Oven Baked Tacos with Ground Beef

These oven baked tacos with ground beef are sure to be a hit! Quick, easy and delicious, you will want them on the menu every week.

Our family really enjoys Mexican food, especially my husband. He will turn anything into a burrito and top it with salsa and hot sauce. There have even been a few occasions when I asked him for meal suggestions, and we ended up doing four Mexican meals that week.

So, when I say this meal is a hit that is on repeat in our house, I mean it. It is so simple. So easy. And so delicious.

It is my go-to Tuesday night dinner. On Tuesday nights, we have our church small group. Getting the whole family fed an early dinner and out the door on time is a struggle, but this meal makes it so much easier.

I also went through a phase when all of my friends were having babies, and this was the meal I always brought for them to enjoy. It was a hit with every one of them.

I have four huge reasons that I love this meal! First, it is super quick to prepare. Second, it is very easy to clean up. Most of the time, I use a disposable baking dish so I can just throw it away after, leaving our plates as the only clean up. Third, all the kids love it and eat it with no complaints. And finally, the recipe makes enough for two meals for our family of six. I freeze the other half to make again another night. If you have fewer than six people in your family, you may even get three meals out of it!

How to Make Oven Baked Tacos with Ground Beef

The first step to making these oven baked tacos is to brown your ground beef and then drain the fat. You will want to use a pan that has extra room in it in addition to fitting the ground beef since you will add more ingredients in the mix.

Once your ground beef is browned, add the taco seasoning and the cans of refried beans, tomato sauce, and diced chilies. Stir really well to mix it all together. You can either use two premade packs of taco seasoning, or you can make your own taco seasoning if you have all of the correct spices.

Lay your taco shells out in a baking dish. I prefer to use a disposable, metal pan to make clean up even easier on nights when we are rushing out the door. You can use your typical crunchy taco shells, but I love to use the Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff Taco Shells because they have a wider base that helps them stay up by themselves much better. These are also really helpful for the kids so when they set their taco down, it doesn’t tip over and empty out every time.

Load each taco shell about halfway full of your ground beef mixture. Top each taco with shredded cheese and pop them in the oven for 10 minutes.

While they are in the oven, prepare your toppings so you can enjoy the tacos hot and crunchy.

Oven Baked Tacos with Ground Beef Ingredients:

• 18-20 taco shells
• 3 pounds ground beef
• Refried beans
• 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
• 4 oz. can of diced chilies
• 2 packs of taco seasoning (or equivalent of a homemade taco seasoning)
• Shredded cheese
• Additional toppings for serving

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure HERE.

Oven Baked Tacos with Ground Beef Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown your ground beef and drain the fat.
3. Add all of the canned items and the taco seasoning. Stir well to mix.
4. Lay your taco shells out in a baking dish. Fill them about halfway with the ground beef mixture.
5. Top with shredded cheese and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Prepare your toppings while you wait for the tacos to be done.
7. Top your tacos with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Suggested Taco Toppings:

• Avocado
• Tomato
• Lettuce
• Sour cream (we choose to use plain Greek yogurt because of its no fat content and higher protein)
• Salsa and/or hot sauce

How to Store the Extra Taco Filling

Depending on how many people are in your family, you will most likely have leftover ground beef mixture. Throw it in a freezer bag and make life easier the next time you are in the mood for tacos. All you will need is to thaw the taco filling, stuff the shells and bake and you have another whole meal ready in record time!

Although you can just split the recipe in half if you don’t want extra to freeze, it’s kind of weird to split canned goods in half. It just makes more sense to me to go ahead and cook the extra meat, use the whole can of everything, and have another meal basically ready to go. Simplifying the next mealtime as much as possible!

Am I missing any of your favorite taco toppings on my list? Let me know in the COMMENTS.

Check Out These Posts:

• Italian zucchini boats
• Mexican chicken and sweet potato skillet
• Best Cincinnati Chili with Cinnamon
• Meal Planning Ideas
• Deconstructed Burger Salad

PIN IT FOR LATER