Crescent Roll Taco Bake

This cozy crescent roll taco bake is an easy dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes! The zesty beef and corn filling is topped with a cheesy cheddar crescent roll crust for a comfort food casserole that the whole family will love. Pair it with tortilla chips and salsa, guacamole, or a simple green salad.

Taco Bake with Crescent Rolls

This casserole is similar to the taco crescent ring that I made for Taste of Home, but it’s even easier to prepare! The meal is mild enough for kids to enjoy, while the adults still get plenty of flavor from the zesty taco seasoning. Best of all, you have protein, veggies, and carbs in one dish…with very little effort! The simple taco casserole is a family-friendly way to simplify weeknight dinners.

This meal is exactly what it sounds like — a taco that’s baked in a casserole dish! You’ve got the meat, the seasoning, the cheese, and a buttery, flaky, crescent roll crust in lieu of a tortilla. Feel free to adapt the ingredients to make it your own, though. You can substitute ground turkey for the beef, use a can of beans instead of corn, and garnish with any toppings that you prefer. Chopped lettuce, fresh herbs, diced avocado, sliced olives, sour cream, and halved cherry tomatoes are all delicious ways to finish it off!

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a simple taco-bake. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Ground beef: feel free to substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
• Onion: I like a sweet Vidalia onion, but yellow onion or white onion will also work.
• Salsa: any brand that you prefer will work well! Use a spicy variety to give your dish some extra heat.
• Corn: frozen corn kernels are convenient to have on hand, but fresh corn off the cob or canned corn will also work.
• Petite diced tomatoes: drained of excess juices. Substitute with regular diced tomatoes if that’s what you have, or use Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies for a spicier option.
• Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and ground black pepper: the spices that come together to make the homemade taco seasoning that flavors the beef filling.
• Cheese: grated cheddar cheese or a Mexican blend works well. You can also use Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, or just about any other good melting cheese that you like.
• Crescent roll dough: I like Pillsbury brand best. The dough sheets work well because they’re not perforated, but you can also use regular crescent rolls and just pinch together the seams.

How to Make Crescent Roll Taco Bake

This easy taco casserole recipe requires just a handful of very simple ingredients that you can keep stashed in your kitchen for last-minute meals!

1. Cook the ground beef and onion in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off the excess fat.
2. Stir salsa, corn, tomatoes, and seasoning into the beef and onion mixture.
3. Spoon meat mixture into a greased 2-quart casserole dish.
4. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
5. Unroll the sheet of crescent roll dough, and place the dough on top of the beef filling in the bottom of the pan.
6. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of the meat.
7. Bake the casserole in a 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.

What to Serve with the Pillsbury Crescent Roll Taco Bake

We serve this Mexican-inspired taco bake casserole with tortilla chips for scooping. It’s also nice to garnish the dish with sour cream, diced avocado or guacamole, or a bright, fresh sprinkling of chopped cilantro, parsley, or green onions.

Here are a few more easy options that go well with the taco casserole:

• A simple green salad dressed in a cool Buttermilk Dressing
• Healthy and Easy Corn Salad or Corn and Black Bean Salad
• Tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole
• Pico de Gallo
• Ranch style beans, refried beans, or seasoned black beans
• Rice

Storage

• Prep ahead: You can cook the filling in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before adding the crescent roll dough and baking.
• To freeze: Assemble the casserole, cover tightly with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then allow to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
• Have leftovers? The cooked casserole will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat

Cover the dish loosely with foil to avoid excess browning. Warm in a 300°F oven for about 20 minutes, or just until heated through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.

Recipe Variations

• Swap out the ground beef and use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
• Rather than corn, use a can of drained, rinsed beans.
• Use a packet of taco seasoning mix rather than the homemade mix of spices.
• If you can’t find Crescent Dough Sheets, you can substitute with a can of regular crescent roll dough. The crescent roll dough is perforated so that you can tear it into individual rolls, so you’ll need to pinch and seal those perforations before using the dough in this recipe.

Tips for the Best Crescent Roll Taco Bake Recipe

• Garnish the casserole with your favorite fresh taco toppings for the best flavor and texture. Good options include fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped green onions or minced red onion, chopped lettuce, sour cream, diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, or sliced black olives.
• Keep a close eye on the casserole as it’s baking. Make sure that the crescent roll dough is cooked through before your pull it out of the oven. If the top starts to get too dark before the dough is fully cooked, just tent the top loosely with foil.
• For an extra cheesy casserole, feel free to add an extra ½ cup -1 cup of grated cheese into the beef filling.
• Use Pillsbury brand crescent dough sheets for the best quality and flavor. I’ve experimented with store-brand versions and I’m always disappointed.

More Taco Casserole Recipes to Try

• Taco Bake Casserole
• Taco Casserole with Doritos
• Chicken Taco Casserole
• Taco Casserole with Rice
• 5-Ingredient Taco Casserole with Crescent Rolls
• Taco Cornbread Casserole
• Taco Casserole with Fritos

Crescent Roll Taco Bake

5 from 4 votes

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 442 kcal

This cozy crescent roll taco bake is an easy dinner that's ready in 30 minutes!

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 ½ cups salsa (about one 16-ounce jar)
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray a 2-quart (about 11 x 7-inch or deep 8-inch or 9-inch square) baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onion until beef is no longer pink (about 6-8 minutes), breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as you stir.
• Drain off any excess fat in the pan.
• Stir salsa, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper into the skillet with the beef and onion. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.
• Unroll the sheet of dough (if using crescent rolls, press perforations to seal). Place dough on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of cheese.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through and crust is golden brown.

Notes

• Garnish the casserole with your favorite fresh taco toppings for the best flavor and texture. Good options include fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped green onions or minced red onion, chopped lettuce, sour cream, diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, or sliced black olives.
• Keep a close eye on the casserole as it’s baking. It’s important to make sure that the crescent roll dough is cooked through before your pull it out of the oven. If the top starts to get too dark before the dough is fully cooked, just tent the top loosely with foil.
• For an extra cheesy casserole, feel free to add an extra ½ cup -1 cup of grated cheese into the beef filling.
• Use Pillsbury brand crescent dough sheets for the best quality and flavor. I’ve experimented with store-brand versions and I’m always disappointed.
• Swap out the ground beef and use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
• Rather than corn, use a can of drained, rinsed beans.
• Use a packet of taco seasoning rather than the homemade mix of spices.
• If you can’t find Crescent Dough Sheets, you can substitute with a can of regular crescent roll dough. The crescent roll dough is perforated so that you can tear it into individual rolls, so you’ll need to pinch and seal those perforations before using the dough in this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the casseroleCalories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 28gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 1416mgPotassium: 733mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1385IUVitamin C: 7.2mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 3.8mg

Keyword: Crescent Roll Bake, crescent roll taco bake, ground beef casserole, taco casserole

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Author: Blair Lonergan

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This recipe was originally published in September, 2016. It was updated in July, 2022.