This Tortilla Pie layers refried beans, taco beef, salsa, and melted cheese between tortillas. Layer, bake, and top with your favorite taco toppings!
Taco Tortilla Pie
This Tortilla Pie was a staple in my home growing up. My mom, known for this recipe, often made two or three to feed our family of nine—there was never a bite left.
Though she didn’t create it, she put her own spin on it, switching between chicken, vegetarian, or beef (my favorite).
Why she made it so often:
- Everyone loved it (not always easy with nine people!).
- It uses fewer than 10 ingredients.
- Quick prep—assembling the pies takes minutes.
- It’s versatile—add toppings for extra flair, or keep it simple for a quick, tasty meal.
Quick Tip
Try some of my mom’s other “famous” recipes: Carmelitas (chocolate, caramel, and oat bars), Ice Cream Pie, or this simple French Bread Taco Pizza!
Tortilla Pie Ingredients
Below are the main ingredients in this layered taco-flavored Tortilla Pie:
- Tortillas: TortillaLand® unbaked tortillas are a favorite.
- Lean ground beef: 93/7 blend works well, but ground turkey also works.
- Taco seasoning: Old El Paso’s seasoning mix is my favorite.
- Enchilada or tomato sauce: Enchilada sauce is the top pick.
- Cheese: Queso Quesadilla® is the best for this pie, staying smooth. A Mexican cheese blend is a good alternative.
- Salsa: Use your favorite salsa—mild for less heat, or hot for more kick.
- Refried beans: Choose a brand you like or find fresh refried beans.
Shortcuts
- Garlic. We love Dorot’s® cubes which have crushed garlic that you can keep handy in the freezer and pop into this (and other) recipes when needed. (Check if your local store carries them; they’re usually found with frozen veggies in the grocery store.) Another option is to use refrigerated minced garlic.
- Pre-grated cheese: I will often advocate for freshly grating cheese as it usually turns out best, but this is one recipe where the already grated cheese works great — lifesaver recipe lovers, rejoice!
- Microwaving: My mom would microwave the tortilla pie and then broil it at the end; I like to do a combination of this too! Because even though a recipe comes together quickly, who has time to wait for 30-45 minutes of baking?!
How To Make A Taco Pie With Tortillas
A few quick tips:
- Sear the beef for a few minutes before crumbling and browning completely—this adds flavor.
- If using unbaked tortillas, cook them in a skillet first (they won’t cook through in the pie). Pre-cooked tortillas can be used as is.
- Gently compress the pie with each new tortilla layer.
Toppings To Choose From
Once the Tortilla Pie is baked, slice it out (like a pie) and serve with some creamy additions.
- Chopped cherry tomatoes, salsa, or pico de gallo
- Mango salsa or a similar fruity salsa (my mom’s favorite addition!)
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Fresh lime wedges
- Avocado or guacamole
- Taco sauce or hot sauce
- Sour cream (fat-free or low-fat works great!)
- Sliced black olives
Variations
Different Ways To Make Tortilla Pie
- Vegetarian: When my mom really wanted to make this quick, she’d simply leave off the beef and just alternate layers of refried beans, salsa, and cheese. Sometimes she’d add in drained and rinsed black beans with about 1/2 cup frozen corn in layers atop the refried beans.
- Chicken: To replace the beef with chicken, prepare the chicken from this Rotisserie Chicken Tacos recipe (feel free to replace all the individual spices with a packet of taco seasoning) and layer this saucy chicken in place of the beef.
- Use homemade ingredients: If you prefer to make your own seasoning mixes (and have a few extra minutes), try this homemade Taco Seasoning recipe; it’s our favorite! Or you if you happen to have some leftover homemade Salsa, use that in place of store-bought.
- Jazz it up some more: If you aren’t in a hurry, you can add more flavor to this pie by sautéing 1 cup of diced yellow onion with the beef. You could also add in 1-2 tablespoons diced jalapeños or fire-roasted green chiles.
- Spice levels: For a lightly seasoned dish, use a mild salsa (one you know is mild, or taste it first to ensure mildness), mild enchilada sauce (or tomato sauce), and a mild taco seasoning packet. For a spicier Tortilla Pie, use medium or hot salsa, medium or hot enchilada sauce, and a medium or hot taco seasoning packet. You could also add 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper to the beef mixture.
More Mexican-Inspired Favorites
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas with rotisserie chicken
- Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad on tostada shells
- Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl made in ONE skillet
- Mexican Chickpeas with a delicious green sauce
- Turkey Picadillo with golden potatoes
Tortilla Pie
Tortilla Pie is a deliciously simple dish! Layers of tortillas, refried beans, taco-seasoned beef, salsa, and melty cheese, baked to perfection. Just add your favorite taco toppings!
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93/7
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic optional
- 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce or tomato sauce
- 4 flour tortillas 10-inch, see note 1
- 1-1/2 cups mild salsa
- 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
- 8 ounces Queso Quesadilla® or Mexican-blend cheese, see note 2
- Toppings as desired see note 3
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Spray a pie pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Once oil is hot, add in beef. Let beef sear (brown), about 1 minute per side, before crumbling with a wooden spoon and browning all the way through. Drain off any grease (if needed), then reduce heat to medium. Add taco seasoning mix and garlic. Mix through until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add enchilada sauce. Scrape the bottom of the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until nicely thickened, about 2–3 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Place a tortilla into the pie pan. Spread with 1/3 can refried beans, 1/3 of the taco meat, 1/2 cup salsa (135g), and 1/3 of the cheese (just eyeball all these additions). Repeat these layers 3 times, finishing with a tortilla on top. Microwave for 2 minutes, then transfer to the oven and bake 10–15 minutes or until cheese is gooey and melted.
- Remove from oven and cut into wedges. Serve with desired toppings (see note 3).
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I love these unbaked tortillas by TortillaLand® (not sponsored). They are generally found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near shredded cheeses. You’ll need to quickly cook them up in a skillet before layering them in the casserole dish. Otherwise use pre-cooked tortillas.
Note 2: I have tried just about every single cheese in this pie over the years, and Queso Quesadilla® wins by a landslide! It’s also one of the few pre-grated cheeses that doesn’t get clumpy in the pie. A Mexican cheese blend is a good alternative if you aren’t able to find this specific cheese.
Note 3: Try some of these toppings: sour cream, guacamole, fresh cilantro, lime, and/or cherry tomatoes.
Storage: Store the tortilla pie by covering it with plastic wrap or placing it in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.6g | Protein: 28.4g | Fat: 18.4g | Cholesterol: 83.1mg | Sodium: 1494.3mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 3.1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
