Updated on December 27th, 2023
Oh, these baked ground beef tacos are divine. Truly. They’re a step above unbaked tacos for two reasons. One, the cheese is fully melted. No biting into a hot, spicy taco and getting a mouthful of cold cheese. And two, the shell is hot and crispy, but also softens a bit in places. If that doesn’t sound like an amazing textural experience, try these tacos — you’ll understand what I mean.
When to make baked tacos
You can make oven baked beef tacos anytime, even during the week. They’re simple to put together. And, you can use the time they’re in the oven to put away your seasoning, clean up the skillet you used, and/or set out your favorite taco toppings. (I personally asked my husband to make me a cocktail…and then enjoyed it until the tacos were ready.)
Ingredients you need for baked tacos
Here’s what you need to make baked tacos:
- Lean ground beef
- Dried minced onion
- Chili powder
- Cornstarch
- Garlic powder
- Ground cumin
- Dried oregano
- Cayenne pepper
- Tomato sauce
- Refried beans
- Shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
- Crunchy tortilla shells
What you can substitute
If you’re pressed for time, you could use prepared taco seasoning in lieu of the homemade taco seasoning outlined in the recipe. Just don’t skip the cornstarch, as it thickens the ground beef and bean filling a bit.
You could also swap in ground turkey for the beef to make crunchy baked turkey tacos. Heck, you could even use ground or shredded chicken for easy baked chicken tacos.
Or, ditch the crispy shells for soft flour tortillas. That’ll give you oven baked soft tacos. You get the idea: Customize this recipe to suit your tastes and whatever you’re craving on a given day. Because, what’s better than experimenting to achieve the perfect taco?!
Recipe for baked tacos
Here’s how to put these ground beef baked tacos together.
1. Make your taco seasoning
Start by preheating your oven to 400Ā°F or 204Ā°C.
Then mix the seasonings in a small bowl. Here are the measurements:
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Dash of cayenne pepper
2. Make the ground beef taco filling
Before I start cooking the ground beef in a skillet, I like to measure out the refried beans and tomato sauce. If you’re making 4 servings of this recipe, you’ll use half a can of beans and half an 8-oz. can of tomato sauce. (Note that you can easily double this recipe for days when you have lots of hungry mouths to feed.)
Take that step and the rest of the recipe goes pretty fast. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. If there’s a lot of fat in the pan after the meat is browned, drain it off. The last time I made this recipe, I used 90/10 beef and didn’t have to drain — see the photo above.
Once the meat is cooked, turn down the heat a bit and add in the seasoning mix, tomato sauce, and refried beans. Stir over the flame until the beans soften and the ingredients are combined.
3. Stuff shells and bake
Now place your shells into a baking dish. Carefully fill each shell with the ground beef and beans. (I say carefully because I broke two shells simply opening the package!) Sprinkle shredded cheese over the filling.
Then pop the whole tray in the oven and let it bake for 10 or 12 minutes. You know they’re done with the cheese looks melted and gooey. You can also gently touch the shells to verify that they’re hot. They should be!
The only remaining things to do are: Top your tacos with whatever you want (or nothing at all) and enjoy!
What to serve with baked beef tacos
Treat these like any other taco. If you love tacos stuffed with lettuce, tomato, onion, guacamole, sour cream, and black olives, then go for it. If you’re a purist who doesn’t bother with vegetables (that’s my husband), then skip the toppings and dive right in.
If you want to add a side dish, try roasted zucchini or cilantro lime rice.
As for drinks, beer, margaritas, lemonade, and lemon water will complement this dish nicely.
Baked Tacos Recipe
Here's an easy family meal: baked tacos. Simply mix up meat, beans, and seasonings and stuff premade taco shells. Clean up while they're baking!
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- 4 oz. tomato sauce
- 8 oz. refried beans
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)
- 8-10 hard taco shells
Optional condiments
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Shredded lettuce
- Chopped tomato
- Chopped green onion
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F or 204°C.
- In a small bowl combine dried minced onion, chili powder, cornstarch, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain off excess fat (if you used 90/10 ground beef, there won't be much). Add refried beans, tomato sauce, and spice mixture. Mix well with the heat on so the beans incorporate fully.
- Spoon the taco meat mixture into prepared taco shells. Place shells into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through.
- Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving.
