Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
This Mexican Tater Tot Casserole is a quick, easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love made with just a baking dish and a skillet. It combines two favorites, crispy tater tots and Mexican-inspired flavors, into one delicious casserole that’s ready to serve in an hour.
In our house, we like to give Taco Night a tasty twist with…with tater tots! This Mexican Tater Tot Casserole is requested over and over again by my kids, and it’s one I’m happy to fulfill since it’s simple to make. It’s a one pan meal that feeds a hungry crew, and the best part? You can even prep it ahead of time.
Seasoned taco meat, melty cheddar cheese, veggies and rich enchilada sauce come together in this tater tot taco casserole, then the whole thing is topped with a layer of golden brown potato tots. Even your pickiest eater will be asking for seconds.
A majority of the ingredients for this Mexican-inspired casserole are also easy to store in your pantry, so you can make dinner in a pinch. Check out my other casseroles for more easy dinner ideas. This Meatball Casserole is hearty and delicious, and my Chicken Alfredo Casserole is a fun spin on a favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Twist On Taco Night: This recipe serves all the flavors of traditional taco night, in a brand new way.
- Feeds a Crowd: One cheesy, flavor-packed casserole will feed the whole family at dinner time, or any gathering.
- Easy to Prep in Advance: A great make-ahead recipe to prep in advance and serve for a future meal.
- Pantry Staple Ingredients: Most of the ingredients in this recipe are things you probably already have on hand in the fridge, freezer and pantry. Bonus: this casserole is customizable – use your favorites!
- Quick Comfort Food: Melty and cheesy, this casserole is an indulgent comfort food that comes together fast.
How to Make Mexican Tater Tot Casserole (Step-by-Step Video)
Ingredients
- Ground Beef: This is our go-to for traditional “taco meat”. But you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken or even a combination.
- Onion and Garlic: Savory aromatics for flavor.
- Taco Seasoning: Use your favorite brand or make your own blend.
- Veggies: Canned fire-roasted corn and green chiles add flavor and a little kick. You could also use frozen or fresh.
- Black Beans: Always keep a couple of cans in your pantry. They’re a nice source of protein, too.
- Shredded Cheese: A Mexican cheese blend is ideal. Cheddar or pepper jack work well.
- Frozen Tater Tots: No need to defrost, these are ready to use as-is.
- Enchilada Sauce: Find this in the international foods aisle at the grocery store and use your favorite variety – hot, mild, red or green.
- Cumin and Smoked Paprika: Optional, for added spice and seasoning. We definitely recommend these for a flavor kick.
How To Make Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion and garlic until browned (5–7 minutes). Drain if needed.
3. Add taco seasoning, corn, black beans, and green chiles to the skillet.
4. Stir in cumin and smoked paprika if using. Cook 5-8 minutes until thickened.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 of the shredded cheese.
6. Spread beef mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
7. Pour half of the enchilada sauce over the beef mixture.
8. Arrange tater tots in a single layer on top, covering the entire casserole.
9. Drizzle remaining enchilada sauce over the tater tots.
10. Bake 40–45 minutes, until the tater tots are crispy and casserole is hot and bubbly.
11. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and bake 5 additional minutes until melted.
Expert Tips
- Keep Tater Tots Crispy: Allow the tater tots to get crispy and golden before adding the rest of the cheese and other toppings. It’s all about that crunch!
- Add In Some Veggies: This is a great recipe to use up any veggies you’ve got on hand. Bell peppers, mushrooms, even some chopped carrots would all work well.
- Try Hash Browns: Sub in frozen hash browns in place of the tater tots for a different, yet equally as delicious topping. Any variety of potato (cubed and roasted, sweet potatoes, or even mashed) would be tasty.
- Swap the Protein: Ground chicken or turkey would also be delicious for a lighter option than beef.
Storage
Store leftovers in in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F until crisped and bubbly, about 15 minutes.
Make this casserole ahead of time and store, unbaked and covered, in the fridge. When ready to serve, allow it to come to room temperature and bake per the recipe instructions.
You can even make this recipe and freeze it, covered in an airtight container for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, simply bring it to room temperature and bake per the instructions, just be sure to add additional baking time when cooking straight from frozen.
FAQs
If you don’t let the tater tots crisp up and get golden brown, the casserole can end up slightly mushy. Let the tots bake and get crispy before adding the cheese on top. And if all else fails, broil the casserole for a few minutes to get everything golden and crunchy.
Taco casseroles are usually made with a protein, like ground beef, seasoned with Mexican spices or a taco seasoning blend, beans, veggies, cheese, and tortillas or tortilla chips. You can customize your casserole depending on preference and what you have available, too.
Tater tot casseroles usually consist of frozen tater tots, seasoned meat, and veggies. You can try all types of flavor profiles and combinations, like Mexican-inspired, to breakfast inspired (with bacon, sausage, eggs and cheese).
While you can simply add frozen tater tots to the casserole, I suggest letting them bake a bit to get nice and golden before adding the extra cheese. This way they’ll be extra crispy.
More Easy Casserole Recipes
Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 1 oz packet taco seasoning mix
- 1 16 oz bag frozen fire-roasted corn or corn w/ bell peppers
- 1 12 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 4 oz can diced green chiles (mild or hot)
- 1 12 oz bag shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
- 1 16 oz bag frozen tater tots
- 1 12 oz can enchilada sauce (red or green — your choice)
- ½ teaspoon cumin optional but recommended
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika optional but recommended
Optional Toppings for Serving
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Sliced green onions
- Avocado or guacamole
- Fresh or pickled jalapeños
- Pico de gallo or salsa
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion and garlic until browned (5–7 minutes). Drain if needed.
- Add taco seasoning, corn, black beans, and green chiles to the skillet.
- Stir in cumin and smoked paprika if using. Cook 5-8 minutes until thickened.
- Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 of the shredded cheese.
- Spread beef mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Pour half of the enchilada sauce over the beef mixture.
- Arrange tater tots in a single layer on top, covering the entire casserole.
- Drizzle remaining enchilada sauce over the tater tots.
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until the tater tots are crispy and casserole is hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and bake 5 additional minutes until melted.
Video
Notes
- Keep Tater Tots Crispy: Allow the tater tots to get crispy and golden before adding the rest of the cheese and other toppings. It’s all about that crunch!
- Add In Some Veggies: This is a great recipe to use up any veggies you’ve got on hand. Bell peppers, mushrooms, even some chopped carrots would all work well.
- Try Hash Browns: Sub in frozen hash browns in place of the tater tots for a different, yet equally as delicious topping. Any variety of potato (cubed and roasted, sweet potatoes, or even mashed) would be tasty.
- Swap the Protein: Ground chicken or turkey would also be delicious for a lighter option than beef.
