese over the meat mixture.
- Continue layering with 6 corn tortillas, ⅓ of the meat mixture, and 2 cups of cheese for each of the remaining two layers.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes until casserole is bubbly and the cheese is fully melted.
- Garnish with diced tomatoes and green onion. Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes for easy slicing and serving.
- Serve with sour cream.
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Comments & Reviews
Hattie Lamb says
I made this for the 1st time ever, at this time I had 5 people living in my house. Well long story short there were no leftovers for the next day. I used flour tortillas instead of corn; but still very tasty & easy to make we loved this dish so now my family asked for it at least once a week. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Stacy says
Can you use flour tortillas?
Stefanie says
You can, Stacy, but the texture is different. Flour tortillas get kind of soggy/gummy. I prefer corn tortillas, but lots of people like flour tortillas in this dish!
Roxie M Rape says
quick n easy….really good. added to my recipe collection
Tammy M says
very easy and delicious. We don’t eat beef so , I substituted ground chicken and added frozen corn to entice the kids ! They loved it!! This is a keeper.
Mary says
it’s absolutely wonderful!
Tabitha Meece says
are you supposed to drain the grease from the hamburger when done?
Stefanie says
Yes, I would drain if you have excess grease. If you use a 90% lean ground beef, you probably won’t need to drain.
Diana says
Delicious! The second time I made this recipe, I used 2 lbs of ground beef and two can of green chilis. Added a bit more taco seasoning, along with a can of corn. Excellent dish!
Tlg says
Everyone loves this recipe. It makes the menu almost once a week.
Carol Schirm says
Absolutely delish!
Added a small can of mexi corn drained.
Served with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
Definitely a keeper.
Diane Martin says
Making this for tomorrow can make this ahead of time
and cook tomorrow for lunch. Or cook now tonight and reheat it is that possible.
Stefanie says
Hi Diane, you can definitely assemble today and refrigerate overnight. Since everything will be cold, it will probably take an extra 20-30 minutes in the oven. Keep it covered with aluminum foil while baking until the casserole starts bubbling up from underneath to know that it’s heated through.