This Mexican Tater Tot Casserole is a delicious, easy-to-make weeknight meal! It's packed with ground beef, peppers, and of course tater tots! And it's all topped off with delicious melted cheese. You're going to love this hot dish, it's an easy casserole recipe!
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Best Mexican tater tot casserole
I'm a big fan of tacos and that's what brought this taco-inspired tater tot casserole to fruition! And, it's a great kid-friendly dinner, perfect for an easy weeknight meal. Like the Stuffed Pepper Casserole, this is great recipe for feeding a crowd.
Dan and I love the TexMex flavors. I'm a big fan of topping my serving with sour cream, tomatoes, olives and sliced jalapeños. Dan likes his straight from the pan.
These are ingredients I always keep on-hand. Knowing you have dinner in the bag (or in the pantry and freezer in this case, LOL!) makes life that much easier!! It's perfect for back-to-school or will be a favorite at your next potluck. Good stuff!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card.
- You can substitute ground beef for ground turkey or chicken if you'd prefer.
- I use store-bought queso for this recipe, but if you have some homemade queso, that would be amazing!
- Use a packet of taco seasoning, or 2 tablespoons of your Taco Seasoning Mix.
- Colby Jack is terrific - Cheddar, or Pepper Jack Cheese can be sub'd as well.
Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 ounces taco seasoning 2 packets
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup queso con salsa
- ½ cup water
- 1-½ cups colby jack cheese freshly grated
- 4 cups frozen tater tots
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add the ground beef, diced onion and bell pepper. Brown ground beef. Cook for 5 minutes, until the meat has no more pink and the onions are soft.
- Add the taco seasoning, water, corn and Queso and stir thoroughly.
- Cook about 2 minutes - until bubbly, then add 1 cup of the grated cheese.
- Stir to combine then empty contents of skillet into a lightly greased 9x13” casserole dish.
- Place a single layer of tater tots on top of the casserole to totally cover the ground beef mixture evenly.
- Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, until bubbly on the sides and golden brown.
- Remove, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place back in the oven. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with your favorite toppings: chopped tomatoes, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, olives, etc.
Notes
Storage
Store this casserole in the refridgerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container or tightly sealed with plastic wrap. This meal freezes well up to 2 months. If you're making it in advance and freezing, I recommend assembling the casserole, wrapping it with aluminum foil and then freezing it before baking. When you're ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and then bake as directed. Reheat - To reheat, simply bake the casserole in a 350-degree oven until heated through. You may need to add an extra 5-10 minutes of baking time if it's coming straight from the freezer.Love this recipe? Join the free membership group!
Nutrition
Creative variations to try
- You can swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or even shredded chicken.
- If you don't like queso, you could use salsa, homemade red enchilada sauce, or chile verde sauce would be terrific too!
- For a spicer casserole, you can add in some diced jalapeno peppers or green chiles.
- You can also black beans or pinto beans to the meat mixture in this casserole for an extra boost of protein and fiber.
- For a vegetarian casserole replace the ground beef with your favorite beans or a refried bean mixture.
Step-by-step instructions
This is an overview of the instructions for this easy tater tot recipe.
FAQ's
Tater tot casserole is popular in the Midwest, but it's enjoyed all over the country!
Yes! You can easily make this recipe ahead of time. Simply assemble the casserole, cover it, and refrigerate. When you're ready to bake, allow the casserole to come to room temperature and then bake as directed.
A casserole is typically a dish that has protein, vegetables, and starch all in one. A hot dish is similar but usually has a creamy sauce or soup as the base. Though sometimes they are the same depending on where you live.
Deb’s tips for the perfect dish
There is no need to thaw the tater tots. If they aren't crispy enough, place the casserole under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp them up.
- I prefer to use cheese that I've shredded myself because it melts better. However, if you only have pre-shredded cheese that's okay.
More tater tot casserole recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole - all the flavors of your favorite snack in casserole form!
- Chicken Tater Tot Casserole - creamy chicken with crispy tots, yum!
- Pizza Tater Tot Casserole - super simple and so tasty, this tater tot casserole is perfect for movie night.
- Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole - we love this dish!
- Tachos the BEST Tater Tot Nachos - love that taco flavor
- Big Mac Casserole - so good and this one feeds a crowd!
More recipes you’ll love
Next time you are in the market for a few casseroles to make, pop on over and browse my casserole recipes. If you're looking for comfort food, this is the place to start!
Perfect pairings: what to serve with
Be sure to have a bowl of tortilla chips to pass!
- Start your meal with a bowl of this Authentic Posole Recipe. It's an amazing rich soup!
- You could also serve this Mexican casserole with a side of these Copycat Chiptole Black Beans for a flavorful side dish that tastes just like the restaurant.
- Be sure to have plenty of tortilla chips and salsa on hand.
Still hungry? Check this out for what to serve with Tater Tot Casserole!
What's your favorite part of this yummy casserole? I'd love to hear it in your comments below!
Casserole Gal says
To add to my review now that I have made this a few times...I have found that baking this at 400° gives a better crisp to the Tater Tots...but then all ovens bake a little different 😉🤔
Debra Clark says
Great feedback, thank you for sharing!!
Casserole Gal says
I made this for Cinco de Mayo 2025 and it was a delicious hit...will be making it often by family request!!!
I read the entire post, so added in some of the suggested ingredients...such as a can of chopped green chilies, a can of rinsed and drained black beans, and combination of self-shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.
Served it with tortilla chips for crunch, and a simple salad of tomatoes, red onion and crisp lettuce with a lime vinaigrette dressing...sooooo good 😉😊😋
Debra Clark says
Thanks so much for sharing your additions Donna - they sound absolutely amazing! Your family is going to enjoy some goooood eats!!!
Krista says
Made this tonight and Wow! It was amazing! I didn’t realize it said 2 packets of taco seasoning I only had 1 at it seemed like the perfect amount.
Thank you for sharing!
Bowl Me Over says
Wonderful! I'm so glad you found a great recipe and made it your own. We love the Taco Tater Tot Casserole!!
Camden Rusincovitch says
This is one of the best tater tot recipes I've had in a long time! Very happy to have found this, thank you for sharing! 🙂
Alyssa says
This looks amazing. I can't wait to try out this tater tot casserole recipe!
Kristen M Yard says
So funny! I have a bag of tater tots in the freezer that needs to be used up, and I wasn't sure what to do with it! Definitely going to try this tater tot casserole recipe!
Bowl Me Over says
Wonderful, enjoy Kristen! This one is always a winner. We just love this recipe!
Brittany says
So many tater tot recipes!
Cynthia Rusincovitch says
Never met a tater tot recipe I didn't like. LOL! Seriously I love tater tots and so do my kids. I might actually get my picky eater to try this one!