Looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe that only uses four ingredients? If so, you’ve got to try my favorite vegetarian 4-Ingredient Taco Bake! It’s made using corn tortillas, refried beans, chunky salsa, and cheese. Everything is layered in a baking dish, and I like to serve it with my favorite taco toppings. Enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Our entire family has been sick for a few weeks now, and if a dinner recipe has more than four ingredients, I don’t want to make it. This 4-Ingredient Vegetarian Taco Bake combines a few of my favorite ingredients into one hearty meal. The beans, cheese, tortillas, and salsa are layered together and baked until the cheese is melted. This recipe doesn’t take much time, brain power, or ingredients, which is a major win in my book.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Dinner Recipe
- Only four ingredients – This taco bake requires only 4 simple ingredients, making it an affordable, healthy, and filling recipe. You are welcome to add extra ingredients, like spices or veggies, if you like.
- Easy to make – With only four ingredients, there isn’t much prep work for this bean and cheese tortilla bake. It takes about 15 minutes to assemble, then bakes for about 40 minutes.
- Packed with protein – There may only be four ingredients, but the cheese and refried beans add protein and make this easy recipe nice and filling. You can also serve it with non-fat Greek yogurt to bulk it up even more.
Vegetarian Taco Bake Recipe Tips
- Make this recipe spicy by using pepper-jack cheese and your favorite hot-flavored salsa.
- Top this taco bake with your favorite taco toppings to add some fresh veggies. I like to use lettuce, tomato, black olives, red onion, and a little taco sauce, or hot sauce. You can even crunch up tortilla chips for a crispy topping.
- The corn tortillas tend to cook into the bean mixture when baked in the oven, so if you want to reinforce the corn tortilla flavor, you can add a double layer instead of a single layer. I also like to serve with tortilla chips.
Bean and Cheese Taco Bake Recipe Ingredients
- Tortillas – I like to use corn tortillas for this recipe because they hold their texture better than flour tortillas, when baked in a casserole, but flour tortillas can be used, if you prefer them.
- Cheese – I used colby jack, but any kind of cheese can be used. If making vegan, use your favorite vegan cheese that melts.
- Salsa – I like to use chunky salsa for this recipe because it adds extra veggies, but any kind will work.
- Refried Beans – I used two cans of refried pinto beans, but you could also use refried black beans. I have a homemade refried bean recipe here, if you prefer to make your own.
How To Make My Four-Ingredient Taco Bake
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Add the refried beans and 1 cup of salsa to a large bowl and mix well until completely combined.
- This step is optional, but I like to trim a little off each side of the tortillas to make the corn tortillas more square, so they fit better in the pan. Otherwise, you can just overlap them a little bit, if needed.
- Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 cup of the salsa, then spread it into an even layer with a spoon. This will prevent the first layer of tortillas from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Next, cover the salsa with a layer of the corn tortillas. I used four tortillas per layer, but you may use more or fewer, depending on the size of your baking dish.
- Carefully spread 1/2 of the refried bean mixture over the tortillas, reaching the edges. Evenly sprinkle 1 1/4 cups of shredded cheese over the beans, then top with a second layer of tortillas. Repeat this process one more time, beans, cheese, and a third layer of corn tortillas.
- Add the remaining salsa (about 1/3 cup) to the top of the tortillas, spread it evenly, and then top with the remaining 1 1/4 cups of shredded cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil and place it in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted.
- Remove the taco bake from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, and then slice it into six equal portions. Enjoy with a side of tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using corn tortillas.
- Make this recipe vegan by using your favorite vegan shredded cheese.
- Is this taco bake spicy? No, it isn’t spicy, but if you want it spicy, you can use your favorite spicy salsa.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, leftovers will last for about 4-5 days. Re-heat in the microwave or oven.
- Is this recipe freezer-friendly? Yes, you can either assemble it and freeze it just before putting it in the oven, or freeze the leftovers after it has been cooked.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Easy Mexican Inspired Vegetarian Recipes?
Pumpkin Pinto Bean Taco Skillet
Crispy Cauliflower and Potato Tacos
4-Ingredient Vegetarian Taco Bake
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe that only uses four ingredients? If so, you’ve got to try my favorite 4 Ingredient Vegetarian Taco Bake! It’s made using corn tortillas, refried beans, chunky salsa and cheese. Everything gets layered in a baking dish and I like to serve with my favorite taco toppings. Enjoy for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 (15 oz) cans refried beans, pinto or black
- 1 (15 oz) jar chunky salsa, divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3 3/4 cups shredded cheese, I used colby-jack, divided
- Optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, black olives, onion, avocado, taco sauce
- Serve with tortilla chips, if desired
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Add the refried beans and 1 cup of salsa to a large bowl and mix well, until completely combined.
- This step is optional, but I like to trim a little bit off of each side of the tortillas, to make the corn tortillas into more of a square shape, so they will fit better in the pan. Otherwise, you can just overlap them a little bit, if needed.
- Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 cup of the salsa and use a spoon to spread it into an even layer. This will make it so the first layer of tortillas doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Next, cover the salsa with a layer of the corn tortillas. I used four tortillas per layer, but you may use more or less, depending on the size of your baking dish.
- Carefully spread 1/2 of the refried bean mixture over the tortillas, until it reaches the edges. Evenly sprinkle 1 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over the beans and then top with a second layer of the tortillas. Repeat this process one more time, beans, cheese and a third layer of corn tortillas.
- Add the remaining salsa (about 1/3 cup) to the top of the tortillas, spread out evenly and then top with the remaining 1 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Cover baking dish with foil and place in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes before removing the foil, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes, until cheese is completely melted.
- Remove taco bake from the oven, let cool for a few minutes and then slice into six equal portions. Enjoy with a side of tortilla chips and your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
I used a size 10×6 baking dish for this recipe. Recipe amounts may differ, depending on how small, or large, your baking dish is.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegetarian
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
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