Get ready for my Walking Taco Casserole, a true culinary delight that’s easy to make and a long-time family favorite.
We’re talking about a tantalizing beefy blend of perfectly seasoned hamburger meat crowned with a lavish layer of gooey Mexican blend cheese, paired with the unmistakable crunch of Frito corn chips.
And as if that’s not enough, we’re adding fresh lettuce and ripe tomatoes to complete this one-of-a-kind flavor fiesta!
Like my Hamburger Noodle Casserole or my Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole, it’s perfect for serving family-style for a quick weeknight dinner or even a simple Sunday supper.
Walking Taco Casserole is also a fun main dish to serve at a Cinco de Mayo party. and because you can make it ahead and the meat mixture is freezer-friendly, it can be frozen and taken to the beach or lake, where the final finishes can be added.
Jump to:
- What is a Walking Taco Casserole:
- Ingredient notes:
- Here’s how to make Walking Taco Casserole:
- Recipe variations:
- What sides go with a Walking Taco Casserole:
- How to make it ahead:
- Leftovers, storage, and reheating:
- Frequently asked questions:
- Sharon’s tips:
- More Southwestern or Mexican-inspired recipes:
- 📋 Recipe:
- Walking Taco Casserole Recipe: A Quick and Easy Family Favorite
What is a Walking Taco Casserole:
This recipe was inspired by the novel invention, Walking Tacos, which became popular several years ago. Walking tacos are small bags of Fritos or Doritos topped with taco meat, lettuce, tomato, and cheese.
Often served from food trucks or vendors at fairs or other outside venues, these creative bags of deliciousness are portable, and when you are through, you can toss the bag. They are the epitome of convenience food.
Instead of individual servings like Walking Tacos, in the Walking Taco Casserole, everything is baked in a casserole dish.
Then, in its simplest form, it’s topped with lettuce and tomato. Of course, if your family is anything like mine, everyone has their favorite “must-have” add-on toppings, such as sour cream, sliced black olives, or pico de gallo. The list is never-ending.
Ingredient notes:
- Ground beef – forms the base of this recipe; I like to purchase 80-85 percent lean ground beef for the best flavor. If you want to make sure your beef doesn’t contain any extra fat after the ground beef is cooked and you have drained the grease, put the beef into a colander and rinse it with water. Drain it on a paper towel and pat dry before continuing with the recipe.
- Taco seasonings mix – enhances the flavor of the ground beef and adds the familiar taco flavor. Typically the purchased packages contain chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin, and paprika. However, if you prefer, you can easily make your own.
- Cream cheese – adds a slight tang and creaminess to the taco meat mixture.
- Salsa – made primarily with tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, and lime juice, salsa spices things up and adds great flavor to the taco meat mixture.
- Mexican blend cheese – usually, you can buy packages of Mexican blend cheese already shredded. You can’t have tacos without cheese, and pretty much any shredded cheese works in this recipe!
- Fritos – add a delicious corn-flavored crunch to this casserole. I usually use the original smaller chips, but you can use the “scoops” too!
- Iceberg lettuce – has gotten a bad rap lately in the nutrition department, but this crisp, bright, mild-tasting lettuce is a mainstay for tacos. You can certainly substitute romaine if you prefer, but I like to use iceberg.
- Tomatoes – add their beautiful color and fresh tastiness to this dish. Fresh summer tomatoes are the best, but if you can’t find them, Roma or Italian plum tomatoes seem to have a consistent meaty tomato taste no matter what season it is.
- Additional optional toppings – sour cream, more cheese, pico de gallo, sliced jalapenos (pickled or fresh), more salsa, sliced black olives, drained and rinsed black beans, fresh or frozen corn, refried beans, taco sauce, guacamole, chopped scallions, etc.
Here’s how to make Walking Taco Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the ground beef. Break the meat into large pieces using a potato masher or fork. Let it brown for several minutes, and do not stir it. Once the meat cooks for a few minutes and starts to brown on one side, break it up into smaller pieces and continue cooking it until more of it has browned. Stir once more and break up any remaining larger pieces. Continue cooking until all of the meat has browned. This should take about six to eight minutes total. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain any grease.
- Put the skillet back on the burner and add the taco seasoning and two-thirds of a cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for three to four minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed.
- Add the salsa and cream cheese and stir to combine. Continue stirring until the cream cheese has melted.
- Spray an 11″ x 8.5′ oven-safe baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in the meat mixture and spread it out evenly.
- Add one cup of the shredded cheese, then top that with the Fritos and spread them out evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and top with lettuce and tomatoes. Add additional toppings if desired.
