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This quick and easy Vegan Taco Casserole is packed with protein and delicious Tex-Mex flavors! Serve it as a fun party dip with tortilla chips or over fluffy rice for a hearty dinner. Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Option.
This Vegetarian Taco Casserole is everything you love about classic tacos in one amazing dish! Layers of vegan taco “meat”, refried beans, black beans, and vegan cheese are baked together, then topped with fresh veggies for a refreshing touch. Scoop up every bite with tortilla chips or serve over rice for a family-friendly meal.
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A Bold Tex-Mex Twist on Taco Night
When you’re craving a fun taco night but want to skip the effort that comes with it, make this Easy Vegan Taco Casserole instead. Seasoned vegan taco “meat”, beans, salsa, and vegan cheese are baked together in one simple and hearty dish with over 100g of protein! Finished with fresh veggies on top, it’s perfect for putting a twist on Taco Tuesday.
This Tex-Mex-inspired meatless casserole is as much fun to customize as it is to eat. Use crumbled tofu instead of vegan “beef” crumbles, add jalapeño slices for heat, or go nuts with as many fresh toppings as you can think of. Just don’t forget the tortilla chips for scooping up every delicious bite!
Ingredients for Taco Casserole
This taco casserole requires a handful of simple, store-bought, and canned ingredients. You may have a lot of them in your pantry already:
- Refried beans: Stirring refried beans and red salsa together creates the bottom layer of the casserole. Remember that some canned refried beans contain lard, so read the ingredients list, buy “vegetarian” refried beans, or make my vegan-friendly Instant Pot Refried Beans.
- Tex-Mex seasonings: I kept it simple and seasoned the onion and “beef” mixture with salt-free chili powder and ground cumin. Your favorite store-bought taco seasoning blend works, too.
- Vegan ground “beef” crumbles: This meatless taco casserole works great with store-bought vegan ground “meat”, seasoned or unseasoned. I like using Morningstar Farms frozen ground “beef” but Impossible, Beyond Meat, or another brand of crumbles works, too.
- Black beans: Use the can of black beans at the back of your cupboard or make these Chipotle Black Beans to upgrade the smoky-spicy flavors.
- Vegan shredded cheese: Because a layer of melted dairy-free cheese on top makes this casserole completely irresistible! Use vegan cheddar cheese or any flavor you like.
- Fresh toppings: After baking, the casserole is topped with chopped romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onions, and black olives. Feel free to add anything else you have on hand or swap some of the toppings for your favorites!
How to Make Vegan Taco Casserole
- Stir the refried beans and salsa together in a bowl until the mixture is thick but spreadable. Spread the salsa-bean mixture across the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the onion until translucent, then stir in the chili powder and cumin.
- Add the vegan “beef” crumbles to the pan and mix well. Cook until the extra liquid has evaporated.
- Spread the taco “meat” on top of the salsa-bean mixture. Top with the black beans and vegan cheese shreds.
- Bake the casserole until the cheese is melted.
- Top the taco casserole with lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, and olives. Serve warm with tortilla chips or rice.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Stick it under the broiler for a crispier top layer. The cheese will get lightly charred and crispy when you broil the casserole for a few minutes with the oven door slightly ajar.
- If the vegan “beef” is not already seasoned, I recommend adding 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder, as well as extra chili powder and cumin to taste to make up for the missing flavors. I used Morningstar Farms vegetarian “beef” crumbles for this recipe, which are pre-seasoned.
- Use mild salsa and reduce the chili powder if you are sensitive to heat. If you want a very mild dish, use a mild store-bought salsa and season the “beef” with only a 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder.
Serving Suggestions
This taco casserole is hearty enough to serve as a main dish with tortilla chips, fluffy white rice, or this Cilantro Lime Rice. Pair it with a side of Pan-Grilled Corn Salsa, Easy Avocado Salsa, Grilled Romaine & Charred Corn Salad, or Homemade Guacamole for a satisfying and flavorful dinner.
Vegan taco casserole is also a perfect shareable hot dip. It’s irresistible once it’s decked out with fresh and colorful toppings! Bring it to parties, potlucks, or game days with plenty of tortilla chips or corn chips for scooping.
If you’re looking for more dump-and-bake vegan casserole recipes, you’ll also love this Chipotle Black Bean Casserole, this Creamy Green Enchilada Casserole, and this Salsa Verde & White Bean Casserole!
How to Store Vegan Taco Casserole
Store the leftover casserole in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Before storing, allow the baked casserole to cool completely. I also recommend leaving the fresh toppings off of the top so they stay crisp and fresh.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave in 30-second increments or in the oven at 350ºF until warm, about 15-20 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
- Oil-Free Option: Replace the oil with vegetable broth or water when sautéing the onions. Also, omit the vegan cheese, as most brands are coconut oil-based.
- Vegan Ground “Beef” Substitute: Swap the processed faux meat for a more wholesome vegan protein, like crumbled extra firm tofu or rehydrated TVP.
