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Mexican lasagna is a mouthwatering twist on the classic Italian lasagna dish that combines traditional tex-mex flavors with the concept of a layered dish. Taco-seasoned ground beef with black beans, red bell peppers, jalapenos, and plenty of cheese, layered between corn tortillas. It’s perfect for feeding a hungry crowd, and is easy to prepare in advance, making it an ideal dish for entertaining.
Whether you’re a fan of Mexican or Italian cuisine, Mexican lasagna is a must-try dish that combines the best of both worlds. It’s layered and comforting. One of the beauties of Mexican lasagna is its versatility. You can customize and experiment with a variety of ingredients to create a version that suits your palate perfectly. Substitute the meat with shredded chicken or even roasted vegetables for a vegetarian option. Switch out the peppers for diced tomatoes. The possibilities are endless, allowing you to get creative and tailor the dish to your liking.
The flavors aren’t complex either! It’s all simple and nothing overpowers the other. Despite its impressive taste and presentation, Mexican lasagna is surprisingly easy to make. With just a few simple steps, you can have a crowd-pleasing dish ready to serve. The tortillas act as a convenient substitute for pasta, eliminating the need for boiling and layering lasagna noodles. It’s actually less work than the classic Italian lasagna, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
How to make Mexican Lasagna
Whether you’re hosting a casual dinner party, potluck, or looking to elevate your weeknight family meal, Mexican lasagna is a dish that never disappoints. It’s simple to make and doesn’t take as long as tradition Italian lasagna.
- Corn Tortillas: White or corn is fine. They make an excellent base for the lasagna. They don’t become soggy when baked, yet they soak up just enough moisture to be supple. You can use flour tortillas if that’s your preference. Just make sure you have 8-inch tortillas.
- Cheddar, Monterey Jack, & Pepper Jack: This is the blend I used. I had bought an 8 oz block of each, which equals to 2 cups of shredded cheese total per block. However, you can use an already prepared Mexican cheese blend that lies on the shelves of the dairy section in the grocery store. Shredding your own cheese is better because it melts so much better. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an anti-caking powder that prevents it from melting to its gooiest potential. Sometimes, the blocks of cheese are cheaper than the shredded cheeses. If you’re on a budget, use whichever is cheaper.
- Canned Black Beans, Onion, Garlic, Red Bell Pepper, Jalapenos: The veggies that are in this comforting lasagna. They are sauteed together with the ground beef so they soften slightly. It also adds good flavors since they pick up the ground beef grease.
- Taco Seasoning: Used to flavor the ground beef and veggies. Feel free to use your own taco seasoning if you make it homemade.
- Chunky Salsa: This acts as the sauce for the lasagna. Without it, the lasagna will be dry. You can also swap it for enchilada sauce or taco sauce. I prefer a medium spice, but feel free to use whichever is your preference on spice level.
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container, or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: You have two options for freezing this dish:
- Bake the casserole first, cool it to room temperature, slice into servings, place them in freezer safe containers and then freeze.
- Bake it, bring it to room temperature, and then freeze the entire pan. Once you’re ready to reheat, thaw it out in the fridge overnight, then bake it, covered at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
- Reheat: Heat in the oven at 350F until bubbly and heated through, or reheat individual portions in the microwave.
- Make Ahead: You can make this a day in advance. I would recommend allowing the dish to sit at room temperature until the baking dish is not as cold before popping it in the oven. It may cause the dish to shatter if you bake it right from the fridge. Quick note: preparing the lasagna in advance will allow the tortillas to soak up more moisture, which means they will be softer when baked. Some may even prefer this; it’s up to you!
- Freeze: You have two options for freezing this dish:
- Let it rest before slicing! Let the baked casserole rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it, just like you would with Italian lasagna. This will help the layers hold together.
- Variations:
- Swap out the ground beef for shredded chicken, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- Use pinto beans or kidney beans instead of black beans. You can even use refried beans; just keep in mind that the ground beef mixture, when adding the refried beans, will become almost liquidy and almost pasty. I’m not saying don’t use it, since I think it’ll taste amazing, but it’s a thought.