Notes
I like the standup shells for this recipe. They're easier to manage and less prone to breakage while you're stuffing them.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 622Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 874mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 7gSugar: 4gProtein: 45g
Nutrition information isnāt always accurate.
Adapted from Lynnās Kitchen Adventures.
Baked taco FAQs
Can I make these ahead of time? You can make the filling ahead of time. Just keep it refrigerated and covered. You will need to add a couple minutes to the baking time to ensure the tacos and shells are hot.
Can I save the leftovers? You can cover and refrigerate leftover filling to reheat later. If you have whole tacos leftover, the result after reheating will be less consistent. You’re likely to lose some of the texture. But if you must, wrap them tightly in foil. Then rebake them or reheat them in an air fryer for your best chances of recreating the crispy shell.
Do you have more taco recipes to try? Why, yes. A few of our best are shredded chicken tacos, barbacoa tacos, and lime cantina tacos.
This is funny to me. I grew up in a Mexican family in a small Texas town. Everyone makes tacos like this. Usually beans are served as a side and not mixed into the taco meat. People do this with store bought shells as well as tortillas fried at home. The best way to keep them from getting soggy is to drain the the meat before putting it in the shells.
Just tried this tonight and it was delicious! I wish I had tried this a long time ago. This will be the way I make tacos from now on!
To use soft corn tortillas, bake them in the oven first as shown here (https://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_cooking_101/kitchen_tips_techniques/make_your_own_baked_taco_shells), then use them as you would for this recipe.
2 lbs of meat might be way too much for a family of 3 (or 2 1/2 since son doesn’t eat much),
If I wanted to make 1 lb worth of meat w/ this, how do I minimize the other ingrediants? those in 1/2 too…??
I think I would add corn & rice to this too. and Maybe some sour cream.
Beginner cooker here.
ty
Shirley – Yes, everything in the recipe would be cut in half if you are using 1lb of burger.
I have been wanting to try this and tonight we did and I have to say we will never make regular ones… This was grrrrrrreat…
Made these w/ fajitas size flour tortillas and they were delicious! Not problems w/ sogginess, just be sure to drain the meat well after cooking it. The tortillas get just a little crispy on the top edges and are perfect that way. Thanks for sharing this!
I made these tonight and they turned out fantastic…after reading the reviews about soggy tacos I decided to buy the stand n stuff shells to keep them from touching and it worked perfect!!
I love the suggestions. Mini’s for an appetizer, great for a crowd, I am thnking our annual block party, and when you get right down to it, any and all goes in this. Great stuff.
Just made these for dinner, they were awesome! i got some soft shells and wrapped them around the baked tacos, it was so good, my family loved it!
I don’t get it. If you still have to cook the beef in a skillet, what’s the point?
Ok so anyone who was having tacos with soggy bottoms try putting some cheese at the bottom of the taco before adding the meat mixture.
Making these tonight with spanish rice
I made hard shell tacos for dinner tonight and tried baking them and it was great. I thought the bottoms might get soggy so I put cheese in the bottom before putting the meat in. The shells held together really well and made these super easy to eat! I have always HATED hard shells, but not anymore! š Great idea!
I just made these and even my picky toddler approved! I did not have a problem with the bottoms being soggy, although they were not as crunchy in the parts were the meat was, but that was a selling point for my 2 y/o. I will be making my tacos this way from now on!
I’ve been doing this my whole life. My mom & grandma always made tacos like this. We actually baked the lettuce & tomato in with it. We baked the shells first, as it says on the box & then stuffed with taco meat, lettuce, tomato & topped with cheese. Then stuck in the oven on 350* just long enough to melt the cheese. Boyfriend tells all his friends when I’m making tacos & we have a house full! š
My mom baked tacos for years. I do, too. Brown the ground meat and season with taco mix while it browns. Do not add any liquid (tomato sauce, etc.). Drain the meat really well when it is browned. Don’t add any “fillers” i.e. corn, beans,etc. using corn taco shells…the hard ones… Fill each shell with meat, lettuce, tomato, grated cheese. Line them up in your baking dish..doesn’t matter if they touch. Heat in oven until cheese melts. Delicious!
I always add spinach and black beans.
I made this tonight and my family loved them!
I made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious! This is the way I will make hard-shell tacos from now on. Baking softens the shells, not really what I expected, but I liked the softer shell. It doesn’t break and fall apart as soon as you take a bite! I didn’t have any problem with the shells being soggy. I made according to directions with no trouble at all.
