This easy taco meatloaf is a delicious twist on classic meatloaf recipes. This recipe is flavorful with a bit of spiciness from taco sauce, jalapeno cheese and crushed Doritos! This easy-to-make recipe is sure to become a new family favorite for your next taco night.
For more family favorites try our 6 easy meatloaf flavors including stove top stuffing meatloaf, meatloaf with brown gravy, and Italian meatloaf!
Delicious Taco Meatloaf Recipe
This mexican taco meatloaf is loaded with delicious ingredients. Filled with easy flavors including taco seasoning, shredded cheese, taco sauce and crushed tortilla chips.
- FULL OF FLAVOR – Take your classic meatloaf to the next level with this easy recipe. With so many textures and flavors, it truly is delicious!
- FILLING – Meatloaf can be paired with mashed potatoes, vegetables and rice for a filling meal.
- EASY – Chop the onion and mix it with all the ingredients in a large bowl. Then form a loaf shape on a baking sheet and bake. It couldn’t be easier!
If you love meatloaf then you’ll enjoy this easy take on classic meatloaf! It can be seasoned with our homemade taco seasoning. You can prep ingredients in advance and freeze the meatloaf until you’re ready to eat. It takes 50 minutes to bake (depending on the size) and you can bake two at a time.
If you’re on a budget try using a ground beef and ground pork blend which will be cheaper.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the ingredients you’ll need. The full recipe details are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post:
GROUND BEEF – This meatloaf recipe uses 1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef or beef/pork blend. I recommend lean beef (not extra lean beef) because a bit of fat content in meat also helps to hold the meatloaf together.
CRUSHED DORITO CHIPS – Many meatloaf recipes require either corn, tortilla chips or bread crumbs. This taco meatloaf recipe uses 2 cups of crushed Doritos chips in replacement. Feel free to swap with crushed tortilla chips or bread crumbs.
CHOPPED ONION – 1 cup of finely chopped onion. A key tip to success is to dice the onion into small pieces. If you leave the chunks bigger, they will create larger spaces in the taco meatloaf mixture, which can cause the meatloaf to fall apart properly.
EGGS – Two eggs are an important ingredient in meatloaf recipes. They add moisture and act like glue to hold the meat together.
TACO SEASONING – Grab a packet of taco seasoning mix from the grocery store or make your own taco seasoning mixture easily at home. This recipe uses ¼ cup of taco seasoning.
MILK – ⅓ cup of milk is also important because the bread crumbs soak up the milk for needed moisture. This results in the perfect meatloaf texture. If you don’t want to use meatloaf you can swap it with beef broth, plant-based milk, or even water.
TACO SAUCE – 1 cup of taco sauce gets drizzled on top of the meatloaf instead of the classic ketchup sauce in traditional recipes.
MONTEREY JACK CHEESE – I used 1 cup of shredded monterey jack cheese with jalapenos for a spicy kick. Feel free to swap with any other shredded cheese favorites including pepper jack cheese and mozzarella cheese.
Helpful Tip: You can stretch out ground beef by adding a can of lentils instead. Use half ground beef and 1 can of lentils. I like to do this with my budget-friendly meatballs too!
Variations
- Bread Crumb Substitutions – Feel free to swap the crushed Doritos with crushed tortilla chips, bread crumbs, panko crumbs, rolled oats, crushed Ritz crackers or soda crackers, or gluten-free bread. If you want your meatloaf to be entirely without breadcrumbs, see my recipe here.
- Milk Substitutions – Swap out milk for taco sauce, beef broth or water.
- Ground Beef Substitutions – I used a ground pork/beef mixture for this recipe because it’s budget-friendly. But you can also try using just ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey. Also, you can even make a salmon loaf using canned salmon!
- Add More Vegetables – Add 1 cup of frozen peas or corn to the mixture. Or try 1 cup of chopped and sautéed mushrooms, or bell peppers.
How To Make Taco Meatloaf
Here’s how to make this recipe with full detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom.
- PREP – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside.
- MIX – Add the lean ground beef, crushed Dorito chips, chopped onion, taco seasoning, eggs, and milk to a large bowl. Mix everything together thoroughly.
- PRESS – Create a loaf shape by forming it with your hands or by packing the beef mixture into a greased loaf pan and then flipping it over onto the baking sheet. Lift the loaf pan and it will create the perfect loaf shape.
- BAKE – Bake for 40 minutes without the sauce on the baking sheet.
- SAUCE – After 40 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven and drizzle the sauce on top and the sides. Sprinkle the shredded monterey jack cheese (or other cheese on top). Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes or until fully cooked inside.
- SERVE – Once cooked, Let the meatloaf sit for 10 minutes then slice and serve with sour cream and salad if desired. This recipe will make about 8 serving slices.
Helpful Tip: Consider making two meatloaf recipes and saving one for a future meal. This meatloaf recipe freezes well. You can bake two meatloaf flavors at the same time on one baking sheet. These can be cooked for the same time and temperature as one.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover meatloaf stores easily in the fridge or freezer. Here’s how to store the recipe:
- REFRIGERATE – Let baked meatloaf cool fully then store in an airtight container or large plastic bag. This will keep fresh for 3-4 days.