- Black Bean Substitutions: Canned pinto beans or red beans also work well. You could even mix it up with a blend of two or three types of beans.
- Vegan Cheese Substitutions: Feel free to omit the shredded cheese or top the casserole with my Chunky Vegan Queso instead.
- Casserole Topping Variations: Deck out this casserole with any toppings you like. Diced avocado, vegan sour cream, fresh or pickled jalapeño slices, hot sauce, salsa verde, pico de gallo, crushed tortilla chips or corn chips, vegan queso, fresh or pickled red onions, or fresh cilantro are all fantastic options.
Recipe FAQs
Cooking the taco casserole in the slow cooker should work just fine. After dumping the refried beans, cooked vegan taco “meat”, black beans, and vegan cheese in the pot, cover with the lid and cook on High for 3-4 hours or on Low for 4-5 hours. Garnish with the fresh toppings right before serving.
Yes, you can assemble the casserole and leave it in the covered dish in the fridge for 2 to 3 days before baking. Remember to take the casserole out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so it can come down to room temperature, then bake as instructed.
You can add layers of corn kernels, tortilla or corn chips, vegan sour cream, guacamole, leftover rice, or anything else you like.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Vegan Taco Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 ounce can vegetarian refried beans*
- 1 cup mild or medium jarred salsa
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon salt-free chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 15.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 12 ounces seasoned vegan “beef” crumbles*
- 15.5 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces dairy-free cheddar cheese shreds
- 1/2 head romaine lettuce finely chopped
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 2-3 green onions sliced
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives optional
- Tortilla chips or strips for serving
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 9×13” casserole dish with oil or cooking spray, then set aside.
- Refried Beans: Add the can of refried beans to a medium bowl with the salsa. Use a fork to mix the two together to form a thick but spreadable texture. Then, use a spatula to spread the bean mixture evenly across the bottom of the casserole dish. Set aside.
- Cook the Taco “Meat”: Warm the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the chili powder and cumin and sauté for an additional minute, then add the crushed tomatoes and mix well. Add the vegan “beef” crumbles to the pan and mix well; sauté for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until most of the extra liquid has evaporated.
- Assemble: Transfer the taco “meat” to the casserole dish and spread it out evenly, then sprinkle the top with the black beans and dairy-free cheese.
- Bake: Bake on the top rack of the oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the cheese has melted. You can also broil the casserole for a few minutes, with the oven door slightly ajar, for a crispier top layer.
- Serve: Sprinkle the lettuce, tomatoes, green onion, and olives over the top of the casserole. Serve warm with tortilla chips, or over cooked rice for a heartier meal. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Refried Beans: Many refried beans contain lard, so make sure to read the ingredient list or purchase “vegetarian” refried beans.
- Vegan Ground “Beef”: I used the Morningstar Farms frozen ground “beef” for this recipe, but I think this recipe would also work well with another brand of crumbles or impossible/beyond beef. If your “beef” is not seasoned, I would recommend adding 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder as well, plus increasing the chili powder and cumin to taste. If you do not like processed faux meats you can also use crumbled extra firm tofu or rehydrated TVP.
- Oil-Free: Sauté the onion in step 3 in water or vegetable broth and omit the vegan cheese.
Yummy, yummy, yummy!!!. Made this tonight. My non vegan husband said this is a keeper. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Glad you both enjoyed it, Linda!
My son and I LOVED this recipe! He even wanted to take the leftovers in his lunch and he hates leftovers!! So, so good. Followed the recipe exactly.
So happy to hear you both loved the recipe, Mindy!
I want to make this. It looks really good! Do you think I could use impossible ground “meat” I don’t care for the frozen crumbles.
You can use Impossible ground “meat” instead of frozen crumbles in the recipe. Adjust the seasoning to taste, as frozen crumbles are pre-seasoned. Follow the recipe using an equal amount of Impossible ground “meat.” Alternatively, consider alternatives like crumbled tofu or rehydrated TVP for a different texture. Feel free to customize the recipe to your liking, and enjoy your delicious Vegan Taco Casserole!
Made this tonight for dinner for the family and it was a hit with everyone. Very easy to make and so good!
Fantastic! Glad everyone enjoyed it, Emily!
Easy weeknight dinner with lots of protein ☺️ Will definitely be making this a staple ❤️
Glad you enjoyed it, Lee!
Would this freeze well?
Hi Rachel – I think it would freeze well! If you wanted to prep for a future meal, I’d recommend prepping the base, topping with cheese, and freezing as-is. Let the dish come to room temp for about 30-45 min before baking in the oven.
You could also freezer leftovers, but I’d recommend only freezing the beans, “meat”, and cheese layers – the vegetable toppings will not hold up well in the freezer.
Made this tonight and it was so good! I used the Morning Star meat crumbles and added in some bell pepper. Delicious!