Casseroles might be some of the best comfort foods. A hot and cozy dish with everything all nestled together. Yes, please! This beef burrito casserole takes your classic burrito and makes it into a hearty and healthy casserole!
You guys LOVE our chicken taco casserole, and this beef casserole is a fun spin on it. We are taking your favorite burrito fillings, mixing them all up, and baking. And, of course, it’s topped with some cheese to finish it off. It’s full of flavor, has the perfect amount of spice, and totally hits the spot.
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Better yet, it’s super easy to make – simply saute your beef, mix everything together, and bake. While it takes a little over an hour from start to finish, most of that time is the casserole baking in the oven. It can easily be prepped ahead of time for busy weeknights.
Why we love this burrito casserole
- easy to make
- packed with protein – each piece has 30 grams of protein!
- a healthy and macro-balanced meal – we have protein from the beef, carbohydrates from the rice, some healthy fats from the cheese, and fiber from the beans and veggies.
- super comforting and cozy and something the whole family will love
- great for meal prep – the leftovers save great and it works well for meal prep.
Ingredients
- olive oil
- onion
- ground beef – I used lean 90/10
- taco seasoning
- bell peppers
- black beans
- salsa – any kind you like will work, you just don’t want it to be super thick
- white rice – I like jasmine rice
- broth
- cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper
How to make beef burrito casserole
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Make your beef mixture. Heat up a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and let it get hot (about 30 seconds). Add your onions and salt and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes until softened. Next, add your beef and break it up with the back of a spoon or meat chopper. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning and saute until meat is browned. Add ground beef mixture to the casserole dish, leaving behind most of the excess grease.
- Assemble casserole. Add diced peppers, beans, salsa, rice, and salt and pepper to your casserole dish and mix well to combine, making sure everything is evenly distributed. Pour in broth and stir again until well combined, pushing down the ingredients so they are evenly incorporated. The ingredients should be mostly covered by the liquid.
- Bake. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes until veggies are softened. Remove the foil and cook for another 5-10 minutes uncovered until the liquid is fully absorbed. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Enjoy! Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
What to serve with burrito casserole
I find this casserole is a complete meal, but my favorite thing is all toppings you can serve it with! These are some of my favorites:
- corn or flour tortillas – stuff the casserole in there for the full burrito effect!
- tortilla chips – eat like a dip
- shredded lettuce
- diced tomatoes
- avocado or guacamole
- sour cream or greek yogurt
- cilantro or green onions
- hot sauce
Meal prep
This beef casserole is perfect for meal prep. It should last in the fridge for 4-5 days. To save even more time, make the beef mixture ahead of time and then just mix everything together when you are ready to bake. It will take the same amount of time since the rice needs to cook through.
Storage and reheating
- refrigerator – store it in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- reheating – reheat it in the microwave or a skillet until warmed through.
- freezer – this recipe would be perfect to freeze. I would suggest leaving off the cheese and chips and then adding them when you are ready to heat it up after it defrosts. You can either freeze the whole recipe in a large container or in individual servings. It should last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Substitutions
- olive oil – any kind of neutral oil will work.
- ground beef – ground turkey or ground chicken will work instead.
- black beans – kidney or pinto beans will work the same.
- salsa – red or green will work. Use your favorite kind! You just it to be a little runny as it helps add to the amount of liquid to cook the rice.
- white rice – I do not think brown rice will work as it will change the cooking time.
- taco seasoning – you can use a mix of garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- broth – beef broth, chicken broth, or veggie broth will work.
- cheddar cheese – most kinds of cheese will work. Pepper jack, Monterey Jack, or shredded Mexican blend cheese would work great.
More healthy casserole recipes
- jalapeno popper chicken casserole
- chili spaghetti squash casserole
- chicken taco casserole
- buffalo chicken casserole
- chicken fajita casserole
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Burrito Casserole
equipment
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion (120 grams)
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (I used 90/10)
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cups diced bell peppers (240 grams)
- 1 15-ounce can black beans
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup uncooked white rice (rinsed)
- 1 1/2 cups broth
- 1 heaping cup shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- for servings – tortilla chips, tortillas
- toppings of choice – shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, greek yogurt, avocado, salsa, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño…
instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Make your beef mixture. Heat up a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and let it get hot (about 30 seconds). Add your onions and salt and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes until softened. Next, add your beef and break it up with the back of a spoon or meat chopper. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Stir in taco seasoning and saute until meat is browned. Add ground beef mixture to the casserole dish, leaving behind most of the excess grease.
- Assemble casserole. Add diced peppers, beans, salsa, rice, and salt and pepper to your casserole dish and mix well to combine, making sure everything is evenly distributed. Pour in broth and stir again until well combined, pushing down the ingredients so they are evenly incorporated. The ingredients should be mostly covered by the liquid.
- Bake. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40-45 minutes until veggies are softened. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes uncovered until the liquid is fully absorbed. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and slice into 8 equal-size pieces.
- Enjoy! Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
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I’ve made this recipe several times. My family loves it. Has anyone tried to freeze it? I want to make it for my friend to put in her freezer so she can heat it up after having the baby. Please let me know.
I actually made this and divided it and froze half of it. I will elet you know if it defrosts good!
Yes, keep us posted!
Hey, Alexis! Just now seeing this, but I think it should freeze well. After baking, you can either freeze the whole recipe in a large container or in individual servings. It should last up to 3 months in the freezer. Then just defrost and reheat in the oven. Hope your friend enjoys it (I’m sure it will be so appreciated too!).
I made this and it came out delicious, but some of the rice was hard. Is it better to put the rice on the bottom and not mix?
I haven’t tried it with just the rice on the bottom. I feel it would be pretty dense that way, but you could try it. The rice should cook evenly once it is mixed up. Make sure to push it underneath the liquid too. I always rinse my rice which adds a little more liquid to help with cooking too. If needed, you can add a splash more liquid to make sure it is all covered and cook a tad longer. Hope that helps.
This recipe is delicious. I call it stuffed pepper casserole. I added hot diced green chilis and used two packets of taco seasoning, one regular and one spicy. So good! I’m making it again tonight.
Yum, the green chilis is a great addition! I am so glad you enjoyed it Marissa and thanks for trying it!
This recipe is made from ingredients I have in my kitchen, and they somehow become magic in the pan! I loved this meal so much!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Casey!! Thanks for trying it!
This looks great! I am thinking of making it for company tomorrow. Do you think farro or quinoa or another quicker cooking grain would be a good white rice sub? Those are grains I have on hand (along with brown rice, which would take too long I assume). Thanks! Your recipes and blog are fantastic.
Hey Elizabeth! Sorry, I didn’t see this sooner. I haven’t tried it with other grains so I’m not sure. Brown rice would work, but as you said, you would need to cook it longer. I think either of those other ones would work though with a similar cook time! You might have to monitor it and the cooking time. I hope that helps!
This recipe was amazing the entire family ate it and loved it!
So happy to hear everyone loved it! Thanks for trying it, Tricia!
This recipe is delicious! My entire family LOVED it. My 13-year old son took it for lunch the next day and had it again for dinner. It was gone in 24 hours and they all told me to keep this recipe!!
Love hearing the whole family loved it! Thanks for trying it Holly!