This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This cheesy Taco Rice Casserole recipe is the ultimate weeknight comfort food! Itโ€™s loaded with seasoned ground beef, rice, beans, and gooey melted cheese, all baked together into one hearty dish. This easy family dinner casserole is perfect for busy nights, potlucks, or when youโ€™re craving Tex-Mex flavors without a lot of effort.

Taco Rice Casserole

Cheesy Tex-Mex Rice Casserole

If you love tacos and you love casseroles, this cheesy ground beef and rice bake gives you the best of both worlds. Tender rice absorbs the flavors as it bakes, and then itโ€™s topped with plenty of melty cheese.

Why Youโ€™ll Love Taco Rice Casserole

  • Easy Weeknight Dinner โ€“ Minimal prep, minimal ingredients, and all-in-one casserole convenience.
  • Family-Friendly โ€“ Makes 8 servings. Tastes like tacos in casserole form.
  • Customizable โ€“ Add extra veggies, swap beans, or adjust spice level.
  • Make-Ahead Friendly โ€“ Great for meal prep or freezing.
  • Versatile โ€“ Itโ€™s hearty enough to serve as a main dish, but also works as a party dip with chips.
Taco Rice Casserole

This is one of those family-friendly meals thatโ€™s easy to make, feeds a crowd, and tastes even better the next day as leftovers.

You can keep it simple or add your favorite toppings like sour cream, avocado, shredded lettuce, or tortilla chips for crunch.

Ingredients

Taco Rice Casserole

Main Casserole

  • Ground Beef โ€“ (hamburger) or use ground turkey
  • Onion Powder
  • Garlic Powder
  • Taco Seasoning
  • Rotel (Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles)
  • Salsa
  • Pinto Beans โ€“ or black beans
  • Long Grain White Rice
  • Cream of Celery Soup (or Cream of Mushroom)
  • Enchilada Sauce
  • Beef Broth

Topping

  • Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Tips and Variations

  • Add-Ins โ€“ Add corn, diced red bell pepper, or a can of diced green chiles.
  • Rice Option โ€“ This recipe works best with long grain white rice. If youโ€™d like to try brown rice, just know that it usually takes longer to cook and may need extra liquid. Because I havenโ€™t tested this variation, I canโ€™t guarantee exact results, but if you give it a try Iโ€™d love to hear how it works for you!
  • Bean Swap โ€“ Black beans or kidney beans can be used instead of pinto beans.
  • Make it Spicy โ€“ Use hot Rotel, spicy salsa, or pepper jack cheese.
  • Meal Prep โ€“ Assemble ahead of time, refrigerate, and bake when ready. Leftovers reheat well!

Equipment Youโ€™ll Need

  • Skillet
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • 13โ€x9โ€ Baking Dish
  • Aluminum Foil

How to Make Taco Rice Casserole

browning hamburger in skillet, bowl with taco rice ingredients
  • Prep the Dish โ€“ Preheat oven to 375ยฐF and spray a 13โ€x9โ€ casserole dish with cooking spray.
  • Cook the Beef โ€“ In a skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain grease, then stir in onion powder, garlic powder, taco seasoning, Rotel, and salsa.
  • Mix the Casserole โ€“ In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef mixture with pinto beans, rice, cream of celery soup, and enchilada sauce.
pouring broth into beef mixture, pouring mixture into casserole dish
  • Stir in beef broth until well mixed. Pour mixture into the prepared dish.
pressing rice into liquid with spoon, dish covered with foil
  • Bake Covered โ€“ cover tightly with foil, and bake for 50โ€“60 minutes, or until rice is tender.
stirring rice casserole, adding shredded cheese to top
  • Add Cheese โ€“ Remove foil, stir casserole, and top with shredded cheddar cheese.
cheese added to casserole before and after baking
  • Return to oven for 5โ€“10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Serve & Enjoy โ€“ Serve warm as a main dish or scoop with tortilla chips as a party dip. Add your favorite toppings like sour cream, avocado slices, lettuce, green onions, or crushed tortilla chips.
Taco Rice Casserole

