Delicious and easy leftover taco meat recipes to make with extra ground beef or ground turkey seasoned with taco seasonings.
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Our family absolutely LOVES Taco Tuesday, but we always find ourselves with extra taco meat on hand. I hate getting tossing leftovers in the trash, so finding new and unique ideas on what to do with leftover taco meat and results have been amazing!
Some of the prep work is already done from last night’s dinner and your new dinner is filled with flavor and ease!
Sometimes I will even make extra taco meat just to help with the next night’s dinner!
How to Store Leftover Taco Meat
You can easily store any unused taco meat tightly wrapped and covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
That means you can make tacos on Tuesdays and enjoy your leftovers up until the weekend!
Interesting reads:
Can You Freeze Leftover Taco Meat?
Yes! If you know you won’t use your leftover ground beef in the next few days, simply place it in portioned Ziploc bags, let all the air out of the bags, label them, and freeze!
Frozen ground taco meat will last 2 to 3 months when stored properly in the freezer.
Make sure you are freezing completely cooled ground beef! If you’re ground beef is hot, you could risk melting the bag and melting other foods in the freezer to unsafe temperatures.
Plus, condensation will form in the bag causes a lot of freezer burn. No one wants that!
When you’re ready to use the taco meat, just put it in the fridge the night before.
You will never wonder what to do with leftover taco meat again! This list of meals includes everything from taco casserole to soup, breakfast ideas, and so much more.
Please note that these recipes use pre-made taco meat. If you have raw ground beef, you must cook it before using it in any of these recipes unless noted in the recipe.
And, don’t forget to try our homemade mild taco seasoning recipe here!
Leftover Taco Meat Recipes
Delicious ways to use up leftover taco meat. They're unique and can be made all with pre-cooked ground beef with taco seasoning!
Taco Lasagna is made with seasoned leftover taco meat and cooked between lasagna noodles, salsa, and cheese.
This Air Fryer Nachos recipe takes classic nachos to the next level! Follow along to see the best way to air fry nachos!
Taco salad with Catalina dressing is the perfect way to mix it up on Taco Tuesday! Enjoy hearty taco meat served over crisp lettuce with all your favorite toppings.
This Creamy Taco Pasta Recipe is a 30 minute meal that you can make in one pot! Pasta shells are smothered in cheesy taco sauce with leftover ground beef and tomatoes.
Air fryer taquitos are a great dish to make with leftover taco meat. They work well with beef, chicken, or pork.
Spicy Dorito Taco Salad has a perfect spicy homemade dressing that pairs fantastically with all of your Mexican favorites – seasoned leftover beef, jalapeños, shredded cheese, tomatoes, and cheesy flavored Doritos for a crunch.
This cheesy Taco Soup recipe is loaded with seasoned ground beef, black beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, and more! Make it as spicy as you want or keep it mild. Serve with Fritos or Tortilla chips on the side for a delicious meal your family will love.
Taco Bell Crunchwraps are so easy to make at home. They’re a fun dinner to make and are loaded with beefy and cheesy goodness! They’re also great for using up leftover taco meat.
Easy Taco Casserole: This easy, creamy, filling taco casserole will be a new family favorite! It has only 6 ingredients and is ready in less than an hour.
Walking tacos are a fun and simple way to use up leftover taco meat. Always a family favorite!
A Taco Pasta Bake is perfect for leftover taco meat and so easy to make!
The flavors are all that have come to know and love from traditional tacos – but this one is for those living a very low carb lifestyle.
An easy dish to throw together and make ahead of time. Then just pop it into the oven for about an hour before you want to eat!
This taco salad is a delicious treat of tacos in a bowl with added lettuce and yogurt to complete a side dish.
One Pot Cheesy Taco Skillet Recipe is keto-friendly, quick and easy to make, and a family favorite! Your keto taco pie sneaks in extra vegetables and is be ready in just 30 minutes! It’s also perfect for burrito bowls, salads, and wraps!