- Use your favorite cheese blend for Mexican dinners — all cheddar or Colby Jack are great options. A blend of Monterey Jack, cheddar, Asadero & Queso blanco cheeses are great as well (typically sold as Mexican cheese blend in grocery stores).
- Add in some extra spice such as chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, hot sauce or extra hot salsa, or leave in the seeds and ribs of the jalapenos, which is where the spice is.
- Use flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. You can even use sliced zucchini!
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, 80% fat
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 (1 oz) packets taco seasoning, (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- 15 oz can black beans
- 2 cups chunky salsa, your preference on heat level
- 18 corn tortillas (white or yellow)
- 6 cups shredded cheese (cheddar jack)
- 1/2 cup grated cojita cheese
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced, for garnish
- 1 bunch scallions, sliced, for garnish
- Sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onions, and garlic, until the meat is browned and the onions soften, about 10 minutes. Drain the meat and return to the skillet.
- Add the red bell pepper and jalapenos to the skillet; saute for 3 minutes. Add in the taco seasoning and water to the skillet; stir over medium heat until well combined and some of the water is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the black beans and salsa, then heat for 3 minutes until heated through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Line the prepared baking dish with 6 corn tortillas, overlapping slightly to cover the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Spread 1/3 of the meat mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle 2 cups of the cheese over the meat mixture, along with some cojita cheese. Continue layering corn tortillas, meat mixture, and cheese to form three layers total. You should end with the remaining meat mixture and cheese on top.
- Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray and cover the baking dish. This will prevent the cheese from sticking onto the foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until casserole is bubbly and the cheese is fully melted.
- Garnish with diced tomatoes and green onion. Let the casserole sit for 10 minutes for easy slicing and serving.
- Serve with sour cream.
Notes
Storage: Keep in an airtight container, or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: You have two options for freezing this dish:
- Bake the casserole first, cool it to room temperature, slice into servings, place them in freezer safe containers and then freeze.
- Bake it, bring it to room temperature, and then freeze the entire pan. Once you’re ready to reheat, thaw it out in the fridge overnight, then bake it, covered at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
- Reheat: Heat in the oven at 350F until bubbly and heated through, or reheat individual portions in the microwave.
- Make Ahead: You can make this a day in advance. I would recommend allowing the dish to sit at room temperature until the baking dish is not as cold before popping it in the oven. It may cause the dish to shatter if you bake it right from the fridge. Quick note: preparing the lasagna in advance will allow the tortillas to soak up more moisture, which means they will be softer when baked. Some may even prefer this; it’s up to you!
Let it rest before slicing! Let the baked casserole rest for about 10 minutes before slicing it, just like you would with Italian lasagna. This will help the layers hold together.
Variations:
- Swap out the ground beef for shredded chicken, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- Use pinto beans or kidney beans instead of black beans. You can even use refried beans; just keep in mind that the ground beef mixture, when adding the refried beans, will become almost liquidy and almost pasty. I’m not saying don’t use it, since I think it’ll taste amazing, but it’s a thought.
- Use your favorite cheese blend for Mexican dinners — all cheddar or Colby Jack are great options. A blend of Monterey Jack, cheddar, Asadero & Queso blanco cheeses are great as well (typically sold as Mexican cheese blend in grocery stores).
- Add in some extra spice such as chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, hot sauce or extra hot salsa, or leave in the seeds and ribs of the jalapenos, which is where the spice is.
- Use flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. You can even use sliced zucchini!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
392.91Fat (grams)
23.12 gSat. Fat (grams)
11.46 gCarbs (grams)
24.05 gFiber (grams)
3.81 gSugar (grams)
3.77 gProtein (grams)
23.24 gSodium (milligrams)
724.79 mgCholesterol (grams)
76.38 mgThe nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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