Try this easy Mexican lasagna enchiladas loaded with a succulent meat mixture, layered with crispy corn tortillas, and smothered with shredded cheddar cheese. This Mexican lasagna recipe is perfect for any occasion, uses common household ingredients, and is ready to serve in less than one hour! And we're not using any lasagna NOODLES!
Contents
💖 Mexican Lasagna with Tortillas
A fantastic ground beef mixture, a delectable red enchilada sauce, sour cream, golden corn, or flour tortillas make this delicious Mexican lasagna dish. Then smothered with a healthy amount of pre-shredded cheese and finally baked in the oven to perfection!
An authentic Mexican recipe that has been putting smiles on people's faces since the Mexicans invented this glorious lasagna dish.
Mexican lasagna recipes are a great family get-together meal that is fun to make and even better to devour. It is spicy, sweet, healthy, and versatile.
A Mexican lasagna may be prepared with ground beef, chicken, or vegetarian. Try the delicate sour cream chicken enchilada recipes, golden-fried enchiladas verdes, or delicious enchilada pie for different enchilada recipes! All are cooked with basic ingredients and require minimal effort.
This Mexican casserole isn't as spicy as others, but it may be tailored to each person's heat tolerance. When the kids aren't eating them, I usually add a few more green chilies and an extra teaspoon of chili powder to my enchiladas for a little more kick.
🍽 What you need
To make Mexican Lasagna (taco lasagna), you'll need a standard 9-inch casserole dish with a depth of 1.5 inches. A cutting board and a sharp chef's knife are also necessary.
This recipe does not require actual lasagna noodles, which is typical for an enchilada recipe. If you'd prefer noodles, try my traditional lasagna recipe with ground beef and Italian sausage or my Italian stuffed shells recipe with ground beef.
You can buy canned enchilada sauce. However, my signature enchilada sauce recipe is a thousand times better. It is easy to make, lasts for 5 days refrigerated, and is far superior to any grocery store red sauce.
It doesn't matter whether you use flour tortillas or corn tortillas for this recipe. However, I use corn tortillas, as I have found that they crisp up better in the skillet.
Equipment
- Large skillet or heavy-bottomed pan
- Oven safe 9-inch Casserole dish or baking dish
- Cutting board and sharp chef's knife
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 corn tortillas
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 corn tortillas
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 cups enchilada sauce homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups sour cream
- 4 cups of cheddar cheese shredded
🔪 How to make Mexican Lasagna in a Casserole
Learn how to make Mexican lasagna with step-by-step instructions, detailed images showing the preparation, and my full video recipe. And check out my top recipe tips below!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) and grease your casserole dish with cooking spray or butter.
Step 1
Prepare a skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and cook the tortillas for 1 minute on each side.
Once they are crispy, transfer them to a plate stacking them with a paper towel in-between each tortilla to avoid them sticking together.
Step 2
Add the chopped onion to the skillet over medium-high heat with another tablespoon of olive oil, cooking until the onions soften and brown. Add in the chopped fresh garlic, jalapeno, and cook for a further 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 3
Add the lean ground beef until cooked through, then add the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring continuously until well combined and thick.
Step 4
Spread half a cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish before assembling half of the tortillas on top, overlapping them slightly in a thin layer and covering the entire dish.
Step 6
Cover the tortillas with more red sauce, followed by a layer of meat mixture, top with a few dollops of soured cream, and half of the shredded cheese.
Step 7
Finish the enchiladas by layering the remaining tortillas, then the remaining enchilada sauce, followed by the cooked beef mixture, sour cream, and the remaining cheese.
Step 8
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until it bubbles and golden brown.
Step 9
Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving with your choice of garnish.
Garnish suggestions: chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, avocado slices, or chili slices. Black olives and crushed tortilla chips could work fine too.
💭 Top Recipe Tips
- Use corn tortillas whenever possible! I have found that they crisp up better in the skillet.
- If you are using flour tortillas for this recipe, make sure that you brush them with oil before frying them, so they don't stick together.
- If you are short on time, store-bought enchilada sauce is fine. However, I recommend making my signature enchilada sauce for the most flavorful meal!
- I use a 9-inch casserole dish around an inch and a half in depth since it makes cutting into pieces easy.
- Ensure the pan is on medium heat and add just enough oil to lightly coat. I usually use olive oil, but any neutral-flavored cooking oil will suffice.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mexican lasagna made of?
Mexican Lasagna, also known as Taco Lasagna, is made with ground beef, corn tortillas, green chiles, enchilada sauce, and shredded cheese. You'll also need an oven-safe 9 inch wide and 1.5 inch deep casserole dish to make this dish.
Is Lasagna Mexican or Italian?
Traditional Lasagna originates from the Campania region in Italy. The capital Naples is referenced in a 14th-century English cookbook describing a dish with layers of pasta without the tomatoes.
