This cheesy Mexican Lasagna recipe is a family favorite! Easily make it by layering corn tortillas with a taco-seasoned ground beef mixture, salsa, black beans and cheese. Bake it in the oven for a busy weeknight dinner or save it as a freezer-friendly casserole, perfect for last-minute meals or bringing to loved ones!
Anytime I have a friend or loved one in need of an easy casserole meal, this Mexican Lasagna recipe immediately comes to mind!
It’s the perfect mix of comfort food while still being relatively healthy since corn tortillas are used instead of flour or lasagna noodles. (This also makes it safe for gluten-free eaters, unlike traditional lasagna!)
As if the ease of preparation and the health benefits weren’t enough, it’s also PACKED full of flavor thanks to a homemade taco seasoning mix.
This recipe is a great twist to your typical Taco Tuesdays without sacrificing any of the Mexican flavors the whole family loves. Put this easy lasagna recipe on your meal plan now. It’s the best thing since well, tacos.
(If you’re looking for the more classic dish, check out this lasagna recipe with no-boil noodles!)
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef. 85/15 or 90/10 are the best options since there is some fat for flavor but not enough to make the dish greasy. You can opt for ground turkey for a lighter option.
- Canned items. You’ll need crushed tomatoes, corn, and black beans for this recipe.
- Tortillas. Corn tortillas provide the texture you want, plus they soak up the flavors beautifully. Avoid flour tortillas if possible.
- Veggies. Bell pepper, jalapeño, and a sweet onion are sautéed together to create a depth of flavor.
- Cheese. While shredded cheddar cheese was used in the recipe, feel free to change it up with pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or another variety.
- Seasoning. If you don’t have taco seasoning at home or from the store, simply mix up cumin, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder before adding to the dish.
How to Make Mexican Lasagna
Please see the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions.
1. Sauté the Veggies
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium or medium-high heat. Add the diced bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion.
Sauté the vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they’re just getting tender.
2. Brown the Meat
Use a spatula to push the cooked veggies to the side of the skillet. Carefully add the ground meat and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes.
Be sure there is no pink left in the meat, and crumble with a potato masher to get small pieces that will spread easily.
3. Add the Tomatoes and Seasoning
Pour the crushed tomatoes into the taco meat mixture in the skillet, being careful not to splatter. Stir well. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir together the seasonings in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the beef mixture and cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Layer the Ingredients
Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. (If you skip this step, the ingredients will stick and burn.)
Start by spreading ⅓ of the meat mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Then, layer 6 tortillas, another ⅓ of the meat mixture, ½ can of corn, ½ can of beans, and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Repeat one more time with the rest of the ingredients.
5. Bake and Serve
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes in a preheated 350℉ oven. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
Top this cheesy taco lasagna recipe with fresh cilantro before serving.
What should you top Mexican lasagna with?
Mexican lasagna is delicious with all your favorite taco toppings. Try salsa, green onions, sour cream, cilantro, avocados, or even Pico de Gallo!
What to Serve with Mexican Lasagna?
This Mexican lasagna goes perfect with all of your favorite traditional sides.
Try Instant Pot Black Beans, Refried Black Beans, Cilantro Lime Rice, Mexican Rice, or Instant Pot Mexican Rice.
Everyone will love this Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Whip up some Homemade Guacamole or Tomatillo Salsa Verde and Homemade Tortilla Chips.
Don’t forget the drinks! This Mexican 75 is delicious.
More Easy Mexican Recipes
If you can’t get enough of that Mexican flavor, put these recipes on your menu soon.
