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Baked Tex-Mex casserole topped with cheddar, beef, corn, tomatoes, and black olives, with tortillas and garnishes nearby.

Tex-Mex Casserole

The tortillas soften into the chili-seasoned layers as this casserole bubbles in the oven. A cool spoonful of sour cream over each hot serving makes the cheesy beef taste even richer.

By Betty Lou Gardner1 hr 10 minUpdated 2026-08-25

This Tex-Mex Casserole layers lightly fried corn tortillas with a saucy chili-seasoned beef mixture, cheddar cheese, and finely chopped onion. Cool lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, and sour cream are added to each hot serving for the contrast that makes this family-style casserole so satisfying.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

I fry the tortillas just long enough to soften them because crisp tortillas never layer very nicely in a casserole like this. A spoonful of cold sour cream over a hot serving is what brings the whole thing together.

How to Make Tex-Mex Casserole

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Ground beef browning with diced white onion in a large skillet.
01

Brown the Beef

Cook the ground beef with most of the finely diced onion until browned, then drain the excess fat and season it.

Glossy chili-seasoned ground beef sauce simmering in a skillet with a wooden spoon.
02

Make the Chili Sauce

Stir the flour and red chili powder into the beef, then add water and simmer until the mixture is smooth, glossy, and saucy.

Corn tortilla frying briefly in shallow oil while softened tortillas drain on paper towels.
03

Fry the Tortillas Softly

Lightly fry the corn tortillas for only a few seconds per side so they become soft and flexible, not crisp.

Unbaked casserole layered with corn tortillas, seasoned beef, cheddar cheese, and diced white onion.
04

Layer the Casserole

Build three layers of tortillas, beef chili mixture, cheddar cheese, and the reserved finely diced onion.

Baked casserole with melted cheddar, beef, tomatoes, corn, and black olives positioned near a wood fire.
05

Bake and Rest

Bake until the cheese melts, the edges bubble, and the center is hot, then rest the casserole so the layers settle.

06

Top and Serve

Cut the casserole into squares and add lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, and cold sour cream to each hot serving.

Baked Tex-Mex casserole topped with cheddar, beef, corn, tomatoes, and black olives, with tortillas and garnishes nearby.

Tex-Mex Casserole

The tortillas soften into the chili-seasoned layers as this casserole bubbles in the oven. A cool spoonful of sour cream over each hot serving makes the cheesy beef taste even richer.

By Betty Lou Gardner

Prep15 minCook45 minTotal1 hr 10 minDifficultyEasy
PrintReview

Ingredients

Scale

Scaling note: Scaling is withheld until recipe-specific quantities, method safety, and instruction synchronization are verified.

Tex-Mex Casserole

Toppings

Instructions

  1. 2 pounds ground beef, ¾ onion, garlic salt, onion salt
  2. 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons red chili powder, 1½ cups water, plus more as needed
  3. 18 corn tortillas, ½ cup oil, plus more as needed
  4. 18 tortillas, beef mixture, 1 pound cheddar, ¼ onion
  6. lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, sour cream

Nutrition (Approximate Per Serving)

Yield

8 servings — Serving size: 1 square

Some ingredients could not be modeled and may meaningfully change the totals. Treat these values as a rough estimate.

Calories
710
Carbohydrates
29 g
Protein
36 g
Fat
50.5 g
Saturated Fat
20 g
Cholesterol
140 mg
Sodium
530 mg
Fiber
4.5 g
Total Sugars
1.5 g

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Betty Lou Gardner

Betty Lou Gardner

Betty Lou Gardner’s family recipes are preserved in Granny’s Recipe Box.

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