I’m cooking up a big pan of Mexican Lasagna tonight, my friends. Would you care for a slice? I think you’re going to love this recipe. If you’re looking for your new favorite comfort food that’s filled with lots of gooey cheese and spicy ingredients, this one is for you.
What is Mexican Lasagna?
“Mexican Lasagna” is essentially a mashup recipe of Italian lasagna made with traditional Mexican ingredients. It isn’t necessarily a “lasagna” as you might know it, but more of a Mexican casserole, definitely with an American influence. Instead of using lasagna noodles, we’re using corn tortillas, which makes it quite different in texture. We use Mexican style cheeses, or other melty cheeses available to you. The ground beef, which you’ll often find with Italian lasagna in America, is seasoned with ancho, cumin, and Mexican oregano, and we’re also using black beans and corn to really round it out. If you enjoy the flavors of Mexican food, this will definitely appeal to you. It’s easy to spice up as you’d like, with other peppers and spices, and easy to customize to your own flavor preference. Get ready for some good eating, my friends! Let’s talk about how to make Mexican lasagna, shall we?
Mexican Lasagna Ingredients
Olive Oil. For Cooking.Vegetables. Onion, jalapenos, garlic. You can use hotter peppers or canned green chiles if you’d like. Use bell peppers for a milder version.Ground Beef. You can also use ground turkey, pork, or chicken.Seasonings. Use ancho powder (or use an American chili powder blend), Mexican oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt and black pepper.Fire Roasted Tomatoes. You can also use enchilada sauce or your favorite salsa for this recipe, or diced tomatoes.Black Beans. You can use pinto beans, or refried beans as a variation.Corn. Fresh corn is ideal, but frozen corn or canned corn work just as nicely her.Corn Tortillas. Flour tortillas are good as well, though I prefer corn tortillas for this recipe.Shredded Cheese. Use a Mexican blend of melty cheese, or use cheddar, Monterey Jack and/or pepper jack.For Serving. Spicy chili flakes, fresh chopped cilantro, hot sauce or your favorite taco sauce (plus your favorites, such as sour cream, pico de gallo, guacamole).
How to Make Mexican Lasagna - the Recipe Method
Preheat Your Oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peppers, Onion, Garlic. Heat the oil in a large pan, then add the onion and jalapeno peppers. Cook them down for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant. It smells so good! Ground Beef. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 7-8 minutes, or until the meat is browned and cooked mostly through. Seasonings, Tomatoes, Black Beans. Stir in the seasonings, fire roasted tomatoes, black beans and corn. Mix it all together. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes to let the flavors develop. You can simmer longer if you’d like. I like to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to really let the flavors meld - so much better this way. Layer the Casserole. Spread half of the meat and bean mixture to the bottom of a lightly oiled 9x13 casserole dish. Top evenly with 6 corn tortillas, then half the shredded cheese. Spoon the remainder of the meat mixture over the tortillas, then top with the remaining tortillas, then shredded cheese. Bake the “Lasagna”. Bake the casserole for 15 minutes, or until the cheeses are nicely melted. Your baking time can vary depending on the oven and thickness of the casserole, so be sure to bake as long as needed. Top and Serve. Top with your favorite toppings and serve. Boom! Done! Your delicious “Mexican Lasagna” is ready to serve. Looks wonderful, doesn’t it? I’m ready to dig in! Save a couple pieces for me, please.
Best Toppings for Mexican Lasagna
What are your favorite toppings? I love to keep it simple with some spicy hot sauce, chili flakes and fresh herbs, but it’s great with homemade guacamole, a dollop of sour cream to tame the heat, maybe a few spoonsful of pico de gallo. I’d love to hear some your favorites! How are you serving yours?
Recipe Tips & Notes
Use Lasagna Noodles. For even more of a twist and make it more like Italian lasagna, use cooked lasagna noodles in place of the corn tortillas. So good this way, too!Recipe Variations. You can include other ingredients, such as refried beans in place of black beans, or use a good homemade taco seasoning blend in place of my chosen seasonings. You can also use other grounds meats instead of ground beef, such as ground turkey, pork, or chicken. Or use a combo.Extra Cheesy. You can easily use more cheese with this recipe. I use 3 cups, but there is room for more. Add in an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of cheese in the first layer and on the top and you’ve got yourself a wonderfully cheesy Mexican casserole. Comfort food extraordinaire!
That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Mexican lasagna recipe. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you, and if you decided to spice it up!
