Baked Tacos are a quick and easy delicious dinner that the whole family will love. Once you make these, they will be a regular in the rotation.
Tacos are pretty much my favorite food group, and baked tacos are such a delicious and fun spin on them. They are pretty much exactly what they sound like. We fill hard taco shells with the perfect filling, top it with cheese, and bake it. This is a great way to feed your family!
How to Make Baked Tacos
Here is a brief overview of how this baked tacos recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all ingredients and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Make the Taco Meat
Cook the ground beef in a skillet, adding the garlic and onion as the meat begins to brown. Cook until the onion is translucent and the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the taco seasoning and tomato sauce to the ground beef. Turn the heat down and let simmer for five minutes.
Put Tacos Together and Bake
Divide the beans among the shells. Then divide the ground beef mixture and top with the shredded cheese. Bake the tacos in a preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and the shells begin to brown. Top with chopped lettuce and tomatoes and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Use hard shell tacos. These bake and my BBQ Chicken Baked Tacos bake up perfectly in hard shell tacos. I especially like the kind with the flat bottom if you can find them. Additionally, I recommend buying the 18 count box so if some break you will have extra to make the recipe.
- Make your own taco seasoning. In the first step when we are making the taco meat, I love using homemade taco seasoning. I always have the ingredients needed for it in my pantry and keep a big batch on hand, pulling out 3 tablespoons any time a recipe calls for a packet of taco seasoning.
- Make refried beans. I love my crockpot pinto bean recipe for a replacement for canned refried beans. It is easy to make and absolutely delicious. My Instant Pot pinto beans are another great option.
- Add toppings. These are delicious as is, but I love topping them with salsa, pickled jalapeños, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and guacamole.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover tacos (without toppings) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the tacos you plan to eat in the air fryer or oven until heated through.
Variations
This is a great starting point for so many spins on oven-baked tacos. I absolutely love coming up with more baked taco recipes.
- BBQ Chicken Baked Tacos: This is probably may favorite. Imagine BBQ Chicken Pizza but in taco form.
- Philly Cheesesteak Baked Tacos: This is a fan favorite!
- BLT Baked Tacos: A fun spin on blt sandwiches, you will love this easy recipe.
- Buffalo Chicken Baked Tacos: I love all things buffalo and these are delicious!
If you make this ground beef taco recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think! Reading your comments makes my day.
Baked Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef I used 80/20 (458.59 grams)
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces tomato sauce (227 grams)
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 ounce store bought packet
- 12 hard shell tacos
- 1 cup refried beans
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded (226 grams)
- shredded lettuce
- tomatoes diced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef. Once it begins to break up, add in the onion and garlic. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat.1 pound ground beef, 1 small yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Stir in the tomato sauce and the taco seasoning. Turn the heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.8 ounces tomato sauce, 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- Divide the beans amongst the hard shell tacos. Then divide the meat mixture. Top with the shredded cheese.12 hard shell tacos, 1 cup refried beans, 2 cups cheddar cheese
- Bake the tacos for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted and the shells begin to brown. Top with chopped lettuce and tomatoes and enjoy!shredded lettuce, tomatoes
Linda says
I just made them last night and my family loved them. Definitely one of my favorites and I will make it again!
I’m so glad you liked them!