Name: 30 Minute Light Taco Casserole Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ Tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion (diced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 pound extra lean ground beef ((or ground turkey)); 3 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix; 15 ounces black beans (1 can, rinsed and drained); 1 cup salsa; 13 ounces tortilla chips (1 bag, divided); 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 2 tomatoes (diced, optional topping); ½ cup fat free sour cream (optional topping); 1 cup shredded lettuce (optional topping)

This Light Taco Casserole is your favorite Mexican dish made a little healthier! It comes together in less than 30 minutes and is perfect for a weeknight dinner.

We LOVE Mexican food, but many times it’s loaded with so many calories! This comfort Light Taco Casserole is perfect for feeding your Mexican food craving and not feeling guilty about it at all!

This casserole comes together in a matter of minutes and is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.

How to make this Light Taco Casserole:

Saute onions and garlic in oil until tender.

Add in the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.

Dump in taco seasoning, black beans, and salsa.

Place crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of a 9×13″ pan.

crushed tortilla chips in the bottom of a pan

Spread meat mixture on top of chips.

When adding chips to the bottom of the pan, try to use only enough to cover the bottom of the pan.

If desired, you can crush the chips down into the pan, breaking them into smaller pieces so that they lay better in the pan and it’s easier to put the meat mixture on top.

ground beef and bean mixture spread on top of crushed chips

Sprinkle cheese on top of meat.

Shredded cheese on ground beef and bean mixture spread on top of crushed chips

Bake and then top with your favorite taco toppings.

Need another easy taco dinner? Try our Cornbread Taco Bake!

Our favorite taco toppings

Let each person top their serving of casserole with whatever toppings they want. Some of our personal favorites are:

shredded lettuce
pico de gallo
guacamole
diced tomatoes
shredded cheese
diced jalapenos
sour cream
sliced black olives
hot sauce
fresh cilantro
sliced avocado

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How to make Homemade Taco Seasoning:

To make this casserole even healthier, you could make your own taco seasoning! It’s easy to do. In a small bowl, mix together:

1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

This recipe will make 1 ounce of taco seasoning, which is about the same as a packet of taco seasoning that you would buy at the store. Store in an air-tight container.

Items needed to make this casserole:

Multi-grain Tortilla Chips: These are my favorite chips that are on the healthier side – I love that I can pronounce every ingredient on the ingredient list!
9×13″ Glass Baking Pan: This is a dish that I use just about every day! This is a staple in my kitchen and this is such a budget-friendly 2 pack.

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