Taco Crescent Ring is a beautiful presentation of a classic tex-mex favorite – tacos! This meal is easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner, an appetizer, or a potluck offering.
For a healthier alternative to traditional nachos recipe, make cheesy cauliflower nachos with ground turkey taco meat! They are so easy to make, with just 15 minutes prep and simple, common ingredients.
Taco Soup is made with simple pantry essentials including leftover taco meat, tomatoes, beans, and a combination of seasonings and spices. Learn how to make this easy Taco Soup and enjoy all your favorite taco flavors in one cozy, comforting, one-pot dinner.
This Taco Quinoa Bowl is chock full of goodness with ground chicken, beans, and veggies!
Everyone loves this keto Mexican ground beef casserole recipe! Make it with simple ingredients and pile it high with toppings.
These Taco Salad Meal Prep Bowls are made with ground turkey and filled with black beans, sweet corn, shredded cheese, crisp lettuce, and all your favorite toppings. Enjoy these delicious Taco Bowls for dinner and repurpose the leftovers into perfectly portioned make-ahead meal prep lunches.
Air Fryer Chimichangas make for a delicious and healthier version of the favorite Mexican dish. Use your favorite filling and condiments and you will have a fast and easy weeknight meal everyone will love!
This Mexican Pizza Recipe reminds me of that favorite fast-food restaurant’s menu item but it’s made with fresh ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to put together. A Taco Bell Copycat you need to make at home!
Frito Taco Salad is quickly making a name for itself as a hearty, tasty, crunchy meal that’s easy to make and super fun to eat!
This is a simple and flavorful taco dip you can make with your leftover taco meat. Not only can you enjoy this the night after for a delicious taco dip recipe, but this is also great for parties and other occasions.
Use leftover taco meat to make a quesadilla and it will quickly make it into your dinner rotation.
Ground turkey stuffed bell peppers make a simple low carb dinner that everyone loves. Just 7 ingredients needed for the perfect taco stuffed peppers!
Crispy baked Taco Egg Rolls are the perfect finger food for a party or just for snacking, with the super crispy exterior and cheesy taco filling. They’re a real crowd pleaser.
One-Pot Taco Pasta with Pumpkin is packed with flavor and nutrition – with a combination of taco turkey meat, peas, sweetcorn, black beans, and pumpkin for a healthy, wholesome, mid-week dinner in under 30 minutes!
Mexican Zucchini is made in one skillet and is sure to please the whole family. You will love your favorite taco ingredients mixed with light zucchini noodles creating a low-carb, filling meal.
Replace those chips with a touch of sweetness! These Mini Sweet Pepper Nachos are the perfect way to use up some leftover taco meat (or go meat-free), and still indulge that nacho craving, but with a gluten-free, low-carb option!
Taco Salad with Beef and Avocado is a taco salad recipe without the bed of chips! This delicious salad combines taco seasoned beef, romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, avocado, tomatoes and tortilla strips. It's all tossed in a creamy ranch dressing.
More recipes to try
30 Leftover Taco Meat Recipes
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 1 pound leftover taco meat
- 1 16 ounce sour cream
- 1 24 ounce jar favorite salsa
- 1 16 ounce can refried beans
- 2 cups Mexican cheese
- 3 greens onions chopped and green and white parts separated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook lasagna noodles according to package. Drain and set to the side.
- Take out a 9×13 pan and spread a thin layer of salsa on the bottom, then 3
lasagna noodles covering it. Continue to layer the lasagna as follows:
salsa, refried beans, taco meat, sour cream, Mexican cheese, lasagna noodles. Repeat until all lasagna noodles are used up. - On the top layer, spread an even layer of salsa and Mexican cheese. Top with whites of green onions.
- Cover the Taco Lasagna with foil and cook for 25-30 minutes until heated through.
- Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes. This will melt the cheese on top.
- Remove from oven and top with dollops of sour cream and spread remaining green onions on top.
- Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, reheating prior to eating.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Such a great combo of flavors! So good!
That was delicious. My whole family loved it. I will cook this again