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Pretty much everyone likes tacos in one form or another, so who would say no to these quick and easy baked tacos? They’re perfect for even the busiest weeknights, because you can get this hearty meal on the table in just half an hour!
The very first time I made this recipe, I knew I’d found a keeper, because there wasn’t a speck of food remaining in the pan after all was said and done. This dish has so many things going for it that it’s really no wonder it went over so well!
You can buy hard taco shells to use in this recipe, but making them yourself is infinitely more tasty. We’ll start with the easy baked tacos recipe, after which I’ll show you how to make your own crunchy taco shells (highly recommended for use in baked tacos!)
Easy Baked Tacos Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 15 oz refried beans
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 2–3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning (or 1 packet store-bought taco seasoning)
- 1–2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 16-20 crunchy taco shells (see below)
Directions:
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, then drain off the excess fat. Add the refried beans, tomato sauce, and seasoning to the browned beef and stir to combine.
Divide the ground beef and beans mixture among your taco shells and arrange them in a greased 9×13″ baking dish.
When the pan is full, sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of the tacos and place them in the oven. Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, or until they’re heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite taco toppings (more on that shortly!)
How To Make Homemade Crunchy Taco Shells
Why go to the trouble of making homemade oven baked taco shells? Their superior flavor and durability! Not only do they retain the delicious flavor of fresh corn tortillas, but they don’t shatter nearly as easily as the store-bought kind. (No need to toss out a bunch of broken shells!)
To make them, you’ll need stack of corn tortillas and a damp cloth or paper towel. Wrap about 6 tortillas at a time in the damp cloth, then microwave them for about 30 seconds, or until they’re nice and pliable.
Lay the softened tortillas on a baking sheet, then coat them on both sides with cooking spray.
Next, carefully drape each tortilla over two bars of your oven rack, then bake them at 375°F for 7-10 minutes, or until crispy and golden-brown. How easy is that?
Baked Taco Toppings
Lettuce and diced tomatoes are classic taco toppings, but you don’t have to stop there — the possibilities are practically endless! Here are some tasty ideas to get you started:
- Chopped cilantro
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced onion
- Avocado/guacamole
- Sour cream
- Grilled corn
- Sliced black olives
- Diced jalapeño peppers
- Lime wedges
- Shredded cabbage
- Sliced radishes
- Pico de gallo
- Tomatillo avocado salsa
Tasty Variations To Try
If you don’t want to use ground beef, use ground turkey instead! Or you could combine Meatless Monday and Taco Tuesday by substituting your favorite vegetarian crumbles in the meat mixture.
More Ideas You'll Love
Another alternative to baked beef tacos is chicken tacos. I like to buy rotisserie chickens at Costco and shred the meat and freeze it in vacuum bags. If I take one of the bags of shredded chicken out of the freezer in the morning, we can have baked chicken tacos for dinner that night — talk about an easy dinner! (Or try fish tacos — fill the shells with cooked fish sticks and serve them with shredded cabbage and tartar sauce!)
You can also make oven baked tacos using small flour tortillas (like the “street taco” variety) by filling flour tortillas with the ground beef mixture and arranging them snugly in the pan. The flour tortillas will get crispy around the top edges while staying nice and soft at the bottom. (You could also use a muffin tin to turn small tortillas into mini taco bowls!)
Storing And Reheating Leftover Baked Tacos
When I reheat baked tacos, I usually just toss them in the microwave as is. It makes the tortillas softer and more moist than they were fresh out of the oven, but it gives the tacos an enchilada-like quality that I don’t mind in the slightest.
If you want to preserve the texture of the taco shells, I recommend storing the filling and shells separately. Store the taco meat mixture in a covered dish, then wrap the shells in wax paper or put them in a dish and cover it loosely.
To reheat, put the shells in an uncovered pan and bake them at 350°F for about 10 minutes to crisp them up. Meanwhile, reheat the filling in your microwave or on your stovetop, then reassemble the tacos.
If you have leftover filling, use it to make a healthy taco casserole. If you have extra taco shells, make another round of tacos with whatever you have on hand — leftover prime rib makes an amazing taco filling! That’s the beauty of this easy oven baked taco recipe — it’s super easy to make and extremely versatile. I’m sure you’ll love this recipe as much as we do!
Have you ever tried making baked tacos?
Baked Tacos (The Best Baked Taco Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 can refried beans
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 2–3 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning or 1 packet store-bought taco seasoning
- 1–2 cups shredded cheese
- 16-20 hard taco shells
- Salsa, sour cream, and other taco toppings optional
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef, then drain off any fat. Stir the refried beans, tomato sauce, and seasoning into the browned beef.
- Spoon the beef mixture into your taco shells, and line them up in a 9×13” pan.
- When the pan is full, sprinkle the top with a nice layer of shredded cheese.
- Put the pan in your oven, and bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes (or until they’re heated through the cheese is melted.) Top with your taco fixings of choice, and serve!
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