Get my Cookbooks! Taco Lasagna – No Boiling Needed!
This Taco Lasagna Recipe is made with layers of lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, seasoned taco meat, black beans, salsa, enchilada sauce, and lots of cheese! This is an easy make-ahead freezer meal that you can assemble and bake later!
Be sure to try my Taco Stuffed Shells recipe next!
Taco Lasagna
Allow me to cut to the chase. You’ve just stumbled across your new favorite meal. Not only is this a great dinner recipe for your family, but this is a perfect meal to assemble and give to a friend in need to bake another day!
You can even assemble and freeze it to bake in a few months! (I’m a sucker for make-ahead recipes.)
And now, my favorite part about this Taco Lasagna:
No Need to Boil the Noodles
That’s right! There is enough liquid from the enchilada sauce + salsa to steam the noodles right in the oven, they cook perfectly. What a time saver.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Prep Work:
- Cook the Ground Beef/Onions/Garlic. Add Water + Taco Seasoning and cook until thickened. Mix in black beans and set aside.
- Combine the Ricotta Cheese, Oregano, and Egg. Set Aside.
- Combine the Enchilada Sauce and Salsa. Set Aside.
Assemble the Lasagna:
Layer some salsa/enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
Layer 1: 4 Lasagna Noodles, 1/3 ricotta cheese, 1/3 meat, 1/2 sauce, 1 cup cheese.
Layer 2: Repeat. (4 Lasagna Noodles, 1/3 ricotta cheese, 1/3 meat, 1/2 sauce, 1 cup cheese.)
Layer 3: 4 Lasagna Noodles and remaining Ricotta, Meat, Sauce. (No cheese this time!)
Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
Remove the foil, top with remaining 2 cups of cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes and serve!
Pro Tips for Taco Lasagna
Combining Salsa + Enchilada Sauce
- This recipe can be made by using 2 (15.5 oz) jars of salsa, however the depth of flavor from combining the enchilada sauce and salsa is hard to beat.
- The texture is also ideal as it’s not too thick, not too thin.
- It may seem like there is a lot of liquid when you combine these ingredients, but it’s necessary in order to steam the noodles as it bakes. The noodles absorb a great deal of the liquid.
Cheese Options
- A combination of Cheddar, Cheddar jack, Monterey Jack, and Jalapeno Jack are great in this recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Ground turkey or shredded chicken can be used instead of ground beef.
- If necessary, cottage cheese can be used instead of Ricotta.
Make Ahead Method
- Prepare up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- You can also freeze it for up to 3 months prior to baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight prior to baking.
**Add 10 minutes of covered baking time if baking from a refrigerated state.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
Try These Next
-
- Cajun Shrimp
-
- One Pot Taco Pasta
-
- Taco Spaghetti
-
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
-
- Steak Fajitas
-
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Taco Lasagna
Ingredients
- 10 oz. red enchilada sauce
- 24 oz. salsa, I used thick & chunky
- 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 oz. packet taco seasoning
- 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 egg
- 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, separated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown the ground beef over medium heat. Add the diced onions halfway through and the garlic during the last minute. Drain grease.
- Add 2/3 cups water to the meat and mx in the taco seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cook until thickened. Mix in the black beans and set aside.
- Combine the enchilada sauce and the salsa. Spoon a layer over the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Top with 4 uncooked lasagna noodles.
- Combine the Ricotta cheese, oregano, and egg.
- First Layer: 4 Noodles, 1/3 of the Ricotta, 1/3 of the Meat, 1/3 of the Sauce, 1 cup Cheese.
- Second Layer: Repeat the first layer again.
- Third Layer: 4 Noodles, remaining Ricotta, Meat, and Sauce. (NO cheese yet.)
- Cover tightly with foil to seal in the steam so that it can cook the noodles.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil. Add remaining 2 cups of cheese. Bake for 15 more minutes.
- Let rest for 15 minutes prior to serving. Feel free to garnish with parsley, sour cream, and/or green onions.
Notes
- Prepare up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- You can also freeze it for up to 3 months prior to baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight prior to baking.
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Substitutions
- 2 (15.5 oz.) jars of salsa can be used if you don’t have enchilada sauce. I would use a combination of thinner restaurant-style salsa and chunky salsa.
- Sour cream or cottage cheese can be used if you don’t have ricotta cheese.
- A combination of Cheddar Jack, Monterey Jack, Jalapeno Jack, etc. may also be used along with the cheddar.
I’m very excited to try this recipe! Can I just use enchilada sauce and no salsa? I’m not a big fan of salsa…or maybe just tomatoes and enchilada sauce?? Thank you
Hi Sammy! Tomatoes and enchilada sauce should do the trick, yes! 🙂
Loved this recipe! I added a can of drained sweet corn to the beef and black bean mixture, loved the little added sweetness of the corn! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You’re very welcome Jodi! I love that you added a can of sweet corn, such a good idea. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!❤️
Stephanie, I was wondering if I could use “oven ready” pasta sheets (the dried kind) for this. Thanks!
Hi Lynn! This recipe is designed around using lasagna noodles that need to be boiled, if you use oven ready, you’ll have too much liquid as the noodles won’t absorb it while baking like regular noodles would.
This recipe sounds wonderful can you use fresh lasagna sheets
Hi Irene! Dry lasagna noodles are needed in this recipe as the liquid quantities are designed for the noodles to absorb a good portion of it while it bakes.
Dru not oven ready dry. Just want to make sure I am doing this right
The noodles should be dry noodles 🙂
Delicious! Made exactly per recipe and everyone loved loved loved it!
That’s so great to hear Gina! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖
Family LOVED it. Serving for six did not make it past us four.!
That is great news Bill, I’m so happy that it was such a hit, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! 🙂 -Stephanie
Just fixed a full pan, following the recipe. Absolutely delicious! Family loved it.
Note: I did have to bake it over an hour. So worth it 😎
Hi Janet! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie
Hey Stephanie! Can’t wait to try this recipe and was wondering if I can substitute cotija or queso fresco for the ricotta…..I know it wouldn’t be as creamy, but do you think it would work to crumble it for the ricotta layer?
Hi Cindy! It’s really hard to say without having tested it. Since they’re really more of a crumbly cheese, and as you mentioned, less creamy, I’m not confident that it’s a good sub in this recipe. Neither of these options are known for melting too well. Cottage cheese may be a better bet if you can get some of that!
This excellent and was so easy to put together! Since we are empty nesters I divided the recipe between two pans. We ate one and I froze one. My husband is not a fan of pasta dishes but absolutely loved this! It was so good!
I am so happy that you loved this recipe and that it was a hit with your husband too! Love that you frozen one for later too, that’s the best! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
If I can get my husband to like a new recipe, then it has to be good. I did use cottage cheese instead of ricotta. It is a keeper for sure.
I also halved the recipe to make a smaller batch and with the other half of the noodles I made the classic lasagna from your site and froze it. I can’t wait to try it. Thank you!!
Wow, I’m so happy you were able to make two recipes with the noodles Lisa, great idea!🙌 I love that your husband approved too he sounds a lot like mine lol Thanks so much for the great comment and review!💗