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Crock Pot Taco Casserole

Crock Pot Taco Casserole is a hearty, cheesy slow-cooked dinner with seasoned ground beef, beans, corn, and tortilla strips layered for taco-night flavor. Set it on LOW until hot and bubbly, then melt an extra blanket of cheese in the final minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef and seasoning
  • 1.5 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 onion
  • 1 taco seasoning packet
Casserole filling
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
  • 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 8 small flour tortillas cut into strips
  • 3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 green onions sliced

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef and build the filling
  1. Brown the lean ground beef and diced onion in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through, stirring as needed to break up the meat. Drain excess grease so the casserole doesn’t turn watery.
  2. Stir the taco seasoning into the browned beef until evenly coated. Let it sit briefly so the spices hydrate while you prep the slow cooker.
  3. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. This helps the tortilla strips and cheese release cleanly after cooking.
  4. Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes with green chilies, salsa, and the seasoned beef to the slow cooker. Stir to combine into an even, taco-style filling.
Layer with tortillas and bake slowly
  1. Layer the tortilla strips over the mixture in an even spread so they soak up the sauce. Aim for consistent coverage to avoid dry spots.
  2. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded Mexican cheese blend over the tortillas. You should see a light, even cheese layer before the next tortillas.
  3. Repeat layering tortilla strips and cheese until ingredients are used. Keep the top layer covered with cheese for the best melt.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours. The casserole is ready when bubbling is visible around the edges and the tortillas look tender.
Melt remaining cheese and serve
  1. During the last 20 minutes, add the remaining cheese on top. Cover again so the cheese melts and turns glossy.
  2. Cover until the cheese is melted, then garnish with sour cream and sliced green onions before serving. Serve warm while the cheese is still stretchy.

Notes

For cleaner slices, let the casserole rest 5–10 minutes after turning off the slow cooker; it thickens as the tortillas absorb liquid. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3–4 days in a sealed container. Freezing is not recommended for best tortilla texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend and light sour cream to cut calories without changing the method.