- Serve immediately while it’s still hot.
Recipe variations:
This recipe is really more of a guide than something you have to follow to the letter. Feel free to add more or less cheese, Fritos, lettuce, or tomatoes and customize it any way you like.
You can also substitute your favorite corn chips or tortilla chips for the Fritos and as I’ve said above, add as much or as little of the optional toppings as you like.
I have also made this dish without adding the cream cheese and salsa to the taco meat, and it was still delicious.
What sides go with a Walking Taco Casserole:
Because Walking Taco Casserole has veggies, I usually serve it by itself and call it a day. However, if you have company or want to add some variety, my Mexican Chopped Salad with Honey Lime Dressing and Jalapeno Cornbread would pair nicely.
Then, of course, my Ultimate Frozen Margaritas or Cranberry Margaritas would be a lovely addition, and my Smoked Queso would be the perfect appetizer to serve with it.
How to make it ahead:
You can make the taco meat mixture and store it in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Then, take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking it to allow it to come to room temperature.
Before you are ready to serve it, add the cheese and Fritos and bake and garnish as directed.
Leftovers, storage, and reheating:
This casserole is best served and eaten right after it is made. Because it’s topped with fresh lettuce and tomatoes, it does not heat up well after being refrigerated. Even if you remove the lettuce and tomatoes first, the Fritos won’t have any crunch.
If you don’t think you will eat all of it, the best thing is to divide it up and only cook what you think you will eat and freeze just the meat mixture to eat later. Allow the frozen meat mixture to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then follow the directions to add the cheese and Fritos and bake as directed.
Frequently asked questions:
If you are trying to limit your salt intake or prefer to make homemade taco seasoning instead of purchasing it, here is a link to a DIY Taco Seasoning recipe from my sister Chula over at the Pudge Factor Blog.
Walking tacos are meant to be eaten on the go and are less messy than regular tacos. They are also made with Fritos instead of tortillas.
This dish is called a walking taco casserole because it incorporates all the components of walking tacos, including Fritos, into one baked casserole.
If you are gluten intolerant, check all the labels on the ingredients you will be using in this recipe. However, as written, it should be gluten-free if you use Fritos.
Sharon’s tips:
- You can substitute ground chuck or ground chicken, pork, or turkey for ground beef.
- When cooking ground beef, once you break it up, let it cook undisturbed for a few minutes so it will brown properly before stirring it. If you stir it the entire time you are cooking it, it will steam and not be as flavorful as if you let the pieces get brown and crispy.
- If your family likes onions, feel free to add a handful of chopped onions to the beef when you are browning it.
- Mexican Blend cheese generally comes pre-shredded and contains a nice mix of Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Asadero, and Queso Quesadilla cheeses. You can substitute any of these cheeses for the blend.
More Southwestern or Mexican-inspired recipes:
Of course, this Walking Taco Casserole is not in any way an authentic Mexican recipe. But if you like recipes like this with a Tex-Mex or Southwestern vibe, I think you might also like this reader favorites:
If you need more menu suggestions, check out my Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos, Shrimp and Bacon Quesadillas, Sizzling Steak Fajitas plus all of my Mexican-inspired Tex Mex and Southwestern recipes.
I also have a roundup with over 40 Cinco de Mayo recipes that you may be interested in.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐⭐ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones; I hope you come back soon!
📋 Recipe:
Walking Taco Casserole Recipe: A Quick and Easy Family Favorite
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or ground chuck
- 1 ounce dry taco seasonings mix
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes
- ½ cup salsa or pico de gallo
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 4 cups Fritos
- 2 cups torn iceberg lettuce
- 1 tomato large, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the ground beef. Break the meat into large pieces using a potato masher or fork. Let it brown for several minutes, and do not stir it. Once the meat cooks for a few minutes and starts to brown on one side, break it up into smaller pieces and continue cooking it until more of it has browned. Stir once more and break up any remaining larger pieces. Continue cooking until all of the meat has browned. This should take about six to eight minutes total. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain any grease.
- Put the skillet back on the burner and add the taco seasoning and ⅔ cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for three to four minutes or until all of the water has been absorbed.
- Add the salsa and cream cheese and stir to combine. Continue stirring until the cream cheese has melted.
- Spray an 11″ x 8.5′ oven-safe baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in the meat mixture and spread it out evenly.
- Add one cup of the shredded cheese, then top that with the Fritos and spread them out evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and top with lettuce and tomatoes. Add additional toppings if desired and serve immediately while it’s still hot.
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