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Our Burrito Casserole is shaped like a pie for a fun twist on taco night. Layered with seasoned beef, flour tortillas, and rice for a burrito that you can eat with a fork!
Burritos, but make it a casserole.
I’m a sucker for Mexican food. Both the authentic stuff and the stuff that I make at home that starts with a packet of taco seasoning. 😅
This burrito casserole? Not authentic Mexican cooking. Totally delicious.
If you’re a Taco Bell fan (hi, I see you and I get you), this is the type of at-home Mexican-ish goodness that you’re going to love. In fact, try it drizzled with my copycat Creamy Jalapeno Sauce!
We’re basically taking a burrito but layering it like a lasagna and eating it with a fork like a burrito bowl but with tortillas like a real burrito and…yeah. It’s a mish-mash of the good stuff.
I got the idea for this from my taco casserole. I figured, hey, a burrito casserole might be a good idea too. I was right. I was like the rightest I’ve ever been in my life.
3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s basically a giant, cheesy burrito you eat with a fork. All the flavors you love, none of the rolling.
- Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes. Weeknight-friendly from start to finish, especially if you’re starting with leftover taco meat or rotisserie chicken.
- Everything comes from a regular grocery run. Ground beef, shredded cheese, tortillas, salsa, sour cream, and rice. That’s it.
Ingredient Notes, Swaps, & Tips:
Taco Meat – We use ground beef in this recipe, but you could use any type of meat you like burritos. The chicken from our crockpot chicken tacos would be perfect. This keto taco seasoning is perfect to use on your meat. If you have a stash of my slow cooker ground beef, use it here.
Salsa – You can use the jarred stuff from the store or if you’ve got the time make my homemade restaurant style salsa!
Rice – We’re seasoning cooked white rice with cilantro and lime. You can use minute rice to keep it easy or make rice from scratch.
Tortillas – The texture of the tortillas does soften as this bakes and sits. That’s just the nature of a layered casserole. For slightly firmer tortillas, give them 30 seconds in a hot, dry skillet on each side before layering. It helps them hold up a bit better.
Add some extras. Drained black beans or pinto beans tucked into the layers add a little heartiness. Diced jalapeños or green chiles will kick up the heat if your crowd is into that.
Step by Step:
Use my leftover cilantro lime rice here or just mix white rice with chopped cilantro and lime juice. Minute rice will be just fine!
Brown the ground beef and then stir in the seasoning and water. You’re basically just following the taco packet instructions here.
Layer the pie plate with a tortilla, sour cream, rice, taco meat, salsa, and cheese. Repeat twice.
Add a final tortilla to the top and spread sour cream on top. Sprinkle with cheese and spoonfuls of salsa before baking.
After 20 minutes in a hot oven, this is ready to serve. Try it toppedw ith fresh diced tomatoes or a scoop of my homemade guacamole.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The tortillas will continue to absorb moisture, so this one is best eaten fresh. Still perfectly tasty the next day, just a little softer.
Reheating: Microwave individual portions in 60-second intervals until heated through, or heat, covered, in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Freezer: This one isn’t an ideal freezer candidate. The tortilla layers don’t hold up well after freezing and thawing. If you want to get ahead, prep the taco meat and cilantro lime rice in advance and refrigerate separately for up to 3 days. Assembly only takes a few minutes when you’re ready to bake.
FAQs:
Flour tortillas hold up better in this layered casserole, but corn tortillas will work if that’s what you have or prefer. They’ll be a bit more delicate and may tear during layering, but the flavor is great. You’ll need to use multiple tortillas per layer to fully cover the pie plate for each layer.
They do soften as the casserole bakes and rests. That’s expected with a layered dish like this. If you want more structure, lightly toast the tortillas in a dry skillet before layering. Some readers like the softer, almost noodle-like texture. It’s really a personal preference.
Yes! Shredded chicken works really well. The chicken from our crockpot chicken tacos is a great option, or grab a rotisserie chicken to keep it quick. Just toss with the taco seasoning before using.
This is a very forgiving recipe. Black beans, pinto beans, canned green chiles, grilled peppers, or diced onion all fit right in.
Burrito Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 packet
- 4 10-inch flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the cooked rice, lime juice, cilantro, and salt to a medium mixing bowl and stir well to combine.
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat. When cooked through, drain the fat and stir in the taco seasoning and 2 tablespoons of water to coat. Set aside.
- Place one flour tortilla in the bottom of a deep dish pie plate.
- Spread tortilla with 2 tablespoons of sour cream.
- Top with 1/4 of the prepared rice and 1/3 of the taco meat.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons of salsa over the top.
- Sprinkle on 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Repeat layers 2 more times, pressing down the tortilla stack each time you add a new tortilla.
- Add a final layer of tortilla, sour cream, salsa, and cheese to the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and melty.
- Serve with all of your favorite toppings, such as diced tomatoes, guacamole, hot sauce, etc.
GregoryTurner says
I will be trying this real soon
Karly Campbell says
Hope you love it! 🙂
Lisa-Jo says
Can’t rate it, since I haven’t made it (yet!). I have one question: Do the flour tortillas get soggy and gluey? We just can’t handle flour tortillas that get that way in casseroles.
This doesn’t look like a real “wet” casserole, so I’m hoping they maintain their texture, because it sure looks delicious!
Karly Campbell says
I don’t know that I’d call them gluey, but the texture definitely does change.
Lisa-Jo says
Thank you for the reply. Maybe I will try browning and crisping them on the griddle first…
C sharp says
My husband told me not to loose this recipe! I only did a couple layers but but otherwise followed the recipes: quac, taco seasoning, and casserole.
Thanks so much!
Michele Holmes says
I made for supper last night and it was so good!!
Karly says
Thanks, Michele! So glad you enjoyed it!
Cindee Rizzi says
This was amazing! Thank you!
Karly says
Thanks, Cindee!
Jill says
Very good ! Making it again tonight.
Karly says
So glad you enjoyed it, Jill!