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These Oven Baked Beef Tacos are a quick and easy dinner that serves a crowd! Corn tortillas are layered with juicy ground beef, refried beans, and cheese, baked until melty in the middle with a perfectly crispy shell, then finished with your favorite taco toppings.
Easy Ground Beef Tacos Recipe
I don’t know about you, but Taco Tuesday is one of my favorite days of the week. I love enjoying a different taco variation week in and week out and this recipe is a top five favorite.
This Oven-Baked Beef Taco Recipe is a new favorite. It’s a classic beef taco made even more straightforward by baking in the oven. It’s the perfect way to make a bunch of tacos at once for a filling, delicious, less messy, family-friendly dinner—kids can hold without issue!
Make a big batch of these for dinner, or prep them in advance and store them in the freezer!
Why Put Taco Shells in the Oven?
There are a couple of reasons I love to make tacos in the oven:
- Hands-off: You assemble all of your tacos and then bake them. They’re then all ready to go at the same time.
- Serves a crowd: Line as many tortillas as will fit on your baking sheet for a delicious meal that makes a handful at once!
- Perfect texture: Oven-baked tacos come out so perfectly crispy…and they don’t fall apart the second you try to eat them!
Ingredients Needed
- Ground Beef: You’ll need 1 pound of ground beef for this recipe.
- Taco Seasoning: You can use store-bought taco seasoning (my favorite is Siete Foods), or you can whip up a batch of my homemade taco seasoning.
- Salsa: Any salsa of your choice to add tons of flavor and moisture to the taco meat. Use your favorite store-bought salsa or make homemade salsa instead.
- Green Chiles: Green chiles are an optional addition, but they do kick the spice level up a notch if you like some extra heat.
- Tortillas: I prefer to use corn tortillas, but you can use flour tortillas if preferred! Just keep in mind that the texture will be slightly different. I used 6″ corn in this recipe.
- Cheddar Cheese: For the best texture, use freshly shredded cheddar. If you’re short on time, pre-shredded will work. *Make it dairy-free using this cheese sauce.
- Refried Beans: Our favorite store-bought variety is Siete Foods, but I do love to whip up my homemade refried beans.
- Cooking Spray: Coating the tortillas in cooking spray helps them achieve that deliciously crispy texture.
- Toppings: The options are endless; some of my favorites are shredded lettuce, scallions, diced tomatoes, and guacamole.
What Should I Put in My Tacos?
There are a ton of delicious toppings you can pack into (or on top of) your tacos! Here are some of my favorites, but feel free to customize with anything that sounds good to you, the options are endless.
- Scallions
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomato
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Salsa
- Finely diced white onion
- Hot sauce
- Fresh cilantro
- Avocado slices
- Jalapeños
- Lime wedges
Topping Tip!
Once the tacos are baked, I like to gently open each one to put some of the toppings on the inside so that they’re easier to eat.
How to Make Oven Baked Beef Tacos
This ground beef taco recipe comes together with very minimal prep! Here’s a quick breakdown of the recipe.
Scroll to the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients, amounts, and instructions.
- Prep the beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the ground beef and taco seasoning. Mix and cook until the meat is browned, chopping up any chunks as you go. Once the beef is sufficiently browned, add in the salsa and optional green chiles and mix to distribute.
- Fill the tortillas: On a parchment-lined baking sheet, lay out the tortillas of your choice. Spray both sides with cooking spray, then layer the tortilla with 1/4-1/3 cup of ground beef. Add a tablespoon or two of refried beans, then sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake and fold: Bake the open-faced tacos for 10 minutes. Once the cheese is melty, fold one side of each tortilla over to create a taco shape. Flatten with your spatula, then bake for another 5-10 minutes or until crispy.
Not quite crispy enough? Broil the tacos on high for about 90 seconds or until crisped to your liking. Make sure you watch very closely to avoid burning!
What Beef is Best for Beef Tacos?
I like to keep this beef taco recipe simple with just ground beef! It’s a classic taco meat that’s quick and easy to cook, simple to season, and affordable.
How to Cook Ground Beef for Tacos
The easiest way to cook the ground beef for the tacos is in a skillet with taco seasoning and salsa. The finished taco meat comes out juicy and so flavorful with very minimal effort.
How Long to Heat Tortillas in the Oven?
That depends on how crispy you like them! I usually bake them for 10 minutes unfolded, then I fold them and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Feel free to add time or bake for less time to achieve your perfect taco texture. Just be sure to check the tortillas periodically so you can have the best gauge on timing and crispiness.
If you want to fold the tacos before baking, warm the tortillas in the microwave first so they don’t break.
Tips and Notes
- Line the baking sheet. I recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper before baking the tacos. This prevents anything from sticking to the pan and makes cleanup super easy.
- Adjust for the tortilla size. I used 6-inch tortillas for this recipe. If you use larger ones, be sure to adjust the amount of filling accordingly.
- Spray the tortillas with cooking spray. This helps the tortillas get nice and crispy!