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
Chicken Enchilada Casserole VerdeHuevos Rancheros Casserole - So good!Chile Relleno CasseroleHomemade King Ranch Casserole
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
title: “Mexican Lasagna” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-21” author: “Mary Kiewiet”
Mexican Lasagna Sauce ingredients
Let’s jump right into what makes this the BEST Mexican Lasagna recipe. It’s all about the sauce. And let’s be honest, not all sauces are created equal; store-bought sauces are all too often bland, watery, too tomato-y, and lacking depth – but not this sauce! It’s bursting with bold, rich smoky south-of-the-border depth with a hint of mole flair. The ingredient list might look lengthy, but they are pantry friendly, dump and simmer ingredients. You will need:
Chili powder: is where most of the flavor comes from so please use a quality brand such as McCormick. Note that American chili powder is NOT cayenne pepper which it can sometimes be confused for internationally. Chili powder is a blend of seasoning and 8X less spicy than cayenne pepper. Seasonings: In addition to chili powder, the enchilada sauce is seasoned with ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt and cayenne pepper. They all work together to create a deep, satisfying complexity. Tomato paste: adds the signature tomato flavor and slight tanginess. Flour: is used to make a roux with the oil/butter to thicken the sauce. You can use all-purpose flour or all-purpose gluten free flour. Chicken broth: forms the base of the sauce. You may substitute with vegetable broth but it is not as flavorful. Cocoa Powder + sugar: this is an easy substitute for Mexican chocolate which I’m pretty sure most of you don’t keep stocked. It adds a depth of flavor you will LOVE. Apple cider vinegar: awakes the flavors of the sauce. You may substitute with distilled white vinegar.
Mexican Lasagna Casserole ingredients
The Mexican Lasagna is loaded with juicy beef, tomatoes, beans, corn, olives and green chilies. This satisfying cast of characters are added directly to the enchilada sauce so the instantly are pumped with flavor and save you from extra layering. You will need:
Ground beef. I recommend using 85-90% lean Angus beef for the best flavor. Angus meat is known for being more tender, marbled, and flavorful than regular beef. Aromatics: the complexity of the flavor profile begins with the aromatics. You will need 1 chopped yellow onion and 4-6 garlic cloves. Fire roasted diced tomatoes. Are located next to the traditional diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes are NOT spicy – the fire simply means they have been roasted which gives them a complex smokiness. If you can’t find fire roasted diced tomatoes, then traditional diced tomatoes work just fine. Beans: I LOVE the addition of pinto beans to create irresistible creamy textural interest that complements the Mexican Lasagna without fighting it. You may also substitute with black beans but they don’t offer the same creamy satisfaction. If you choose black beans, I would add them to the sauce earlier with the diced tomatoes so they have time to simmer and soften a bit. Corn: I prefer frozen sweet corn as opposed to canned as frozen corn is packaged at peak sweetness, but you can substitute canned if that’s all you have on hand. Olives: I am not a huge fan of olives but I think they are awesome in this Mexican Lasagna recipe. You will need one 6. oz. can chopped black olives or you can go wild and use two cans. Chopped green chiles: these come from a can and add a subtle tang. Take care you choose MILD chopped green chiles because the hot can is HOT. Mild green chiles, however are more tangy than hot so you don’t have to worry about them making your lasagna spicy.
Mexican Style Lasagna Filling ingredients
Just like traditional lasagna requires the contrasting creamy ricotta filling to cut through the rich Bolognese, Mexican Lasagna rejoices with a creamy respite made with sour cream, cream cheese and salsa verde:
Sour Cream: cuts through the rich meaty sauce with its slightly tangy undertones. Full fat sour cream boasts more flavor than nonfat, but I’m sure nonfat would still work great sandwiched in between the layers. For full disclosure, I have not tried the filling with Greek Yogurt but I think it would also work great. Cream cheese: thickens the sour cream and creates an extra creamy filling. As far as nonfat, same as above, full fat has more flavor but nonfat will work as well. Salsa verde: pumps up the creamy filling with a punch of bright, citrusy, tanginess to both complement and balance the enchilada sauce. You can use my amazing Homemade Salsa Verde recipe or store bought, such as mild Herdez. If you need ways to use up your leftover salsa verde, try my readers favorite salsa verde honey lime chicken enchiladas, crockpot salsa verde honey lime chicken, salsa verde macaroni and cheese, enchiladas verdes or crockpot salsa verde chicken tortilla soup.
