Creamy Oven Baked Ground Beef and Bean Tacos
These Oven Baked Cheesy Creamy Ground Beef and Bean Tacos are loaded with seasoned ground beef, hearty pinto beans, cream cheese, sour cream, and plenty of melted cheddar cheese. Baked until the taco shells are perfectly crispy, they’re an easy weeknight dinner that’s always a family favorite.
- Prep Time: 15 MINUTES
- Cook Time: 20 MINUTES
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 TACOS 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: BAKED
- Cuisine: MEXICAN INSPIRED
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 10 hard taco shells
- Cooking spray
Optional Toppings
- Mexican crema
- Fresh cilantro
- Shredded lettuce
- Diced tomatoes
- Pico de gallo
- Jalapeños
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
- Avocado
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and diced onion until browned. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the taco seasoning and water. Simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the drained pinto beans and cook for 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese until completely melted, then mix in the sour cream until smooth and creamy.
- Arrange the taco shells standing upright in the prepared baking dish.
- Spoon the creamy beef and bean mixture evenly into each taco shell.
- Sprinkle the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese generously over the tops.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the taco shells are lightly crisp.
- Drizzle with Mexican crema, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, and serve with your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
- Pinto beans make the filling creamy and hearty, but black beans also work well.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts much better than pre-shredded cheese.
- Don’t overfill the taco shells or they may crack during baking.
- Arrange the tacos tightly together so they stay upright.
- Leftover filling is delicious over nachos, rice bowls, baked potatoes, or taco salads.
- Assemble the tacos ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Freeze assembled, unbaked tacos for an easy freezer meal.