- Mexican Zucchini Boats
- Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Chicken Taquitos
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Steak Fajitas
- Enchiladas Verdes
- One-Pot Mexican Beef and Rice
- Corn Tortilla Quesadillas
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Mexican Lasagna with Tortillas
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. oil olive or avocado
- 1 cup bell pepper red or green, finely diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper finely diced
- 1 cup sweet onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 ½ lbs. ground beef 85/15 or 90/10
- 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz. can kernel corn rinsed and drained
- 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese shredded
- 12 corn tortillas white or yellow
Taco Seasoning Mix*
- 1 ½ Tbsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 ½ tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp. salt to taste
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the Veggies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat add oil, bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until almost cooked through. Stir in minced garlic.1 Tbsp. oil, 1 cup bell pepper, 1 jalapeño pepper, 1 cup sweet onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Brown the Meat: Push the vegetables to the side and add ground meat to the skillet. Continue cooking for 7-8 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Crumble the meat with a potato masher to get smaller crumbs.1 ½ lbs. ground beef
- Add Tomatoes and Seasoning: Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix taco seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle into the skillet, stir, and let simmer for another 5 minutes.15 oz. can crushed tomatoes, 1 ½ Tbsp. cumin, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 ½ tsp. paprika, ½ tsp. garlic powder, 1 ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- Layer the Ingredients: Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Start layering the Mexican lasagna with ⅓ of the meat mixture. Next, layer 6 tortillas, ⅓ meat mixture, ½ can of corn, ½ can of beans, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, meat, corn, beans and cheese.15 oz. can kernel corn, 15 oz. can black beans, 12 corn tortillas, 2 cups Cheddar cheese
- Bake and Serve: Place aluminum foil over dish and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and continue cooking in the oven for 5 minutes. Serve with finely chopped fresh cilantro and enjoy!
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Notes
- Corn for sure. Flour tortillas won’t work quite as well as corn tortillas.
- Add some spice. Add extra jalapeños, or sub in a spicier pepper.
- DIY. Make your own homemade taco seasoning.
- Top it off. Don’t forget the toppings for an extra kick of flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent!
Thanks so much! And thanks for the comment and rating 🙂
Can’t wait to try this. Except that she used pinto beans and cream-style corn, the ingredients look very much like my mom’s delicious tamale pie. Sometimes she used corn meal instead of tortillas. Wish I’d paid more attention. I’ve been fumbling around trying to recall exactly what she did and coming up VERY short.
Oh yay!! So happy to know this is close to your mom’s recipe, Sue. The idea to use cornmeal definitely sounds interesting! I actually just made this for a friend whose dad is in the hospital last night – it’s the perfect comfort food! Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Is this recipe gluten free, since it uses corn tortillas?
Yes! Corn is technically gluten-free, but you’ll want to double check the label to ensure there is no added wheat flour in the corn tortillas (the large majority of corn tortillas do NOT have flour!) Thanks for the question!
Only change I made was draining to turkey after cooked then instead of Rotel, I used a small can of diced green chiles. Loved it!
Great idea to add the diced green chiles! Sounds delicious! Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Hi London. I made this recipe in the morning and am refrigerating it now for tonight’s dinner. Will I need to bake it longer since the casserole will start out at a cooler temperature?
Hi Amber! If you can, try to pull it out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking so it comes close to room temp. At most you should only need to cook it 5-10 minutes longer. Can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
Thank you. It turned out fabulous. My family loved it!
So so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Loved this recipe! It was easy and fun to make.
That’s awesome, Tiffany! So happy you enjoyed it!
Hello
If I wanted to freeze this, do I do so once assembled, before baking, or do I freeze it once it’s been baked and just remove from freezer and reheat in oven?
Thanks!
Hi Brittany! Great question! My personal preference would be to freeze it before baking. Make sure you defrost it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours for best results. If it’s still a little frozen you may have to bake it longer. Thanks for the question!
I made this tonight added a bit of hot sauce for my family and they loved it. May tweak it with chili beans instead of black beans next time. It was delicious.
That was such a great idea to add a bit of hot sauce, Lauren! Thanks so much for your rating and comment 🙂
love this !! I used ground beef instead of turkey and it was delicious. Quick and easy meal. Thank you for sharing
Hi Dee!! I am SO excited you enjoyed the recipe. Ground beef and turkey sub pretty easily in this recipe depending on what you have on hand. Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
I made this for a Ronald McDonald House meal preparation event. We made 12 casseroles, served a few and froze the rest for future use. Was a HUGE hit !! Everyone wanted the recipe. I’m making it this weekend for friends. I improvise based on what I have on hand, so it’s always a little different, but always great. I think corn tortillas (vs flour) tortillas are key. It’s definitely a great addition to my repertoire. THANK YOU.
Hi Fran!! Wow! 12 casseroles! That is a ton. I am so happy it went so well for you. And I totally agree, corn tortillas are the way to go. Thanks so much for your kind comment and rating 🙂