Taco Noodle Casserole

Taco Noodle Casserole is a fun, crowd-pleasing twist on taco night. With seasoned ground beef, bold spices, and cheesy goodness, this casserole transforms everything you love about tacos into a warm, comforting baked dish. It's perfect for busy weeknights, potlucks, and festive Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

What really sets this recipe apart isn't just the ingredients. It's the technique I've developed over time..

The ground beef is first tenderized, then thoroughly drained and broken into small, evenly sized crumbles before being simmered with seasonings, Rotel tomatoes, and chunky salsa. The result is rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced.

Add in creamy Velveeta for that smooth, cohesive texture, layer with tender egg noodles, and melted cheddar cheese. Once baked, top with your favorite taco condiments and you have a casserole that's both familiar and just a little bit different.

Quick Look at the Recipe

• Serves: 6
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: Easy
• Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes
• Leftover Friendly: Yes, but plan on topping individual servings with the condiments rather than the entire casserole
• Cuisine: Tex-Mex/American Comfort Food

Jump to:

• Quick Look at the Recipe
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need for the Casserole
• How to Make - Step-by-Step
• Chula's Test Kitchen Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Other Taco-Inspired Recipes
• Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This Taco Noodle Casserole combines everything you love about taco night with the comfort of a baked pasta dish.

• Creamy, cheese texture from Velveeta
• Deep taco flavor form a slow-simmered beef mixture
• Not greasy, thanks to a unique prep method
• Easy to make ahead, refrigerate, cover and bake the next day
• Crowd-pleasing for any occasion

It's a family-friendly recipe that's simple enough for a weeknight but festive enough for a Cinco de Mayo dinner.

Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need for the Casserole

Optional toppings I used: Crushed tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced green onion tops, sliced jalapeños, and sour cream.

How to Make - Step-by-Step

1. Cook the Noodles: Add the egg noodles to a saucepan with boiling water. Cook according to the package directions until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

2. Tenderize the Ground Beef: Cooked ground beef often ends up on the tough side. To tenderize it, mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda dissolved in a tablespoon of water into the ground beef. Let the ground beef sit for 15 minutes before cooking. This technique is known as velveting.

3. Cook the Ground Beef: Cook and crumble the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, about 7 to 8 minutes.

4. Drain and Rinse the Ground Beef: Once the ground beef is cooked, transfer it to a colander and rinse it well with hot water to remove as much residual grease as possible. I know some people will likely criticize this step for removing the beef flavor. However, over the years, I've found that the real flavor comes from the ingredients added to the cooked ground beef. If you object to this step, skip it!

5. Crumble the Cooked Ground Beef: Once the ground beef is well drained and cool enough to handle, crumble it back into the skillet with the palms of your hands. I don't like big chunks of ground beef in my taco mixture!

6. Add the Flavor: Add the taco seasoning, chili powder, cumin, oregano, undrained Rotel tomatoes, chunky salsa, and water to the ground beef. Stir to combine and bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 30 minutes. If, after 30 minutes, the taco mixture is too liquid, cook uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Add the Velveeta: Uncover and add the cubed Velveeta. Cover the skillet and let cook for 5 minutes, or until the Velveeta has melted.

8. Combine the Taco Meat Mixture: Uncover the skillet and stir the melted Velveeta into the Taco meat mixture until well combined.

9. Layer and Bake: Spread the cooked noodles at the bottom of a 1 ½- to 2-quart baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Top with the cooked taco meat and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

10. Add Favorite Toppings and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven, then sprinkle with your favorite toppings. I added crushed tortilla chips, diced tomatoes, sliced green onion tops, sliced jalapeños, and sour cream.

This Taco Noodle Casserole is a perfect example of how technique transforms a simple recipe. From tender, finely crumbled beef to a creamy, well-balanced filling. Every step contributes to a dish that's comforting, flavorful, and easy to love. Yum!

Chula's Test Kitchen Tips

• The baking soda matters: Maybe it's me, but through the years, it seems to me that ground beef has lost its tenderness. To adjust for that, I routinely mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda combined with a tablespoon of water into the uncooked ground beef. This relaxes the proteins in the beef and enhances the Maillard reaction, which causes browning.
• Rinsing removes grease, not flavor: For years, regardless of the recipe, I have consistently transferred cooked ground beef to a colander and rinsed it well under hot water to remove the grease. I like to place a piece of plastic wrap in the drain first to catch the grease. The dish's primary flavor comes from the seasonings, not the ground beef.
• Small crumbles: Another thing that I consistently do with cooked ground beef is to rub it between my palms to break it into small pieces. No matter how hard I try, the cooked ground beef always ends up with larger pieces. For me, the results dish is more cohesive and flavorful.
• Velveeta: I grew up using Velveeta in recipes. To me, it contributes both taste and texture.
• Variations: This recipe is delicious as is. However, adding well-drained black beans provides both texture and volume. My Rotel preference is the Original, but hot Rotel with its added heat is also delicious. I mostly use extra-sharp cheddar cheese because that's what I typically have on hand. However, Mexican blend also works well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Taco-Inspired Recipes

Check out these other taco-inspired recipes:

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