Biscuit Taco Bake is a cheesy taco casserole built on a can of refrigerated biscuits. Each biscuit is cut into small pieces and folded into browned ground beef with taco seasoning, salsa, red enchilada sauce, green onions and cheddar. It bakes in a 9×13 dish at 375°F until the biscuit pieces turn golden and the cheese melts on top. You’ll also see it called taco bubble up bake, and it serves 6.
How to make it: Brown and drain 1 pound of ground beef, stir in the taco seasoning, salsa, enchilada sauce, half the cheese and the green onions, then fold in the cut-up biscuits. Bake 20 minutes, add the rest of the cheese, bake 5 minutes more and let it rest 5 minutes before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- One can of biscuits: no dough to make; the biscuits bake right into the taco filling.
- 15 minutes of prep: brown the beef, stir, cut and pour.
- Taco night in one dish: set out lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream and let everyone top their own.
- Easy to change: swap the cheese, add beans or peppers, or use the salsa your family likes.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: 1 pound, at least 80% lean. Drain off the grease after browning.
Taco seasoning: one 1-ounce envelope.
Salsa and enchilada sauce: 2/3 cup salsa plus one 10-ounce can of mild red enchilada sauce. Together they make the sauce that coats every biscuit piece.
Cheddar cheese: 2 cups shredded. Half goes into the beef mixture and half on top. Colby Jack or a Mexican cheese blend also work.
Green onions: 1/2 cup thinly sliced, plus more for the top.
Refrigerated biscuits: one 16.3-ounce can of 8 large biscuits. Each one is cut into 8 pieces.
For serving: lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream, all optional. Avocado and fresh cilantro are good too.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (lean, at least 80% lean)
- 1 envelope taco seasoning (1 ounce)
- 2/3 cup salsa
- 1 can red enchilada sauce (10 ounces, mild)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (half mixed in, half on top)
- 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 1 can large refrigerated biscuits (8 count, 16.3 ounces)
- Lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream, for serving (optional)
How to Make Biscuit Taco Bake
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Brown the beef. In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains and a food thermometer reads 160°F. Drain off the grease.
3. Season the beef. Stir the salsa, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning into the beef. Stir in half of the cheese and the green onions.
4. Add the biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Add the pieces to the pan and mix everything together gently.
5. Fill the dish. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
6. Bake. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Add the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted, the biscuit pieces are golden brown and baked through in the center, and the casserole reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
8. Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest 5 minutes so the extra liquid can thicken. Top with more green onions and your favorite taco toppings.
How to Get the Biscuits Baked Through, Not Doughy
The part to watch is the middle of the dish, where biscuit pieces can stay doughy while the edges look done. These steps help:
- Cut them small. Cut each large biscuit into 8 pieces.
- Drain the beef. Pour off the grease before the sauces go in.
- Fold gently. Mix the biscuit pieces into the beef gently so every piece gets coated in sauce.
- Want it thicker? Simmer the seasoned beef and sauce for 5 to 10 minutes before the biscuits go in, so it thickens slightly.
- Bake uncovered. Leave the foil off.
- Add the last cheese late. The second cup goes on for only the final 5 minutes.
- Check the middle. Pull apart a piece from the center. It should be golden brown and baked through, and a food thermometer in the middle should read 165°F.
- Rest 5 minutes. The extra liquid thickens as it sits.
Is This the Same as Taco Bubble Up?
Yes. Biscuit taco bake, taco biscuit bake and taco bubble up bake are all names for this dish: canned biscuits cut into pieces, tossed in a saucy taco beef mixture and baked with cheese on top. The sauce changes from cook to cook. Ours uses salsa and red enchilada sauce; others use tomato soup, taco sauce or diced tomatoes with green chiles (see the variations below).
It isn’t the same as a taco bake made with crescent dough. Our crescent roll taco bake uses crescent dough and refried beans and has no sauce. For a dish layered with flour tortillas, try the layered taco bake.
Variations
- Tomato soup sauce: simmer the beef with a 10.75-ounce can of condensed tomato soup, the taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water for 5 to 10 minutes, then fold in the biscuit pieces, bake 20 minutes and finish with 2 cups of cheese.
- Enchilada sauce and diced tomatoes: use a 10-ounce can of enchilada sauce plus a 10-ounce can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, with Colby Jack on top, and bake 25 to 30 minutes at 375°F.
- Black beans: stir in a 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed, and use a Mexican cheese blend.
- Taco sauce first: turn quartered biscuits in taco sauce right in the dish and bake them at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes before the cooked beef goes on for 5 to 7 minutes more. Cheddar, mozzarella and sliced olives finish it.
- More add-ins: chopped red or green bell pepper, a drained 4-ounce can of mushroom pieces, or a drained 2.25-ounce can of sliced ripe olives.
- Different cheese: Colby Jack, a Mexican cheese blend, or cheddar mixed with mozzarella.
Whatever you change, bake until the pieces in the middle are cooked through and the casserole reaches 165°F.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if it’s above 90°F) in shallow covered containers. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze leftovers for 3 to 4 months. They stay safe, but they can lose moisture and flavor the longer they sit in the freezer. Leave the lettuce and other fresh toppings off, since lettuce doesn’t freeze well. Thaw in the refrigerator and eat within 3 to 4 days, or reheat straight from frozen in the oven, which takes about one and a half times as long.
Reheating: Reheat covered until it reaches 165°F. In the microwave, cover the dish, vent the lid, rotate the food and add a splash of liquid if it looks dry.
What to Serve With It
Pile on shredded lettuce, diced tomato, salsa, sour cream, avocado or fresh cilantro. For a side, one pot Mexican rice casserole fits the taco theme, and a bowl of white queso dip with chips keeps everyone busy while the dish bakes.
More taco casseroles to try: the tortilla and nacho cheese taco casserole or a Fritos walking taco casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a taco bake with biscuits and ground beef?
Brown and drain the beef, stir in taco seasoning, salsa, enchilada sauce, half the cheese and green onions, fold in biscuits cut into 8 pieces each, and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Add the rest of the cheese and bake 5 minutes more.
Can I use Bisquick instead of canned biscuits?
Not in this recipe. Taco bakes made with Bisquick press a baking-mix dough into the dish as a crust. That’s its own dish with its own method, not a one-for-one swap.
How do I know the biscuits are done?
The pieces are golden brown and baked through in the center, not doughy, and the middle of the casserole reads 165°F.
Should I cover it while it bakes?
No. Bake it uncovered.
What toppings go on biscuit taco bake?
Lettuce, tomato, salsa, sour cream and more green onions. Avocado and cilantro work too.
Is taco biscuit bake the same thing?
Yes. Taco biscuit bake, biscuit taco bake and taco bubble up are names for the same dish.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, or 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
Final Notes
Cut the biscuits small, drain the beef and check the middle before you take the dish out. If you try it with black beans or a tomato soup sauce, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Biscuit Taco Bake
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef lean, at least 80% lean
- 1 envelope taco seasoning 1 ounce
- 2/3 cup salsa
- 1 can red enchilada sauce 10 ounces, mild
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded; half mixed in, half on top
- 1/2 cup green onions thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- 1 can large refrigerated biscuits 8 count, 16.3 ounces
- lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains and a food thermometer reads 160°F. Drain off the grease.
- Stir the salsa, enchilada sauce and taco seasoning into the beef. Stir in half of the cheese and the green onions.
- Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Add the pieces to the pan and mix everything together gently.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted, the biscuit pieces are golden brown and baked through in the center, and the casserole reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Let the casserole rest 5 minutes so the extra liquid can thicken. Top with more green onions and your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
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