Taco Tater Tot Casserole

5 from 8 votes

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By: Jill Mills Updated: Oct 4, 2026

This Taco Tater Tot Casserole is an easy family dinner made with seasoned ground beef, Rotel, cheese, sour cream, and crispy tater tots. It’s cheesy, hearty, packed with taco flavor, and takes just 15 minutes to prep before it goes in the oven.

An Easy Family Dinner

If your family loves tacos and tater tots, this casserole combines the best of both. The filling starts with taco-seasoned ground beef and Rotel, then gets extra creamy and cheesy with cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, and shredded cheese. Frozen tater tots make it hearty and give every serving plenty of crispy potato goodness.

We love using tater tots in easy casserole recipes. Be sure to also try my traditional tater tot casserole, tater tot breakfast casserole, Mexican tater tot casserole, cheeseburger tater tot casserole, and sweet potato tater tot casserole.

Why You’ll Love This Taco Tater Tot Casserole

• Easy to make. Just 15 minutes of prep before it goes into the oven.
• Loaded with taco flavor. Seasoned ground beef, Rotel, cheese and sour cream make the filling rich and flavorful.
• Family-friendly. Add everyone’s favorite taco toppings when serving.
• Great for busy nights. It’s a hearty, all-in-one dinner with minimal hands-on work.

Ingredients Need

You only need a handful of simple ingredients for this casserole. See the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• Ground beef: I like to use 80% lean ground beef so there’s still a small amount of fat without too much grease.
• Taco seasoning: Any variety of taco seasoning works here. I usually use original, but mild works well if you prefer less spice. You can also use my homemade taco seasoning recipe.
• Rotel: The diced tomatoes and green chiles add lots of flavor to the taco-seasoned ground beef. I use original Rotel and add it undrained.
• Cheddar cheese soup: Adds moisture and extra cheesy flavor to the filling.
• Sour cream: Makes the filling rich and creamy and adds a little tang.
• Shredded cheese: Cheddar adds plenty of cheesy flavor. Part is mixed into the casserole and the rest is sprinkled over the top.
• Tater tots: Use the tater tots straight from the freezer. There’s no need to thaw them first.

How to Make Taco Tater Tot Casserole

This easy casserole comes together quickly before going into the oven.

• Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
• Brown the beef. Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain the excess grease.
• Add the taco flavor. Stir in the taco seasoning, Rotel, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Make the filling. Combine the beef mixture with the cheddar cheese soup, sour cream, 2 cups of shredded cheese, and frozen tater tots.
• Assemble. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top.

• Bake. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbly.
• Serve. Add your favorite taco toppings and serve warm.

Proper Storage

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, tightly cover the casserole and freeze for up to 2 months.
• Reheat an individual portion in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or warm the casserole in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.

5 from 8 votes

Taco Tater Tot Casserole

This Taco Tater Tot Casserole is an easy family dinner made with seasoned ground beef, Rotel, cheese, sour cream, and crispy tater tots. It's cheesy, hearty, packed with taco flavor, and takes just 15 minutes to prep before it goes in the oven.

Servings: 9

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• ▢ 1 package taco seasoning
• ▢ 10 ounce Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles undrained
• ▢ ⅓ cup water
• ▢ 10.75 ounce condensed cheddar cheese soup undiluted
• ▢ 2 cups sour cream
• ▢ 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded and divided
• ▢ 32 ounce package frozen tater tots unthawed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
• Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until fully browned. Drain off the excess fat.
• Stir the taco seasoning, Rotel, and water into the ground beef and simmer for 5 minutes.
• In an extra large mixing bowl, combine the cooked beef mixture, cheese soup, sour cream, 2 cups of the cheddar cheese, and tater tots. Mix until well combined.
• Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Last Step:

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Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 585mg | Potassium: 350mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 998IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 281mg | Iron: 2mg

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