📖 Easy Recipe Variations
Enchiladas are flexible since they can be made with whatever you have on hand or want to try! Even if you're vegan or vegetarian, meat-free versions of classic Mexican dishes abound. Other ingredients, such as sunchokes and kale, may be used in place of the chorizo for a less fatty dish. Instead of beef, try ground chicken or turkey in Chicken Enchiladas. Either way, it'll taste fantastic!
- Add black beans and corn to the ground beef mixture to make a tasty black bean sauce.
- Swap the cheddar cheese for another strong cheese like monterey jack cheese or mix 3 or 4 different kinds of cheese to combine cheese textures.
- You substitute the corn tortillas for flour tortillas and still achieve the same delicious taste. See my note in tips!
- Swap the ground meat for ground turkey, shredded chicken, sausage, or shredded pork.
- Make it vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding other veggies like zucchini, eggplant, corn, black beans, or bell pepper.
As you can see, this Mexican lasagna recipe is highly flexible. It allows you to substitute ingredients to match your preferences.
🥗 What to serve with
Mexican lasagna is filling on its own. You only need one easy side dish to accompany the Mexican lasagna. That being said, I'm a big fan of using simple ingredients to make something more enjoyable.
Pico de gallo
Mexican salsa fresca, our pico de gallo recipe, is the perfect side for this homemade lasagna with Mexican flavor. Your whole family will love it.
Refried beans
This Mexican household favorite always reminds me of hummus by looking at it. This refried beans side dish consists of mashed pinto beans with lime juice, cilantro, garlic, onions, and chili. Refried beans are an excellent side for dipping in crispy tortillas!
Salad
Make a simple salad! You don't want to spend another half an hour making a complex salad after spending time making this Mexican lasagna recipe. I usually mix shredded lettuce, arugula, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, and a balsamic dressing. A 5-minute salad that is light and goes with any main meal!
⏲️ Make this in Advance
Mexican casserole lasagna is perfect for making in advance and easily stored in the fridge or freezer.
Refrigerated
To prepare the enchiladas for the next day or so, simply follow the cooking instructions as mentioned in the recipe card and wrap your dish in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. They will last up to 2 days uncooked.
Leave them out of the fridge for half an hour before baking in a preheated oven.
Frozen
To freeze Mexican lasagna, I recommend swapping your casserole dish for an aluminum throw-away tray. It will not take up much freezer space, so you don't forget where your dish is.
There is no need to thaw frozen Mexican lasagna; just get that oven hot and bake them for 45 minutes.
🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating
Leftover Mexican lasagna with homemade red sauce tastes even better the following day!
It's always preferable to make a double batch of this dish since the leftovers are devilishly delicious, and one in my family is devoured!
Store any leftovers in the casserole dish with plastic wrap or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Frozen beef enchiladas are kept in the fridge for 3 days and the freezer for up to 3 months.
👪 Serving Size
Who can say no to flavorful, easy Mexican lasagna that serves 6 people and tastes and looks fantastic!
Once you make it for your family, I guarantee it will succeed and become a weekly recommendation!
Feel free to make it as hot as your taste buds can handle or change the beef for chicken and serve it alongside some Mexican rice to really get a taste of Mexico.
🍳 Related Lasagna Recipes
My family prefers these great recipes!
📋 Recipe
Easy Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 corn tortillas
- 1 onion - chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 jalapeño - seeded and diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 can diced tomatoes - drained
- 2 cups enchilada sauce - homemade or storebought
- 2 cups sour cream
- 4 cups cheddar cheese - shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) and grease your baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then cook each tortilla for about 1 minute per side, or until just starting to crisp. Set the tortillas aside - layered with paper towels between them.
- Add the onions into the skillet (adding a bit more olive oil if necessary). Cook until beginning to soften - about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the ground beef and cook, stirring often until cooked through. Stir in the taco seasoning and diced tomatoes and cook until combined.
- Spread about ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish, then place 3 of the tortillas in the bottom (cut them if necessary to make sure the cover the entire dish and overlap slightly).
- Spread a bit more enchilada sauce on the tortillas, then layer half of the ground beef, top with some dollops of sour cream and half of the cheese.
- Place another row of tortillas on top of this, add the remaining enchilada sauce, then layer again ground beef, sour cream and cheddar.
- Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Use corn tortillas whenever possible! I have found that they crisp up better in the skillet.
- If you are using flour tortillas for this recipe, make sure that you brush them with oil before frying them, so they don't stick together.
- If you are short on time, store-bought enchilada sauce is fine. However, I recommend making my signature recipe for the most flavourful meal!
- I use a casserole dish around an inch and a half in depth since it makes cutting into pieces easy.
- Ensure the pan is on medium heat and add just enough oil to lightly coat. I usually use olive oil, but any neutral-flavored cooking oil will suffice.
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