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Mexican Lasagna

This Mexican Lasagna recipe is made with layers of pasta, ground beef, refried beans, shredded cheese and alfredo sauce. An easy family favorite dinner!

AN EASY LASAGNA RECIPE WITH A MEXICAN TWIST

This recipe for Mexican Lasagna has become my family’s favorite! I have tweaked the recipe a few times and I think the recipe below is the winner. I wanted to take the idea of your usual Italian lasagna but give it a more Mexican vibe. I think the addition of the alfredo cheese sauce really takes it over the top. Now, I know alfredo sauce isn’t exactly a Mexican ingredient but I think it was definitely a great addition (but you can sub queso sauce if you don’t like alfredo). Also, adding refried beans to the ground beef makes it super easy to layer on the noodles!

a slice of Mexican Lasagna on a round white plate.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)

Can Mexican Lasagna be made ahead of time?

Yes, Mexican lasagna can be made ahead of time, covered and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to bake. It can be assembled and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking, or it can be fully cooked and frozen for up to 3 months.

Can I use tortillas instead of lasagna noodles?

This can be made with tortillas instead of lasagna noodles but I think the lasagna noodles ended up being our favorite. It slices up easier as well.

Where do I find oven ready lasagna noodles?

They can be found near all the other lasagna noodles. Just make sure the package states “oven ready”. This means you don’t have to boil them first.

Can this be made vegetarian?

Yes, Mexican lasagna can be made vegetarian by substituting the meat with plant-based protein sources such as beans or tofu. Or a meat substitute like impossible meat.

How do I store leftovers?

Place the remaining slices in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. To reheat, place the Mexican lasagna in the oven or microwave until heated through

Can Mexican Lasagna be frozen?

Yes. Just wrap well to protect against freezer burn. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

a spatula holding up a slice of Mexican lasagna over a baking dish.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • ground beef – you can use pork, turkey or chicken or even impossible meat for this.
  • taco seasoning – you just need a packet of your favorite taco seasoning or you can even make a Homemade Taco Seasoning.
  • canned refried beans – if you want to try your hand at making homemade refried beans, be sure to have a look at my Slow Cooker Refried Beans recipe.
  • oven-ready lasagna noodles – you need the oven ready noodles for this. It makes it so much easier because you do not have to cook them first. However, if you only have the cook kind, then you will need to boil them until al dente then proceed with the recipe.
  • salsa – we really like Herdez mild salsa. It’s important you purchase a salsa flavor you know you will like. For more heat, try getting a hot salsa. Or try my recipe for Blender Salsa (you can make it in just a few minutes!)
  • jarred alfredo sauce – as I said above, if you aren’t a fan of alfredo sauce then just pick up a jar of queso or you can make a Homemade Queso.
  • Mexican blend shredded cheese – if you want to kick up the spice a bit, try using pepper jack cheese.
ground beef, taco seasoning, alfredo sauce, salsa, oven ready lasagna, refried beans, water and shredded cheese.

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN LASAGNA:

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Place back into the skillet. Over medium heat,  add water and taco seasoning and stir. Then stir in refried beans. Mixture will be very thick. Once refried beans have softened and mixture is combined, turn off heat.

collage of two photos: cooked ground beef with taco seasoning in a skillet; refried beans added to skillet.

Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spread about 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place a single layer of lasagna noodles on top of salsa (I used about 3 noodles). 

collage of two photos: a layer of salsa on the bottom of a whit baking dish; three uncooked lasagna noodles added on top of salsa layer.

Evenly spread a third of the ground beef mixture on top of the noodles. Then evenly spread a third of the alfredo sauce on top of ground beef.

collage of two photos: ground beef layered on top of lasagna noodles; Alfred sauce layered on top of ground beef.

Then sprinkle about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Next, dollop about 1/4 cup of salsa on top.

collage of two photos: salsa dolloped on top of alfredo layer; shredded cheese added on top of salsa layer.

Continue these steps two more times (lasagna noodles, ground beef mixture, alfredo sauce, salsa and cheese). You’ll have three layers. The final layer of lasagna noodles will probably need about 4 noodles (casserole dishes tend to be wider at the top). Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 35-45 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving (trust me on this – it will make slicing much easier!)

collage of two photos: all layers of lasagna completed; fully baked Mexican lasagna in white casserole dish.

