Our easy Baked Tacos recipe is perfect for dinner any night, or for feeding a crowd, with crispy ready in under 30 minutes, that you can prep ahead of time.
Crispy Tacos are the easiest way to do taco night!
Crispy Tacos are the easiest way to do taco night!All you do is line a pan with crispy taco shells, fill them with taco meat, beans and cheese and bake them! Then add whatever toppings you like. They come together fast, which is a lifesaver on busy nights, and my whole family devours them. They actually make dinner feel fun and effortless.
It's no secret, I love tacos and have so many taco recipes on my site from Tacos Al Pastor and Korean Beef Tacos to Chicken Street Tacos and Fish Tacos.
How to make Baked Tacos:
Cook Taco Meat: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces. Drain grease, then add onion and sauté until softened. Stir in the dry spices, tomato sauce, and pinto beans. Simmer on low for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Assemble: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two 9×13-inch pan (or similar size pan) with taco shells, fill each with the beef mixture, and top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, then serve with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and Easy Homemade Salsa or Mango Salsa!
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Recipe
Baked Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey (454g)
- 1 small onion , chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 16 ounce can pinto beans , or black beans
- 20 hard tacos shells
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (170g)
- 1 romaine heart , thinly shredded
- 2 roma tomatoes , chopped
- salsa and sour cream , for topping, optional
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into very small pieces until browned. Remove grease. Add onion and saute for a few minutes. Stir in the dry spices.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 small onion, 1 Tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon Dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add tomato sauce and pinto beans and stir to combine. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.8 ounces tomato sauce, 16 ounce can pinto beans
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 9×13'' pans with the taco shells (or us a larger baking sheet to fit more).20 hard tacos shells
- Spoon taco mixture into tacos. Top with cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes.1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Top with a little bit of lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream and salsa, if desired.1 romaine heart, 2 roma tomatoes, salsa and sour cream
Notes
Macros Recipe Adaptation
1 lb. ground turkey, 16 oz. black beans, Mexican cheese.Per Serving Amount
98.3 grams meat mixture, 2 hard taco shells, ⅛ cup cheese, ¼ cup lettuce, 6 grams tomatoes.Macros
330 kcal, Fat: 15g, Carbs: 26g, Protein: 21g (serves 10) | MFP: Baked Tacos (TBFS Macros)Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe February 2016. Updated January 2021 and August 2025.
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I made baked tacos once, but the bottom of the shells got soft and fell apart. Bummer! I drained everything well before filling the shells. Any suggestions?
I have found that the “store brand” hard shells are thinner and flimsy-er, be sure to use a name brand for shells.
Also, when you brown the ground beef ALONG with draining it, put a couple of paper towels down and pour the ground beef on them
to absorb all the juice.
Lauren, what brand of corn hard taco shells do you like best for this baked recipe? Thank you!
I usually use Old El Paso 🙂
I make these pretty often. I remember my sister LOVING hard shell tacos when i was a kid but i was rather ambivalent about them. I really like them this way. I made them for probably the 5th time last night and my kindergartener kid raved about how much she loved them. 🙂
Thanks for the great week night meal!
Thanks for these recipes. My super picky kids loved the baked tacos.
Love your site. I was completely tired of the same old meals. These tacos were a huge hit my family.
Thank you Nicole! I’m so happy I could help with the dinner “rut” we all get in sometimes. Thanks for following TBFS!
My family does not like the hard tacos. Do you think soft tortillas would work? Such a great concept!
Hi Nancy, My only worry with soft tortillas is that the bottoms may get soft/soggy when you put the filling in and bake them….but it could work. I haven’t tried it to say for sure. But let me know if you do!
The whole family loved them. So glad to find a new taco recipe.
I really like the way these turn out compared to separately heating taco shells and then adding ground beef. This is way better. Another fabulous recipe. Thank you
These look so yummy! Cannot wait to try!
I’ve never tried baking tacos before, but I love this idea! 😀 These look delicious!