Can you premake them and put in oven when ready? i want to batch it up tonight and drop off to someone so all they have to do is put them in the oven.
Steve – I have never tried premaking these baked tacos so I cannot say how they would turn out. If you do try it, please let everyone know the results. Thanks.
I have been making tacos this way for years. I heat up some refried beans and put them on the bottom of the shell, then add the seasoned taco meat and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and top with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, etc. I find that the Old El Paso Super Stuffer shells work best just because they are bigger and easier to fill. The shells will not be as crunchy where the meat/cheese/beans are, but do remain somewhat crunchy on top. I’ve never had a problem with the shells sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Steve- I premade these just last night for my husband’s poker game. They were refrigerated for probably 5 hours before baking and they turned out fine…not quite as crispy as they were when I made them once before and baked them immediately but still very good!!
I make chicken taco’s using the marinated chicken from the local mexican market. We bbq it one night and then use the left overs for tacos. I usually fill the shells with chicken and cojita cheese then fry them. It gets quite messy but the family loves them. I never thought of baking them!! We just had the chicken tonight so I can’t wait to do the tacos this way!!
Tacos were really good. Use the Old El Paso stand and stuff. No issues with crispiness or soggy shells.
What is the cornstarch used for? I was thinking of making this tonight for dinner because it sounds and looks so amazing!
Allison – the cornstarch is for thickening.
Do you have to heat the refried beans first (I’m using the ones from the can) or do they get hot enough in the oven?
caleb – no, you do not have to heat the refried beans first.
I was raised on “Baked Tacos”! After church on Sundays, we’d all go to our fav family friend’s house on the river, where us kids caught craw-dads while waiting for dinner…along w/sev other families, lots of ppl/kids/dawgs! Mom and the ladies would use the soft taco shells quickly dipped in oil, then a sm spoonful of refried beans, then, hamburger fried in huge skillet w/onions and spices…then one stuffed in grated cheeses, (assembly line style)…then placed filled shells on a raised lip cookie sheet into the oven (They used at least 4 sheets-as soon as the first 2 sheets came out of the oven, 2 more were put in)…of course, Yum! On the table, were bowls of shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, fresh onion, sour cream, salsa….the men, husbands of all these women, would be slipping a hot chili tepino pepper in mom’s tacos, when distracted as she’d be doing the same to them, when they weren’t looking)! Thanks for the memories, Bobby…I’m making these soon! Yummmmm!
These are great! Being a vegetarian I make them with my favorite canned veggie chili from trader joes and I add sauteed bell peppers and onions to add flavor!
I will always make baked tacos from now on. I use store bought seasoning (reduced sodium but would like to try seasoning from scratch) and added the refried beans which gives it a depth of flavor and an improved texture. Baking the tacos give them a nice crunch and enhance the flavor of the shell. I like having the cheese melted on top rather than putting the cheese on cold. STill add the regular toppings of lettuce, tomato, avocado and sour cream. These small changes in preparing a taco make a huge difference in flavor. I also put the tacos on parchment paper to make cleanup a breeze from any melted cheese.
well i read the at the recipe forr oven tacos…it sounds great…also the okra salsa i will make im both next week for my son and his girfriend…great job…
Do the same thing, but make the shells yourself. Fry corn tortillas in corn oil, drain on paper towels, then make the tacos described above.
It’s much better – how we do it in Texas.
p.s.: A little grated cheese at the bottom of the shell with hold it together. Make sure to drain the meat really well first.
I have not tried making these yet although I do plan to but a recommendation I have is, I always make my taco meat out of ground pork and the results are amazing, 10 times better than beef. Its a great change from typical taco meat. I also think that instead of mixing refried beans, I would mix pinquito(sp) beans and homemade Spanish rice. Also I have seen quite a few comments asking about corn tortillas, when you fry them, as soon as they get pliable, fold it in half and let it fry to a crisp, it’s like a homemade version of the stote bought shells
i’m making this AGAIN tonight–my taco-lovers love these…and my taco-toleraters actually agreed that these were much better than the ones I typically have served. The only problem is having enough!
i am very slowly working my way through my pinned recipes. Tonight i made these. They were good! Its just hubby and i so i halved the recipe and it filled 10 shells. More than enough for two of us.
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