Slice and serve!

a slice removed from the Mexican Lasagna baking dish.

Top individual servings with sour cream, sliced green onions or whatever taco toppings you prefer!

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: August 2017
Updated photos and republished: March 2024

Mexican Lasagna recipe.

The Best Mexican Lasagna

The Best Mexican Lasagna recipe is made with layers of pasta, ground beef, refried beans, shredded cheese and alfredo sauce. A family favorite dinner!
4.43 from 33 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 9

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 ounce packet taco seasoning
  • 16 ounce can refried beans
  • 16 ounce jar mild salsa
  • 10 lasagna noodles
  • 14 ounce jar alfredo sauce (or queso sauce)
  • 2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese

Optional toppings:

  • sliced black olives,sliced green onions, taco sauce, sour cream

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Place cooked beef back into the skillet.
    browning and crumbling ground beef in a skillet.
  • Over medium heat, add water and taco seasoning and stir.
    taco seasoning added to ground beef.
  • Then stir in refried beans. Mixture will be very thick. Once refried beans have softened and mixture is combined, turn off heat.
    refried beans added to taco seasoned ground beef.
  • Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spread about 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
    salsa spread into the bottom of a baking dish.
  • Place a single layer of lasagna noodles on top of salsa (about 3 noodles – depending on size of your oven-ready lasagna noodles).
    three lasagna noodles layered into the baking dish.
  • Evenly spread a third of the ground beef mixture on top of the noodles.
    ground beef mixture layered on top of lasagna noodles.
  • Then evenly spread a third of the alfredo sauce on top of ground beef.
    Laredo sausage spread on top of ground beef mixture.
  • Next, dollop about 1/4 cup of the salsa on top.
    salsa added on top of alfredo sauce layer.
  • Then sprinkle about 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
    shredded cheese added on top of salsa layer.
  • Continue these steps two more times (lasagna noodles, ground beef mixture, alfredo sauce, salsa and cheese.)
    all layers added to mexican lasagna.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 35-45 minutes.
  • Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving. This will make it easier to slice.
    fully baked Mexican Lasagna in a white baking dish.
  • Slice and top individual servings with sour cream, sliced green onions or whatever taco toppings you prefer!
    a slice of mexican lasagna on a white plate with iced tea in the background.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
  • This can be made with tortillas instead of lasagna noodles but I think the lasagna noodles ended up being our favorite. It slices up easier as well. 
  • Make sure to use the oven ready lasagna noodles or else you’ll need to cook the noodles first.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 221mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




19 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have made 3 times, with Barilla gluten free lasagna. I did parboil the noodles the last 2 times. It is a brilliant recipe we all love it. Gets eaten too fast to make it into the freezer. Have put avocado on top.

    1. 5 stars
      Was wondering if wanted to make extra to freeze, would it be better to freeze before baking or after baking? Thanks Deborah

  2. 5 stars
    I made this yesterday and it was delicious. My husband made me a recipe book and I have many of your recipes in it. I look forward to getting your emails.

  3. 5 stars
    You’re so clever to come up with this amazing flavor combo. We would LOVE it for sure. Love those no-boil noodles too. So glad I saw this. Pinning to make soon.

  4. 5 stars
    Ooohhh, this looks AMAZING! So, I’m old school and have never used “oven-ready” noodles. Do you preboil them or just use them hard? I’ve had terrible luck with recipes that call for “raw” noodles.

    1. 5 stars
      Hi Stacy – you can see a picture of them up there in the ingredient photo. 🙂 You’ll find them with all of the other lasagna noodles in the grocery store. They don’t need any boiling at all. That’s what is awesome about them! They come in different shapes and sizes depending on the brand but they will all work for this recipe. 🙂

      1. 5 stars
        Ok, I made this for dinner tonight and the hubs and I almost ate ourselves sick it was so good!

    2. 5 stars
      You can buy the ones that don’t have to be cooked, but you can use reg. lasagna noodles. I cooked for 35 years, you really don’t need to cook. I hope this help’s