Swap protein: You can use ground turkey or ground chicken. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken and stir it in at the end once the sauce has thickened. Swap beans: swap the pinto beans for black beans or replace them with layers of refried beans. Add vegetables: zucchini, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, jalapenos, etc. – pick your favs! You will want to swap some of the meat for extra veggies. Swap cheese. Use more or less cheese – and when I say “more or less,” I, of course, mean more. You can also swap the type of cheese but be aware this will change the flavor profile. If you love spicy, consider using Pepper Jack cheese. Spice it up. If you love heat, you have a few options to spice up it up: 1) add additional cayenne pepper to the sauce, 2) add hot sauce to the sauce, 3) add chopped, pickled jalapenos to the filling, 4) add minced chipotle peppers to the filling 5) swap the Monterrey for Pepper Jack. Alternatively, you can allow everyone to control the spice level of their own portion by passing around a bottle of hot sauce.
Bring the sauce to a simmer and continue to simmer, stirring often, until it thickens, 10-15 minutes. After the sauce has thickened, stir in apple cider vinegar, beans, corn, olives and remove from heat. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the lightly greased 9×13 pan (layer will be thin). Make a layer of lasagna noodles by placing 4 noodles lengthwise and part of a 5th noodle on top to cover. Take care you pat your noodles dry after soaking before layering. Spread ¾ cup Cream Filling evenly over top. Top with 1 cup combined cheeses. Repeat layers using two cups meat mixture (instead of 1), 4+ noodles, ¾ Creamy Filling and 1 cup cheeses two more times for a total of 3 complete layers. To finish, top with remaining meat sauce followed by remaining cheese.
INTERNATIONAL WARNING: American Chili powder is a blend of chilies, cumin, garlic powder, and herbs with a ratio of one-part cayenne to seven parts the other spices. Chili powders sold in other parts of the world, however, are 100% cayenne pepper and 8X hotter than chili powder! So, please use American-style chili powder to make this recipe or your mouth will be on FIRE! Pre-measure seasonings. Measure out seasonings before you start cooking. You will want to add the seasonings all at once with the flour – and since there are quite a few -it is helpful to measure them out first so you don’t have to stop and overcook the beef. Don’t skip cocoa! The sugar, cocoa powder and the cinnamon (simulating Mexican chocolate) really enhance the authentic enchilada sauce recipe so please don’t skip them! Use MILD green chiles. Chopped green chiles and add a subtle tang but are not spicy unless you accidentally purchase the ones labeled “hot.” Learn from my mistake and double check that your can says “mild.” Control consistency. For a thicker meat sauce, simmer the sauce longer to reduce and thicken. If you want thinner sauce, simply don’t simmer the sauce as long. If you’re past that point, stir in chicken broth or water a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Customize ingredients. You can customize the add-ins with any vegetables you like (see ideas to follow) or other add-ins such as pickled jalapenos. Toppings! Top your Mexican Lasagna with all or some of your favorite toppings such as sour cream or Greek yogurt (highly recommend), cilantro, jalapenos, avocados, tomatoes, black olives, etc.
Salsa. Every Mexican meal needs chips and salsa! Go simple with my epic restaurant style salsa or try my roasted salsa verde, black bean corn salsa, avocado corn salsa, charred corn salsa, pineapple salsa, or mango salsa. Salad. The comforting casserole loves the contrast of a bright, fresh salad. You can go as simple as a green salad and toss in some crushed tortilla chips and black beans or go big with southwest salad, or corn salad. Vegetables. You can jam all your veggies into the salad or serve salad along with or in addition to elote (Mexican Grilled Street Corn – AH-mazing) grilled corn on the cob, baked asparagus, roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted butternut squash. Fruit. Keep it simple and serve this Mexican Lasagna recipe with your favorite fruit such as pineapple, cantaloupe, or grapes or amp it up with any of these fabulous options: pina colada fruit salad, fruit salad with honey lime vinaigrette, grape salad, winter fruit salad, or caramelized grilled pineapple. Dessert! Finish off your homemade Mexican fiesta with churros or Tres Leches Cake for the win!
TOPPING IDEAS:
More olives! I purchase two cans of olives and use one for topping. Sour cream or Greek yogurt: the bright tangy creaminess cuts through and compliments the earthy flavor profile. Tomatoes: quartered cherry tomatoes or seeded, chopped Roma tomatoes or skip the plain tomatoes and use pico de gallo. Pico de gallo: is fresh tomato salsa that adds a vibrant, punchy freshness. You can use my homemade pico de de gallo recipe or store bought. You can make the pico de gallo ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cilantro: if you skip the pico de gallo, you can load on fresh cilantro and tomatoes instead for a fresh, zesty flair. Avocados: chopped or sliced avocados. Guacamole: use my homemade guacamole recipe (amazing!), your favorite recipe or even use store bought. Lettuce: shredded iceberg or Romaine lettuces offers a delightful contrasting crunch. Hot Sauce: pass around the hot sauce so individuals can customize the heat.
Mexican Lasagna Casserole faqs
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