This Mexican lasagna is layers of flour tortillas, cheese, beans and ground beef, all baked together until golden brown. The ultimate Mexican casserole that’s sure to get rave reviews from the whole family!
I make Mexican food at least once a week, my kids always request green chile chicken enchiladas, carnitas tacos and this easy and satisfying Mexican lasagna.
This Mexican lasagna is a fun and unique twist on the classic Italian style lasagna, with tortillas instead of noodles and a hearty Mexican beef mixture instead of red sauce. This dish is simple to make, and is sure to please any crowd.
How do you make Mexican lasagna?
To make Mexican lasagna, first make the filling by cooking up crumbles of ground beef in a pan. While the beef is cooking, add chopped onion and garlic to the pan. Add the taco seasoning, green chiles, diced tomatoes and corn. The last ingredient to stir into the filling is a can of refried beans. With the meat filling done you are ready to assemble the lasagna.
Spread a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place a layer of tortillas over the sauce and add the meat filling and then the shredded cheese. Repeat the layers until the baking dish is full. For the top layers you want tortillas, enchilada sauce and then cheese. Bake the dish until golden brown and bubbly. Once the lasagna is done, take it out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes and serve it sprinkled with cilantro.
TIPS FOR THE BEST MEXICAN LASAGNA
- To make this casserole in advance, assemble all the layers, then cover the dish with foil and refrigerate it for up to one day. When it’s time to eat, follow the baking instructions in the recipe, but add 15 minutes more to the bake time to compensate for starting with a cold dish.
- Let the baked lasagna rest for at least 5-7 minutes before you try to slice it. This will help the layers hold together.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- I recommend using freshly shredded cheese for this recipe. The pre-shredded cheese you by at the store is often coated in anti-caking agents and doesn’t melt as nicely.
- You can serve your lasagna as-is, or add some toppings such as pico de gallo, cilantro, lettuce, sour cream, avocado or sliced olives.
MEXICAN CASSEROLE VARIATIONS
Sometimes I make this recipe with different ingredients, depending on what I have on hand. You can easily customize this dish to your family’s tastes!
- Protein: Use cooked shredded chicken or ground turkey instead of the beef.
- Fillings: Try black or pinto beans instead of refried beans, or add other vegetables such as diced bell peppers.
- Cheese: Swap out the cheddar for different variety such as Colby or pepper jack.
- Tortillas: I use flour tortillas in this lasagna because my family prefers them. That being said, you can substitute corn tortillas, actual lasagna noodles or even do a layer of crushed tortilla chips.
How To Reheat Lasagna
To reheat a pan of lasagna from the refrigerator, cover it with foil, then bake at 350 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes.
To reheat a single slice of lasagna in the microwave, heat it on high for about 2 minutes. Check the center of the lasagna to see if it needs more heat. If it needs more heat, cook it a little longer in the microwave in 20 second increments.
This Mexican lasagna is a fun twist on a classic recipe. You’ll be amazed at how well all the Mexican flavors work in a lasagna. Give this recipe a try for a savory, cheesy meal that your whole family will love!
More Mexican recipes you’ll enjoy
Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
- 1/2 cup onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles drained
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 1/2 cup corn kernels fresh, thawed from frozen, or canned
- 16 ounce can refried beans
- 10 ounce can red enchilada sauce divided use
- 12 flour tortillas 8 inch size
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided use
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- cooking spray
- toppings such as pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the taco seasoning until the meat and onions are thoroughly coated.
- Add the green chiles, diced tomatoes and corn to the pan, then stir to mix everything together.
- Add the can of refried beans. Stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
- Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Cut the tortillas in half, and layer 6 tortilla halved to fit in the dish. Spread 1/3 of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Spread 1/3 of the bean and meat mixture over the cheese.
- Repeat the layers, ending with layers of tortillas, enchilada sauce, and the remaining cheese.
- Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.
- Sprinkle with cilantro. Add any desired toppings, then cut into squares and serve.
Donna B says
Has anyone tried this with black or pinto beans instead of refried beans? I’m not a huge fan of refried beans.
Candy Petersen says
I always use black beans. They work great!
Angie says
This is one of our faves!!
Debbie says
I modified this just a tiny bit ( I didn’t have enchiladas sauce, so I used salsa.) This was wonderful. I sliced my tortilla shells into 2-3 inch slices for easier serving. My family loved it !! So good . Thank you for sharing you wonderful recipe.
Ashley says
Can you freeze it after it’s assembled but before you bake it?
Sara says
That should work!
tammy m says
My family just loves this lasagna dinner this is my second time making it and every time I make it nothing is left it is very good dish and very easy to make we like this lasagna over the regular lasagna thanks for the recipe
Ang says
Delicious!
MmmmEnchiladas says
Haven’t tried it yet, but I LOVE your recipes. If it’s coming from your site, I know it will be a hit. Can I use tostada shells in place of the tortillas?
Sara says
Yes that’s fine!
Autumn Allen says
We love this, thank you, big hit and so easy!
Richard Pedretti-Allen says
The prep time is missing a 0. Other than that, this was great! Thanks!
Mika says
Very good and much easier than traditional lasagna. I didn’t have chilis or diced tomatoes, so I just threw in some salsa! Delicious 😋
Colleen says
Came out really yummy! One caveat with the recipe instructions though… in the layering instructions, I believe it should state to use 1/4 of the enchilada sauce, leaving enough for the top layer. I ran out of sauce to put on the top layer of tortillas! I made it work though! Great change up for dinner.
kathryn wujciak says
Excellent! We had ground beef to use up but we looking forward to trying with ground turkey. Mixed half cheddar and half pepper jack for the cheese. My husband woke up talking about it. I’ll put this one on repeat. Thank you and keep the great recipes coming!