Taco Tater Tot Casserole (With Ground Beef!)

Everyone loves tater tots AND tacos, this casserole combines the best of both worlds! It’s quick to prep, naturally gluten-free, and a total crowd-pleaser for family dinners.

A casserole dish filled with a taco tater tot casserole topped with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, black olives, cheese, and a dollop of sour cream while a serving spoon scoops a portion.

Why We Love This Cheesy Taco Tater Tot Casserole Recipe

My daughter came in when I was writing this and she yelled over my shoulder “because everyone loves tater tots… AND tacos too.” Which sounded like a pretty solid reason to me too! Other then having your kid on your side for dinner, here are a few more reasons to love this recipe.

Easy And Quick To Prep – I love a good low prep dinner, and this one comes together fast. We also like to pull out some chips alongside our forks to scoop and add extra crunch!
Prep Ahead – You can prep the meat mixture ahead of time, and then just add the tater tots when you pop it in the oven. This can help on busy nights when you just need something fast, filling and tasty. Then you just add the toppings at the table and dinner is served!
Naturally Gluten Free – This recipe is naturally gluten free as all the ingredients are gluten free without purchasing specialty items. I like to say it’s accidently gluten free, as your family who isn’t gluten free won’t even notice there is no gluten. Always make sure to check your specific ingredients carefully as gluten can sometimes show up unexpectedly. It’s best to ask someone with a gluten intolerance before serving them.

Ingredients For Taco Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients for a taco tater tot casserole in bowls on a counter with text labels.

lean ground beef
taco seasoning can use your favorite from a jar or a 1 ounce packet
black beans canned, drained and rinsed well
corn frozen, but could use canned if drained well or fresh
mild salsa – you can use your favorite jarred salsa. You can also swap some rotel, or even enchilada sauce.
cheddar cheese divided, shredded cheese
frozen tater tots – you could also use the hashbrown patties across the top of the casserole

Optional Toppings For Serving

shredded lettuce (or some chopped cilantro is also delicious)
diced tomatoes
sliced black olives
sour cream

You can also add your favorite taco toppings.

How To Make Taco Tater Tot Casserole

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Place a large skillet over medium heat. I’ve used a cast iron skillet but you can use any large skillet. Add the ground beef until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Break up the meat with a spatula as it cooks.
Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add the taco seasoning mix, black beans, corn, salsa, and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese to the meat mixture, stirring well until heated through.

A cast iron skillet on an electric burner full of cooked ground beef, shredded cheese, corn, salsa, black beans, and taco seasoning before mixing..

Transfer the beef mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly over the bottom of the pan.

A glass baking dish filled with taco casserole meat, corn and bean filling.

Set the frozen tater tots in a single layer in rows over the beef mixture, covering it completely.

A glass baking dish full of taco casserole filling filled halfway with three lines of tatertots.

Place the casserole in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tater tots are crispy brown. Remove the casserole from the oven, then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the tater tots on top. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

A casserole dish filled with a baked taco tater tot casserole topped with melted cheese on a counter.

Remove the casserole from the oven. Allow it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with extra toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, and a dollop of sour cream, if desired. Enjoy!

A finished taco tater tot casserole topped with cheese, sliced olives, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce in a glass baking dish from above.

Variation Ideas For Taco Tater Tot Casserole

Try Other Ground Meats – You can absolutely swap out ground turkey or even ground chicken for the ground beef in this recipe and it will be delicious. You could use chorizo, though I recommend doing half chorizo and half another meat as chorizo will be a little bit more oily.

Swap Out The Beans – Try pinto beans, kidney beans or even a white cannellini beans are all great options. You can use refried beans but I recommend adding refried beans as a layer under the ground beef mixture, more like my seven layer taco dip but with only a few less layers.

Or Leave The Beans Out – Not a fan of beans? You can leave them out entirely if you prefer. You may want to add a little more corn or even a little more ground beef, or you can just have slightly less casserole.

Add Other Vegetables– You can actually add quite a few types of vegetables in with the meat mixture. Vegetables like bell pepper, onion, tomatoes or even zucchini if sauteed well can be added to the meat mixture. You can also add other vegetable toppings like shredded cabbage, pickled onions, radish, diced avocado or green onion.

A dish filled with a serving of taco tater tot casserole next to a second plate with a serving and a full casserole pan with a scoop missing.

How Long Will Taco Tater Tot Casserole Last?

Leftovers of this casserole will last about three days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also place the whole casserole dish in the fridge if you close it tightly with a lid or saran wrap.

Leftovers can be reheated in the oven, usually about 20-25 minutes if you are reheating the whole pan again. You can also place individual portions in bowls to reheat in the microwave.

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