Cornbread Taco Bake
Craving a comforting, no-fuss dinner that’s big on flavor but light on effort? This Cornbread Taco Bake delivers a savory, cheesy mashup of zesty taco meat, fluffy cornbread, and melty cheese, all baked to golden perfection. With minimal prep and maximum crowd appeal, it’s a weeknight winner. Just add your favorite toppings!
This Jiffy cornbread taco bake ticks all the right boxes – bold Southwestern flavors, effortless preparation, and weeknight-friendly convenience. It’s the kind of meal that feels indulgent but comes together without a fuss. It’s baked in a 9×13-inch dish, which is generous enough for large family dinners with leftovers to spare. And since the flavors deepen overnight, it’s even more delicious for next-day lunches or dinners.
For more fun taco mashups, try my Taco Dogs, Taco Sloppy Joes, or Burger Tacos.
What is cornbread taco bake?
This hearty casserole combines two favorites into one easy dish – savory taco fillings and sweet, fluffy cornbread. A flavorful layer of seasoned ground beef and diced tomatoes gets topped with creamy cornbread batter, creating the perfect balance of textures and flavors.
Inspired by classic Mexican ingredients, it’s a complete meal on its own, with protein, carbs, and cheesy goodness in every bite. Top it off with shredded lettuce, black olives, salsa, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of taco sauce.
Ingredients needed to make taco cornbread bake
- Lean ground beef: Provides savory, meaty flavor and texture. You could use ground turkey or chicken instead.
- Rotel tomatoes: Adds a slightly spicy flavor. You can substitute it with plain diced tomatoes and seeded jalapeños. Make sure to drain the Rotel tomatoes or the taco bake will be overly runny.
- Taco seasoning: This is my go-to seasoning for most Mexican-inspired dishes. It infuses bold, smoky, and spicy flavors. Feel free to use a homemade taco seasoning blend or low-sodium packets to reduce the salt in this dish.
- Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix: Creates a sweet, crumbly cornbread topping and is super convenient.
- Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature. They bind the cornbread, adding structure to your Mexican cornbread casserole.
- Milk: This provides the right amount of flavorful moisture to the cornbread. Buttermilk can be used for tanginess.
- Sour cream: Brings creamy richness to the cornbread mix and is a delicious topping option. Plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute.
- Cheese: I’ve used grated Sharp Cheddar cheese and shredded Pepper Jack cheese in this taco bake recipe. The sharp cheddar adds a tangy flavor while the Pepper Jack adds mild heat and creaminess. Feel free to use Colby, Monterey Jack, or Mozzarella.
- Toppings: My favorite toppings for this cornbread taco bake include shredded lettuce, black olives (optional),salsa, fresh cilantro, and taco sauce. You can switch these up to suit your preferences.
How do you make this cornbread taco bake?
Prep and preheat:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Set the baking dish aside.
Cook the ground beef:
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet until it is browned, breaking it up as you cook it.
- Drain any excess fat.
Season the beef
- Add the taco seasoning and ½ of the recommended amount of water from the package directions.
- Cook the beef over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated.
Prepare the cornbread batter
- Combine the Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, eggs, milk, and ½ of the cup of sour cream in a large bowl until combined. Don’t overmix it.
Assemble the bake
- Transfer the cooked meat to the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it out in an even layer.
- Top the beef with the drained Rotel tomatoes, then spread the cornbread mixture over the top in a smooth layer. It’s OK if some tomatoes peek through.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and Pepper Jack over the top (reserving some for the toppings).
Bake:
- Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until set in the middle.
Cool & serve:
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting it into squares.
- Top the cut casserole with the remaining sour cream, lettuce, cheese, olives, salsa, and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.
- Serve the taco sauce on the side if you like.
Serving
This hearty Mexican cornbread casserole is a complete meal on its own – packed with savory beef, melted cheese, and sweet cornbread. For a fresh contrast, pair it with a crisp Greenhouse salad or crunchy veggie sticks and your favorite dipping sauce.
If you’re craving something sweet afterward, try our light and fluffy Cinnamon Roll Cake or keep in the theme of Mexican-inspired food and enjoy a scoop of this Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze individual portions (once fully cooled) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven, covered with foil, to restore that freshly baked texture.
- Make-ahead: You can prep this whole dish and pop it into the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. You may need to add some extra baking time if the taco bake is fridge cold.
- Serve toppings separately: Set out all the toppings and let your guests garnish their slices however they like – this makes it a fun and interactive meal.
- Double the recipe: Easily double this recipe when serving to a larger crowd.
- Cheese substitutes: Use Colby, Monterey Jack, or Mozzarella.
- Veggie add-ins: Add corn, diced jalapeno for a kick of heat, or onion.
- Meaty twist: Add chopped bacon, ham, shredded chicken, ground sausage, ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Kick of heat: For an extra kick of heat, add in cayenne pepper or additional chili powder, separate from the taco seasoning.
- Crunchy toppings: A sprinkle of seasoned breadcrumbs or Ritz crackers over the shredded cheese topping is great for a golden brown finish and for a slight crunch.
- Check for doneness: Touch the top of the casserole in the middle with your finger. If it is firm, it’s cooked. If it’s still jiggly, it needs more baking time.
- Rest to set: Let the taco bake rest to firm up and to allow the cheese topping to cool slightly so that the fresh toppings don’t wilt or turn soggy. It’ll also allow for cleaner slices.
More Tex-Mex bakes you may want to try:
- Cake Pan Layered Enchilada Bake
- Mexican Ground Turkey Olive Pasta Bake
- Mexican Sweet Potato Quinoa Casserole
- Taco Casserole with Fritos
Get the Recipe:
Cornbread Taco Bake
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 10 oz cans Rotel, or diced tomatoes with green chilis, drained
- 1 packet of taco seasoning
- 2 8.5 ounce Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ cup sour cream, divided
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated, divided
- 1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, grated
Toppings:
- 2 cups lettuce, finely shredded
- ½ cup black olives, drained and sliced (optional)
- 1 cup salsa
- Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- Taco sauce
Equipment
- Large skillet (Everyone should have a cast iron skillet!)
- 9×13 baking dish (I like to use a ceramic baking dish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large skillet, cook the brown beef until browned, breaking it into small pieces. Drain off any fat.
- Add taco seasoning packet and ½ the amount of water on package directions. On medium heat, continue to cook the meat until liquid has evaporated.
- In a medium bowl add both packages (or boxes) of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, adding in the eggs, milk, and only ½ cup of sour cream. Mix until combined.
- Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Next layer the meat, the drained Rotel (tomatoes), and then spread the corn muffin mix with a spatula over the tomatoes until smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect (some tomatoes may show through the top).
- Sprinkle 1 cup each of the Sharp Cheddar cheese and the Pepper Jack cheese on top and place in the oven. (Reserve the remaining 1 cup of cheese for the topping.)
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, touching the middle of the corn bread to make sure that it is done (firm). If it is jiggly, then cook for a few more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
- Slice into squares and top with remaining 1 cup sour cream, lettuce, cheese, black olives (optional), salsa and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Optional to add a taco sauce!
- Enjoy!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Very good; I added a can of Rotel tomatoes with chiles (drained).
This was great and my husband could not get enough of it! Because I like veggies, I added chopped peppers, onions, garlic and green chilies. It was a quick and easy recipe too which makes it a winner too!
My family loved it. I will definitely make it again.
The Jiffy cornbread casserole is a winner. I added a can of drained pinto beans . We did not use lettuce as a topping, just cilantro. Next time will buy tortilla chips to have on the side. Thank you so much.
This was an excellent dish. My company loved it! I will make it again!