Serving Suggestions
If you’re keeping dinner super simple, you can enjoy these tacos on their own with the toppings of your choice!
If you’re rounding your meal out a little bit more, whip up a couple of classic sides! Here are some ideas:
- Mexican Rice
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- 7 Layer Taco Dip
- Easy Taco Slaw
- Chips with Guacamole, Classic Salsa, Avocado Corn Salsa or Salsa Verde
- Don’t forget the Classic Margarita
How to Store
Leftover ground beef tacos can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To freeze them, let them cool completely, then flash freeze on the baking sheet until hardened. Once the tacos are solid, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag.
When you’re ready to serve them again, simply let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as desired.
How to Reheat
To reheat your tacos, you have a few different options:
- Oven: Line the tacos back out on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350ºF until warmed through and re-crisped.
- Air Fryer: Lay the tacos in a single layer in the air fryer basket and air fry at 350ºF until warmed and crisped.
- Skillet: Lay the tacos out onto a skillet and warm over medium heat until heated through. Be sure to flip each taco over halfway through to re-crisp both sides.
More Taco Recipes You’ll Love
- 15 Minute Chicken Tacos
- Fish Tacos with Tropical Salsa
- Breakfast Tacos
- Meatless Chipotle Mushroom Tacos
- Your complete guide to the perfect Taco Bar
Watch The Video:
Oven Baked Beef Tacos
Ingredients
Taco Meat
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning use our homemade taco seasoning or we love Siete Foods taco seasoning too
- 1/3 cup mild salsa
- 1 4-ounce can spicy or mild green chiles optional, for some extra heat!
Other:
- 10 corn tortillas or tortillas of choice (we used 6-inch)
- 1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup refried beans Siete Foods is our favorite store-bought option or make my easy homemade refried beans
- Avocado oil spray for greasing tortillas
- toppings scallions, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, finely diced white onion, hot sauce, cilantro, avocado slices, jalapeños, lime wedges, diary-free cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add beef and taco seasoning, mix until beef has browned. Make sure to chop and break up the meat so it’s fine without large pieces. Once browned, add in salsa (optional green chiles as well in this step) and mix. Set aside.
- Optional: Prepare refried beans as directed, if using.
- On your lined baking sheet, add tortillas and spray oil on both sides of the tortillas.
- Spoon roughly 1/4/-1/3 cup of the ground beef mixture onto one side of each tortilla, add a tablespoon or two of refried beans, and sprinkle cheese on top.
- Bake for 10 minutes, unfolded.
- Fold the other side over, flatten with your spatula, and bake the tacos for an additional 5-10 minutes, until crispy to your liking.
- Not crispy enough? Broil on high for about 90 seconds (watching closely to avoid burning) until the tortillas are golden brown.
- Serve with your favorite toppings! I like to gently open mine to add more toppings to the inside) and enjoy!
Notes
- Line the baking sheet. I recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper before baking the tacos. This prevents anything from sticking to the pan and makes cleanup super easy.
- Adjust for the tortilla size. I used 6-inch tortillas for this recipe. If you use larger ones, be sure to adjust the amount of filling you add to each taco accordingly.
- Spray the tortillas with cooking spray. This helps the tortillas get nice and crispy!
- Fold after baking. I find that the easiest way to make these tacos is to keep them open-faced for the first 10 minutes of baking, fold them, then bake them in a taco shape for an additional 5-10 minutes. Heating the tortillas first allows them to be more malleable, so you don’t tear them.
- If you fold before baking, warm them in the microwave first so they don’t break.
These tacos were easy and filling. I took a little liberty and added the beans directly to the meat and they came out perfect! Crispy, cheesy and filling. They were husband approved too!
These are amazing! So easy and everyone in the family loved them!
These were so fun! I knew I would like them (hello, tacos!) but my kids did too! My 1.5 year old ate the whole thing and my 6 year old went for seconds all on his own. I did mini tortillas and it made it easier for my kiddos. We are already planning on our next time to make them and all the fun toppings we want to add to them. Thanks for another great recipe!
These were delicious! I’m going to try shrimp in place of the beef with my leftover ingredients. Baked for 5 min open and then another 5 folded. They came out perfect! Topped with lettuce, cilantro, taco sauce, guac, onions, and Greek yog.
We just made these baked tacos and they were great. We did also add green chilies which was optional. Hubby gave this a thumbs up. We will make them again!
This “Oven Baked” technique for tacos will be my Tuesday Taco Go To for the rest of my life! I am sure the recipe with the beef is great and I will try it soon but tonight I had leftover Salsa chicken from the weekend so we had chicken tacos – perfect. This is the best way I have ever done tortillas – no fuss and certainly no muss. I love this – thank you so much for sharing…maybe the best thing I have ever learned from a food blog! And I promise, I will try them with beef soon!
These were delicious! I’m going to try shrimp in place of the beef with my leftover ingredients. Added a serrano to the meat and the refried beans for spice. Baked for 5 min open and then another 5 folded. They came out perfect! Topped with lettuce, cilantro, taco sauce, guac, onions, and Greek yog.