Easy Walking Taco Casserole Recipe

This Walking Taco Casserole recipe is a ridiculously easy meal that has ALL the flavors of a traditional taco, including the crunchy corn taco shell in every bite. This one is kid-approved and quick enough to make on a weeknight. Walking taco bowls are easy to customize to hit your macros goals and perfect for meal prep!

If you’re like me, you might be wondering what the heck a “walking taco” even is. Ok, true story, I first learned about it from my daughter, who was served walking tacos at a birthday party. Kids were able to choose either a snack size bag of Fritos or Doritos, and then they got a scoop of seasoned taco meat, a scoop of lettuce, some shredded cheese and whatever toppings they wanted.

Since everything was dumped right into the open bag of chips, kids could walk around, eating their tacos with a fork. See? WALKING tacos. Genius, right?

And then she started asking for a walking taco dinner all the time, and they are so delicious, that we started making them in bigger batches so we could ALL enjoy them. Voila! This walking taco casserole recipe became a necessity.

Why You’ll Love This Walking Taco Bake

• It’s a crowd-favorite! Having friends over to watch the game? Need a recipe to bring to a potluck? THIS IS THE RECIPE I TURN TO!
• Walking taco casserole is SO easy to customize! Prefer ground turkey or shredded chicken instead of ground beef? Want to switch up the cheese? Take out the black beans or onion? The recipe still works!
• You can select your own toppings. This means that each walking taco bowl can be made to accommodate individual macro goals. Don’t have a ton of carbs left for the day? You can pile on the lettuce and tomatoes and reduce or completely skip the corn chips. Need to bulk up your calories? Drizzle on the sour cream, extra cheese, and Doritos!
• Simple ingredients. There’s nothing fancy here, just a bag of your favorite corn chips, some ground beef, cheese, a can of black beans and your favorite taco toppings.

Walking Taco Casserole Ingredients

Ground Beef

I used a lean ground beef to keep this recipe lower calorie. I love getting my beef from Butcher Box because they ship AFFORDABLE grass-fed & finished beef right to my door.

If you’d like to sign up to try it for yourself, you can use my affiliate link to get a discount AND free meat! To check the latest Butcher Box deals – click here.

Taco Seasoning

You can use store-bought taco seasoning, or my homemade taco seasoning.

Canned Beans and Diced Tomatoes with Green Chillies

I like to use black beans, but you can use any type of canned bean that you prefer. I also love the flavor I get from using a can of tomatoes and green chillies, and I don’t find this recipe to be spicy, but if you are sensitive to spice, you can substitute just regular diced tomatoes.

Corn Chips

This one is totally up to your preference. I prefer my walking taco bowls with Fritos and my little one prefers her walking tacos with Cool Ranch Doritos, so I set out bowls of both option.

Toppings

The best part of making this walking taco casserole is picking out all the toppings! We love shredded lettuce, fresh tomato, white onion, jalapeños, extra cheese, sour cream or plain yogurt, and hot sauce!

Walking Taco Casserole Recipe Notes

One Pan Meal

I like to keep it easy on myself and make this a one-pan meal. To do that, you’ll need to make sure that the skillet you use to cook your ground beef in is over safe, so when it’s time to bake the casserole, you can just pop the whole thing in the oven. Easy-peasy!

Toppings

I recommend adding fresh toppings to your bowl, instead of directly on top of the casserole. This way, everyone can customize their walking taco bowls and it’s easier to reheat leftovers without having to pick off the lettuce and tomato. Plus, that mimics the fun of a traditional walking taco – getting to scoop on your favorite toppings!

Easy to Customize

The great thing about this walking taco bake is that you can totally customize it to fit your macros! Don’t have as many carbs left in the day? Add just a couple corn chips for crunch and go heavy on the lettuce and tomato. Not a fan of ground beef? You can make this with ground turkey or chicken instead!

How to Make Walking Taco Casserole

Add your ground beef and chopped onions to a pan. Crumble the beef as you cook. I used a lean ground beef so I didn’t have any fat to drain, but if your beef has a higher fat percentage, you’ll want to drain off the fat.

Once the beef is cooked through, you’ll want to add your taco seasoning and can of diced tomatoes and chillies, including the juice. Also add in 1/2 cup water and simmer.

Once the liquid has reduced, you’ll want to add in your black beans and give everything a good stir to combine.

Next you’ll top with cheese and bake until cheese has melted. Then scoop your walking taco bake into bowls and top with all your favorite toppings!

FAQ

Can this casserole be doubled?

YES! This is a great recipe to double (or even triple) because it’s great to serve to a large crowd!

Can you freeze this casserole?

Yes, but I would recommend cooking the ground beef and beans with tomatoes, and then freezing it. When you’re ready to eat, add fresh cheese and warm it up. The toppings need to be served fresh and cannot be frozen.

Can you make this walking taco casserole lower carb?

Yes, you can make this casserole lower carb by leaving out the beans, doubling the beef, and using a lower carb corn chip substitute, like these Quest protein chips.

If you love whimsical hamburger casserole recipes, try my healthy Big Mac casserole!