This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This Slow Cooker Ground Beef Taco Casserole is guaranteed to be a new family favorite! The layered taste of flavorful ground beef with black beans and veggies is perfectly spiced with bursts of tang. No need to brown the ground beef before tossing it into the slow cooker. This true set it and forget it meal is very hands off and comes together in less than 4 hours!
Without fail we make tacos every week. Sometimes it’s my Shredded Salsa Verde Chicken in the Instant Pot, Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos, my Ground Turkey Tacos, or just ground beef in the skillet.
For a quicker weeknight option, my 30-Minute Skillet Ground Beef Picadillo is another go-to. It’s fast, flavorful, and hits that same comfort-food note without needing the slow cooker. There’s no shortage of delicious beef recipes around here . You’ll find plenty to try and love!
But for those long days when I know we are getting home later than expected, the crockpot is here to save me! This set it and forget slow cooker meal was a number one request when I asked for recipe suggestions for the fall. You all are feeling the need to make meals ahead of time!
Reasons You will Love this slow Cooker recipe:
- You don’t brown the beef before placing in the slow cooker! One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it will cook great without having to do this step. A true dump crockpot recipe!
- The prep time is so simple because we can dump in other ingredients that don’t require a lot of chopping.
- It’s loaded with protein and fiber! As a nutritionist, I am looking for recipes that are filling for my teenage kids. The addition of black beans, corn, tortilla chips, and ground beef allow this recipe to be satiating.
- The leftovers are great! My kids packed in their lunchbox the next day for a nutritious and filling lunch.
- It’s customizable to your needs. You can substitute the beans, add your own toppings or your favorite salsa to make it deliciously satisfying.
Ingredients to make Slow Cooker Ground Beef Taco Casserole
Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Ground beef: I use 85/15, but feel free to use a lean ground beef, or ground turkey as a substitute in this recipe.
- Taco Seasoning: I made this super simple by buying a store-bought taco seasoning. There are several good brands, but my personal favorites are Trader Joe’s and
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Use one can of diced tomatoes here to add flavor to our taco meat.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: I always add a few tablespoons to my taco recipes. It allows the flavors to pop with some tang! Trust me on this one.
- Black beans: I use a can of black beans that are drained and rinsed. You can also substitute with kidney beans or pinto beans.
- Frozen corn: I find frozen organic corn to be a simple addition that is also cost efficient.
- Salsa: I used salsa verde, but I’ve also made with red salsa as well! Find your favorite store bought salsa or you can always try my recipe for the BEST Salsa Ever!
- Tortilla chips: this is an important ingredients. They will soften in the crockpot, but they provide that taco tortilla flavor you are looking for. I buy Trader Joe’s Restaurant style corn tortilla chips that are gluten-free with minimal ingredients. They add so much to this recipe!
- Cheese: A Mexican blend of cheese or cheddar cheese works perfectly here.
The easiest dinner to make!
Making this recipe does require a few steps, but I promise they are so simple! The first thing you will do is add the raw ground beef with taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, and apple cider vinegar to the crock pot. Set the crockpot to high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
You will then stir in the beans, corn, salsa, tortilla chips, and half the cheese. Mix around, then top with remaining cheese. Put the lid back on and cook on high for 15 -30 minutes or until cheese is melted!
Add all of your favorite toppings!
Serving and Storing
This is the fun part of making this dish. Before serving, add the fun toppings. A few of my favorites are sliced avocado, fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, red or green onion, cilantro, guacamole, jalapeños, sour cream, and more salsa. Serve hot!
You can store this dinner in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Gently re-heat in the microwave or place in a baking dish and reheat in the oven for a more crispy texture.
Slow Cooker Ground Beef Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Ground beef
- 1 Packet of taco seasoning
- 1 14oz Can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 14oz Can of black beans, , (rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup Frozen corn
- 1.5 cups Salsa*
- 1 cup Shredded Mexican Blend cheese
- 6 oz Tortilla chips , (about 1/2 a bag)
- 1/3 cup Freshly chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Place the raw ground beef into the slow cooker with taco seasoning, apple cider vinegar, and diced tomatoes. Break up the ground beef into small pieces so that it cooks evenly. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
- Remove the lid and stir in black beans, corn, salsa, half the cheese, and the chips. Give it a good stir and be careful not to break the chips too much.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Return the lid and set your slow cooker to high. Cook for another 15 – 30 minutes until cheese is melted. Top with cilantro and any additional toppings such as avocado, guacamole, onion, sour cream, or jalapeños .
Was wondering if this can be made with raw chicken breasts as an alternate variation? And if cooking times ( I prefer Low ) would be the same ( 4hrs on Low ) ? If so, I would definitely shred the chicken before adding the rest of the ingredients!
Was so excited to try this as I am always looking for easy, slow cooker recipes to take the pressure off at dinner time. Unfortunately, this was a flop at our house. Hubby loves what he calls “goulash,” which is not what most of us consider goulash. For him it really is just about anything mushed together to make a meal (i.e. basically different leftovers over rice, or past or whatever) and even he was not a fan of this! Our young adult son, who is pretty much the second-in-command “garbage can” around the houseI thought it was just ok. I made it exactly as called for as I don’t like to stray from a recipe the first time I make something to ensure my choices didn’t affect the outcome. If it passes the masses in round-one, especially with any types of critiques (not enough or too much salt, “missing something” but was good, etc.) I will make modifications. I won’t be making this again, as I have other taco casserole recipes that we love. So, guess I might try one of those in the crockpost instead of the oven to see if I can convert it. I do appreciate the tip of just cooking the groundbeef from raw in the slow cooker though! Thank you for that!
OMG!!! Just made this today…added garlic to the first step. Also added black olives when adding beans, corn, salsa. We LOVE cheese, so added 2 cups shredded Fiesta blend…stirred to combine…then added chips & stirred to not break up too much! Topped with more cheese. LOVE the Salsa Verde…never used before today…WOW is all I can say!! Thx so much for this receipe…it is definitely a keeper!! Sooo friggin easy!!
this was so easy, and so, so good.
the recipe is very customizable, but don’t skip the cider vinegar! amy is dead right about that as it definitely boosts the flavors.
i
i
Wow! Delicious and easy. My day got away from me so I made it on the stove top. Equally straight forward. I also used the TJ verde salsa but used Siete taco seasoning mix.