Taco Oven Bake

Tacos are always a great dish to make but standing over the stove isn’t always appealing. This oven-baked version of tacos means you can cook them in the oven and end up with a meal that’s crunchy, hot, and full of bold, vibrant south-of-the-border flavors.

Do you have a taco holder? This is handy for holding the tacos open in the oven, but if not you can always prop the tacos open using foil.

Another way to crisp your tacos up and get that perfect U-shape is to drape them over the bars of your oven rack. Of course, if you’re using hard taco shells you don’t need to worry about this step, only if you’re using soft flour or corn ones. The hard ones will stand up in the right size of baking dish.

This tasty Mexican-inspired dish also calls for ground beef, cheese, Rotel tomatoes, and then your preferred taco toppings.

As always, thanks for reading, and happy cooking!

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why do I love this recipe?

If you’re tired of your usual weeknight dinners and you want to change things up a bit, you can’t go wrong with this fantastic twist on tacos. This taco bake is beefy, and cheesy and boasts wonderful taco flavors in every bite. It’s easy to make and everyone will love it.

How to Serve It:

Enjoy this crisp taco bake hot from the oven, piled with your preferred toppings, such as lettuce, tomatoes or tomato salsa, sour cream, avocado slices or guacamole, and whatever else you can dream up.

Can You Make It Ahead?

Feel free to prepare the ingredients in advance but don’t assemble the taco bake until you’re ready to cook it, for the very best and freshest results.

You can serve up these cherry cheese tacos for a tasty dessert idea.

How do you keep hard tacos up?

You will stack the taco shells side by side in the 9×13 baking pan. This is going to keep the taco shells in the face-up position so you can fill them with your preferred taco filling.

If you find you don’t have enough shells to keep touching in the pan, ball up aluminum foil to place on the side to keep all the taco shells in the stand-up position.

If you love pasta, you might try this easy taco mac and cheese recipe as well for another Tex-Mex-style dish.

Ingredients:

• Onion
• Hard taco shells
• Taco seasoning
• Ground beef
• Mexican blend shredded cheese
• Rotel undrained
• Assorted toppings of your choice (sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.)

How to make these Oven Baken Tacos?

Step 1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees, and prepare a 9×13 baking dish. 

Step 2. Line the taco shells in the baking dish so that they are standing up. 

Step 3. Place the ground beef into a skillet over medium-high heat, and saute until browned completely. Drain any excess grease. 

Step 4. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the meat, and add in the Rotel. Stir to combine well. 

Step 5. Simmer over medium heat until the liquid is gone. 

Step 6. Place a layer of cheese into each taco shell.

Step 7. Then, add a layer of meat.

Step 8. Then, add a final layer of cheese on top. 

Step 9. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Step 10. Remove the tacos, and add assorted toppings of your choice before serving. 

Pasta bakes always make a great dinner but this recipe uses taco shells in place of pasta for a south-of-the-border twist. The beef, cheese, and taco toppings make it incredibly satisfying and you can add any vegetables you like, and change the spiciness factor if you want.

THANKS FOR PINING!

Storage Instructions:

Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Wrap some foil or plastic wrap over the baking dish before refrigerating the leftovers. Warm the dish back up in a 350°F oven or in the microwave if you don’t mind the tacos losing some of their crispness.

Variations and Substitutions:

This flavorful recipe is good for any meal. If you want to make it as a breakfast dish, you might like to use sausage, egg, mushrooms, and other breakfast favorites. You could even try a dessert-style baked tacos recipe using bananas and chocolate for the filling and serving with ice cream or whipped cream.

More Tacos ideas?

Breakfast Tacos – Appetizing Breakfast Tacos!

Cherry Cheesecake Tacos – It’s perfect for parties or family gatherings.

Best Ever Shrimp Tacos – Super healthy with great flavors!