This Taco Lasagna is saucy, cheesy and delicious. Try this fun twist on your traditional lasagna with lots of Mexican flavors, yet still an easy weeknight and family-friendly meal.
One of my favorite foods are tacos, well pretty much anything Mexican. I would say it’s probably all the cheese, but really, there is not one thing about Mexican food, at least what I’ve tried so far that I don’t like. Another one of my favorite foods is lasagna, so putting these two together is a no brainer.
You’re going to love the meaty sauce in this lasagna. I added an onion and a bell pepper, just so that I could say there are veggies in this. I also added taco sauce and enchilada sauce to the meat mixture to make it really saucy and super flavorful. It really worked.
What Is Taco Lasagna
I don’t know if there really is such a thing as an authentic “taco lasagna” but I wanted to make this recipe as close as possible to resemble a lasagna but have those taco flavors we all know and love. While many taco lasagnas use tortillas, I wanted to use actual lasagna noodles to give it that lasagna feel. If you want to use tortillas, please check out my enchilada casserole recipe, which is well known and loved.
What Are No Boil Lasagna Noodles
For this recipe I used no-boil noodles. No-boil noodles are precooked. They are usually run through a water bath and then dehydrated mechanically. They are thinner than regular lasagna noodles and soften during baking with just the moisture from the sauce.
Ever since I discovered no boil noodles, I never looked back. Years ago, I used to shy away from making lasagna, as much as I love it. It was such a pain to boil the noodles first, and I would always cook them too much until they broke or they would stick together. But I would make these elaborate lasagnas where the sauce would require half a day to cook because it had to be just right. No wonder I would only make lasagna once every couple of years. But not anymore.
What Ingredients Are In Taco Lasagna
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy taco lasagna:
- No-boil noodles – regular lasagna noodles would work as well, you might have to pre boil them first for a few minutes.
- Ground beef – you can replace this with ground chicken, turkey or pork. You can even uses shredded chicken if preferred.
- Onion and bell peppers – we need some veggies in the sauce to flavor it.
- Taco sauce – use your favorite taco sauce, I used a jar of Club House.
- Enchilada sauce – use your favorite or make your own. Here’s my recipe for homemade enchilada sauce.
- Cheese – what’s lasagna without ricotta cheese. I also used a Mexican blend for topping the lasagna. A Mexican blend usually includes Monterey Jack, Mild Cheddar and Colby cheese.
How To Make Taco Lasagna
Cook the beef: Add the beef to a large skillet and brown over medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink.
Add veggies: Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion softens and is translucent.
Add the sauces: Stir in the taco sauce and enchilada sauce then bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Prepare the ricotta cheese: In another medium size bowl, whisk the ricotta cheese, egg and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese.
Assemble the lasagna: Start layering the lasagna in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Start with a layer of 3 lasagna noodles, then add 1/2 of the meat sauce over the noodles. Next add 3 more lasagna noodles, then spread the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Add 3 more lasagna noodles, then the remaining meat sauce. Top with the remaining 2 cups of cheese.
Bake: Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the cheese melts and gets bubbly and the noodles are cooked through. Let the lasagna cool for about 10 minutes before slicing it and finally top with chopped tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and avocados.
The end result, my friends, pure perfection. I may be biased here, but I’d say this was probably my favorite lasagna ever. And I did not slave over it for an entire day! Only took me a few minutes to make the sauce and half an hour in the oven.
How Do You Store Leftover Taco Lasagna?
Cool the lasagna first, then cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil or if it’s cooled completely you can use plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Taco Lasagna?
Yes! This Taco Lasagna freezes great! I would freeze it before baking, so prepare it as instructed and cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then store in the freezer. The night before you want to serve it, take it out of the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours, then bake as directed.
Looking for More Mexican Recipes? Try These:
- One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo
- Mexican Beer Chicken Taco Casserole
- Taco Pizza
- Pork Carnitas
- Chicken Taco Taquitos
- Homemade Salsa
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Taco Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 7 oz taco sauce I used Club House (1 jar)
- 10 oz enchilada sauce (1 can)
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese I used Mexican blend
- 9 lasagna noodles no boil, (about half a package)
Toppings
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
- 2 green onions chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 avocado sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Add the ground beef to a large skillet and brown it over medium-high heat until it's no longer pink, breaking it up as you go along.
- Add the chopped onion and bell pepper to the skillet and let it cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the pepper is tender.
- Stir in the taco sauce and enchilada sauce and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
- In another medium size bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Start layering the lasagna in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Start with a layer of 3 lasagna noodles, then add 1/2 of the meat sauce over the noodles. Next add 3 more lasagna noodles, then spread the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Add 3 more lasagna noodles, then the remaining meat sauce. Top with the remaining 2 cups of cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the cheese melts and gets bubbly and the noodles are cooked through.
- Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing it then top with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and avocados.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information:
Great recipe. Instead of lasagna noodles I used sliced squash. I also added diced avocado with the tomatoes and green onions.
Could you possibly make this with tortillas?
You can, but they won’t hold up as well as the noodles do. They will definitely get mushier and the lasagna pieces won’t quite stand up, but it will taste awesome regardless.
Honestly didn’t even know no-book noodles were a thing! Gotta find them and make this. Pinned!
Use seasoned diced tomatoes with Ortega chilies in them. Reserve liquid and inject it into meatballs, Yum!! Or, incorporate in spaghetti sauce. a little more paste, and you are good to go!
Very easy loved it