Storage and Reheating

  • Refrigerator โ€“ Store leftover Taco Rice Casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer โ€“ Wrap tightly or place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Reheating โ€“ Warm individual portions in the microwave, or reheat the whole casserole in a 350ยฐF oven (covered with foil) until heated through. Add a sprinkle of fresh cheese before reheating to freshen it up.
Taco Rice Casserole

Make Ahead Tips

  • Assemble Ahead โ€“ Prepare the casserole up to the point of baking, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, remove from the fridge while the oven preheats and add an extra 10 minutes to the bake time.
  • Freeze Before Baking โ€“ You can also assemble, wrap well in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze unbaked. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking as directed.
  • Meal Prep Portions โ€“ Bake as directed, then portion into individual containers for grab-and-go lunches or easy reheated dinners.

More Main Dish Rice Recipes

Ham and Broccoli Rice Casserole
Instant Pot Dirty Rice
Hamburger Rice Casserole
Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Instant Pot Jambalaya

pink rectangle with words follow me on Pinterest

If you make this tasty taco hamburger rice bake, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating. I’d love to hear from you!

Taco Rice Casserole

Taco Rice Casserole

By Sandy Clifton
This cheesy Taco Rice Casserole is an easy, family-friendly meal made with ground beef, beans, rice, salsa, and melty cheese. Perfect for weeknight dinners!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • 13โ€x9โ€ Baking Dish
  • Aluminum Foil
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound Ground Beef (or ground turkey)
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 1 ยฝ teaspoons Garlic Powder
  • 1 1-ounce packet Taco Seasoning
  • 10-ounce can Rotel
  • ยฝ cup Salsa
  • 1 15-ounce can Pinto Beans
  • 1 cup Long Grain White Rice
  • 1 10-ounce can Cream of Celery (or Cream of Mushroom)
  • ยฝ cup Enchilada Sauce
  • 1 ยฝ cups Beef Broth

Topping

  • 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Instructions 

Prep

  • Spray a 13โ€x9โ€ baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375ยฐF.

Brown the Beef

  • In a skillet, brown the ground beef and drain the grease. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, taco seasoning, Rotel, and salsa. Stir well.

Make the Casserole

  • To a large bowl, add the ground beef mixture, pinto beans, rice, cream of celery soup, and enchilada sauce. Mix together well.
  • Stir in the beef broth
  • Pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
  • Cover the dish tightly with foil.

Bake

  • Bake the casserole for 50-60 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

Add Cheese Topping

  • Remove the foil, stir the casserole well.
  • Top the casserole with the shredded cheese and put back in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Serve

  • Serve as a main dish, or use as a dip for tortilla chips.
  • Top with salsa, sour cream, avocado slices, lettuce, green onions, or crushed tortilla chips.

Notes

Storage and Reheating

  • Refrigerator โ€“ Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer โ€“ Wrap tightly or place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Reheating โ€“ Warm individual portions in the microwave, or reheat the whole casserole in a 350ยฐF oven (covered with foil) until hot all the way through. Add a sprinkle of fresh cheese before reheating to freshen it up.
ย 
ย 
ย 
Nutrition Information (Estimated, per serving) Calories: 435 | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Sodium: 890mg

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Tex Mex
Tried this recipe?Mention @simply_happy_foodie
Taco Rice Casserole

This hamburger Taco Rice Casserole is sometimes called a cheesy taco rice bake or even a Mexican rice casserole with ground beef, since it has all the classic Tex-Mex flavors baked together in one dish. You might also hear it described as a beef and rice taco bake or a cheesy ground beef and rice casserole. No matter what you call it, this easy recipe is a hearty, rice and beef casserole with cheese that is family-friendly, and perfect for busy weeknights.

Sharing is caring!

Sandy wearing a black shirt and a red apron

Hi, Iโ€™m Sandy!

My style of cooking is casual, uncomplicated (most of the time, if I can get out of my own way!), and everything is made from my heart. I hope my recipes will help you get the meal on the table a little easier, so you can enjoy the time with your tribe.

Simply Happy Foodie Electric Pressure Cooking book

Get my cookbook!

Simply Happy Electric Pressure Cooking has over 175 delicious recipes for the Instant Potยฎ, as well as some of my favorite homemade spice blends.

Related Recipes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.