Take your tacos to the next level with this Baked Tacos recipe! Create the perfect meal with all your favorite taco toppings without the taco crumbling all over your plate. Kid friendly, adult approved!
Get your taco tuesday dinner ready and complete with a side of cilantro lime rice and some churros for dessert!
Why Make Baked Tacos
Baked Tacos are a great dinner idea to serve a crowd. Forget the mess of many bowls with toppings. These are easy, hassle free and always a hit!
With this taco recipe, you you prepare your taco meat ahead of time. Right before dinner, fill your shells with your meat and any other vegetables and taco fillings you like heated (corn, beans, peppers etc.).
Top with cheese and bake! The crispy shells with melted cheese and flavorful ground beef make the perfect base for adding all your favorite taco toppings.
The real selling point of these tacos for me?
Baking tacos helps create a texture in your taco shell that prevents them from crumbling at first bite.
Seriously. This is the major reason I wanted to give these baked tacos a try! I love hard shells for my tacos, but after one bite they become taco salad. Having a leftover pile of shell pieces, meat and lettuce on my plate takes away some of the enjoyment of eating a taco.
Baking the meat and cheese in the shells adds moisture to the shell so it won’t crumble–without making it soft like a flour tortilla.
It’s just perfect. And if you have kids, they will LOVE this! Don’t forget a batch of churro cupcakes for dessert!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you need to make these baked tacos:
- Ground beef – Ground turkey makes a good substitute, too.
- Taco seasoning – Homemade from my favorite taco seasoning recipe or a packet of store bought seasoning.
- Crispy taco shells
- Water
- Shredded cheddar jack cheese
- Taco toppings – Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado salsa, peppers, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream etc.
These tacos are so quick and easy to make, especially if you prep the meat in advance!
Instructions
- Cook Meat. In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook ground beef until browned. Drain grease and return to stove top. Add taco seasoning and water and simmer for several minutes.
- Fill Shells. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place taco shells in a 13×9 baking dish. Fill with meat. (add beans and corn if desired). Top with shredded cheese.
- Bake. Place in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Add toppings. Remove and top with lettuce and tomato. Provide additional toppings if desired. ENJOY!
Taco Toppings Ideas
Think beyond the standard lettuce, tomato and salsa. There are dozens of creative and delicious ways to make these Baked Tacos stand out from your usual Taco Tuesday meals!
Here are a few of my favorite taco toppings for baked tacos:
Veggies: Red onion, cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapenos add flavor and crunch to your taco
Salsas:
Topping flavor enhancers: Sour cream, queso fresco, shredded cheese, lime juice, and taco sauce!
Or, if you’re like my friend (and lots of kids I know), enjoy a baked taco just as it is, with the spiced meat and cheese as the main focus.
Serving Suggestions
Now that you have your main dish, what else can you serve with baked tacos?
- Mexican Street Corn– this dish can be prepared ahead of time as well, and popped into the oven before you add the dish of tacos!
- Baked Cinnamon Tortilla Chips– a delicious sweet side to serve with dinner or as dessert!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, ground turkey is a delicious substitute for the beef in these tacos. While I haven’t tried it with meatless beef substitutes, this method of baking tacos should work just fine with those ingredients as well.
While soft tortillas are great for most taco recipes, you need to start with a crunchy taco shell to achieve that crispy bite.
If your tacos are soggy after baking, make sure you start with ground beef that has been cooked and drained fully of sauce. You can add your cheese before adding the meat and this helps.
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Baked Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- ¼ cup Water
- 12 Crunchy Taco Shells
- 1 ¼ cups Shredded Cheddar Jack Cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook ground beef until browned. Drain grease and return to stovetop. Add taco seasoning and water and simmer for several minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat oven to 400°F.
- Place taco shells in a 13×9 baking dish. Fill with meat. (add beans and corn if desired) Top with shredded cheese and place in oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove and top with lettuce and tomato. Provide additional toppings if desired. ENJOY!
Notes
- Yes, ground turkey is a delicious substitute for the beef in these tacos. While I haven’t tried it with meatless beef substitutes, this method of baking tacos should work just fine with those ingredients as well.
- While soft tortillas are great for most taco recipes, you need to start with a crunchy taco shell to achieve that crispy bite.
- If your tacos are soggy after baking, make sure you start with ground beef that has been cooked and drained fully of sauce. You can add your cheese before adding the meat and this helps.
Nutrition
Place a pan full of piping hot Baked Tacos on the table the next time you have a dinner party or Taco Tuesday night! You get all the delicious fun of crispy tacos with none of the crumbly mess with this taco recipe!
You won’t hear a peep out of me for baking your tacos – I’ve had baked tacos before and they are FAB. Yours look to die for and save me a bunch of crumbly tacos shell mess. AND I was just thinking about starting up a “taco night” at home. 😀
This is SO smart, Aimee! This really does cover all of those issues we have with crunchy tacos! I also love this for entertaining. We have a big crowd over for Halloween…this will be perfect! Pinned!
Love this idea for a party, can not wait to make , I also pinned so I will remember…..
Thanks for pinning!! ENJOY.
This is SUCH an awesome time-saver dinner, Aimee! My family adores taco night, but I don’t really love all the time it takes to prepare all that—you can bet that THESE things are going on the menu next time! 😉
This is how my hubby eats tacos too. I’m a soft shell all the way person, but he likes his hard shells baked to that soft crunchy perfection. Awesome dinner idea for busy nights and party time!
What a fun idea, great for a party!
Such a great idea!!! My kiddos go crazy for tacos and this makes it so easy!!
What a fun idea and ” but after one bite they become taco salad” — YES! Sounds like this is the answer to the unintended taco salad prayers 🙂 pinned!
Thanks for pinning Averie!!
Totally loving this idea! Pinning to make soon!
Thanks for the pin Anna 🙂
Well, you talked me into it! I love the taste of hard shells, but never use them because of the crumble factor! I never thought to bake a taco…and I think this is brilliant! Count me in.. <3
Thanks Prudy, I think you’ll love these 🙂
What a good idea!!! Never would have thought of that. Less messy.
Happening here soon, those look amazing!!!
I love the idea of baking tacos! Because when you do it the other way and all the meat falls out of the other side, that can get super frustrating. This way is much smarter.
We eat tacos on a regular basis, too! Love this idea for making the whole process easier and less messy!
Amen for less mess!
This is such a yummy idea!!! Tacos are always such a pain and really messy. I like that this is so easy! Pinned!
What a great time saving idea. I always forget to heat my shells until the last minute. If I do it your way, I can have crunchy tacos with a hot filling. Perfect!
Most favorite meal EVER.
Mmm, tacos! My kids won’t eat tacos (WHAT?!) but I’m making this as soon as my husband comes home!
I’m sure your kids have some sort of redeeming qualities, right??? hehe…..
No mess, perfect shell texture, and melty cheese. What’s not to love about a baked taco. I’m on board with you, Aimee. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning Jen!!
I love that you put them in the baking dish and in the oven to get the shells warm and the cheese melted. Simple but genius!