- MICROWAVE – Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
- FREEZE – Leftover meatloaf can be wrapped in aluminum foil and then placed in a plastic freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. Frozen meatloaf can be stored for up to 6 months for the best freshness.
- REHEAT FROM FROZEN – Thaw the frozen meatloaf overnight in the refrigerator. Or bake in the oven while frozen. Bake for 350°F for 30-40 minutes wrapped in foil, or until it’s warmed through. Spread the sauce topping in the last 10 minutes.
Important Tip: If you’re planning on freezing the meatloaf for a future meal, do not add the topping ingredients as it will stick to the foil. Instead, add the sauce, cheese, and extra crushed Doritos in the last 10 minutes of re-heating meatloaf in the oven, just before you’re ready to serve.
Meatloaf Recipe Tips
- Use a baking sheet – Cooking in a loaf pan causes the meatloaf to steam while it bakes. If you cook on a baking sheet, you’ll get a crispy top and sides.
- Dice Onion Small – Dice the onion very small. It creates the perfect meatloaf texture!
- Use lean ground beef – Use lean ground beef for a moist and tender meatloaf. A mix of beef and pork is a classic choice. Do not use extra lean ground beef.
- Mix Evenly – Mix thoroughly so that ground beef is coated evenly. This will ensure that the loaf sticks together.
- Use a meat thermometer – The easiest way to tell when meatloaf is done is a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 160°F.
- Add sauce and toppings at the end – Sauce will loose moisture if you bake it for the full 50 minutes. Instead, spread it along the top and sides in the last 10 minutes for the best consistency.
- Let cooked meatloaf rest – Let meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute and results in a more flavorful and moist meatloaf.
Frequently Asked Questions
A few ingredients play a role in super moist meatloaf. Using lean ground beef will provide enough fat content, milk provides moisture for the bread crumbs to absorb, and baking at the right temperature so that the meat doesn’t dry out.
Bake it at 350°F for the best results. A higher temperature might dry the meatloaf out too quickly.
Bread crumbs, eggs and milk will keep the meatloaf from falling apart. Be sure to mix all ingredients thoroughly so that the ground beef is evenly coated.
I recommend baking raw meatloaf uncovered. If you are reheating a frozen meatloaf, I recommend cooking it wrapped in foil.
Milk provides the moisture for breadcrumbs to absorb. Most traditional recipes use milk, but you can also use beef broth or even water.
Overall, taco meatloaf is classic comfort food with a flavorful twist. With just a few simple ingredients including taco seasoning, cheese, Doritos and taco sauce, you’ll have a delicious meal the whole family will enjoy. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner for taco Tuesday!
More Delicious Recipes
We love using ground beef in our recipes because it’s cheap and easy. Here are a few other ideas for you to try.
- Beef Cabbage Roll Casserole
- One Pot Spaghetti
- Hamburger Casserole
- Homemade Cheap Chili
- Pizza Sloppy Joes
- Crockpot Hamburger Soup
- Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Taco Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef - or ground beef/pork blend
- 2 cups crushed Dorito chips - crushed tortilla chips or corn chips
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup taco seasoning
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup milk - broth or water
- 1 cup taco sauce
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese with jalapenos - pepper jack cheese or mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray (optional step).
- Add the lean ground beef, crushed Dorito chips, finely chopped onion, taco seasoning, eggs, and milk ingredients to a large bowl and mix ingredients together.
- Lightly spray a loaf pan with non stick spray and pack in the ground beef mixture. Flip the loaf pan and place it on to the baking sheet. Alternatively, you can add the mixture straight to the pan and form it into a loaf shape with your hands.
- Bake uncovered and without the sauce for 40 minutes (consider making two meatloaf recipes at once and storing one for later).
- While meatloaf is baking, mix together the sauce ingredients. Once meatloaf has cooked 40 mins, remove from oven and spread the taco sauce, shredded cheese and a few more crushed Dorito chips on top. Place back in oven and bake another 10 minutes, or until cooked.
- Remove from the oven and let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Meatloaf is cooked when an instant-read thermometer reads a temperature of 160 F while inserted into the center of the loaf.
- Use a baking sheet – Cooking in a loaf pan causes the meatloaf to steam while it bakes. If you cook on a baking sheet, you’ll get a crispy top and sides.
- Dice Onion Small – Dice the onion very small. It creates the perfect meatloaf texture!
- Use lean ground beef – Use lean ground beef for a moist and tender meatloaf. A mix of beef and pork is a classic choice. Do not use extra lean ground beef.
- Mix Evenly – Mix thoroughly so that ground beef is coated evenly. This will ensure that the loaf sticks together.
- Use a meat thermometer – The easiest way to tell when meatloaf is done is a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should reach 160°F.
- Add sauce and toppings at the end – Sauce will loose moisture if you bake it for the full 50 minutes. Instead, spread it along the top and sides in the last 10 minutes for the best consistency.
- Let cooked meatloaf rest – Let meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute and results in a more flavorful and moist meatloaf.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
