Instant Pot Taco Lasagna

Made with layers of seasoned ground beef, refried beans, and cheese, this Instant Pot Taco Lasagna will prove to be an easy, family favorite! It takes only 10 minutes of hands-on prep and most of the ingredients are probably things you always have on hand!

Bean Burritos meet Beef Tacos to form an irresistible, hearty Taco Pie AKA Taco Lasagna. It is a simple recipe that is not only easy to make and incredibly tasty, but it is also economical and adaptable. You are going to want to put this meal on your dinner rotation ASAP!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

My family has been begging for me to make this Instant Pot Taco Lasagna again and again and after you give it a try you will see why!

• So incredibly flavorful--without a ton of added ingredients. Taco seasoning, salsa, and cheese always go a long way to making dishes irresistible.
• Remember Taco Bell Mexican Pizza? This recipe features a lot of the same flavors--just fresher and much better tasting!
• Even with good quality ground meat and tortillas, this entire meal costs less than $10 to make.
• Did I mention how easy it is to make Instant Pot Mexican Lasagna? From start to finish it only takes 10 minutes to create this easy Mexican casserole.

What You Need

• Instant Pot: This recipe works for either a 6 or 8 quart instant pot. No Instant Pot? You can bake this Mexican Casserole in a 350-degree F oven for 30 minutes, covered, and 10 minutes uncovered. Or you can make my traditional Mexican Lasagna designed for the oven.
• Pan: The best pan for this Mexican Lasagna is a 6x4 inch or 7x4 inch cake pan.
• Tortillas: I love using my homemade tortillas, but use any brand works. I recommend using 6-inch tortillas (soft taco shell size). They won't quite cover the bottom of a 7x4 inch pan, but that is JUST fine!
• Taco Meat: A layer of ground beef seasoned with salsa and cumin makes this tortilla pie so hearty. Feel free to use ground chicken or ground turkey. In fact, you can even use additional beans or Sofritas in place of the beef.
• Refried Beans: The contrast between the taco meat and the creamy refried beans is sublime. use either homemade refried beans or your favorite canned variety.
• Salsa: Instead of a rich tomato sauce used in traditional lasagna recipes, this lasagna is finished with chunky salsa. I also use it to season the ground meat, which limits the needed ingredients for this recipe.
• Cheese: Cheese is a MUST for lasagna. This recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese, but Colby, Monterrey Jack, or Mexican Cheese all work well. Pro-Tip: Grate the cheese yourself. Not only will you save money, but it will melt so much better, as it is not coated in any anti-caking agents like pre-shredded cheese. 
• Toppings: Just like tacos, this casserole comes to life with the toppings. Top with shredded lettuce, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, tomatoes, etc.

How to Make Instant Pot Taco Lasagna

• The first step to making this taco casserole is to prepare the taco meat. To do this, heat the Instant Pot using the Saute feature. Add in ground beef, chicken, or turkey of your choice and saute until cooked through. Drain off any excess grease and season with ground cumin and salsa and mix well.

• Once the meat is browned and seasoned, remove it from the inner pot and place it into a bowl to use to assemble the taco lasagna.
• At this point, we MUST deglaze the inner pot, so we don't run into a burn notice. Do this by adding in 2 cups of water to the inner pot and use a wooden spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot.
• Before you assemble the lasagna, you may want to consider toasting your tortillas. This is NOT necessary, but will help them to not get soggy. So if you despise soggy or soft tortillas, taking this extra step will help! Simply spray 5 flour toritllas with cooking spray. Place on a sheet ban and broil for 2-3 minutes per side until nice and golden.

• To assemble the taco pie AKA taco lasagna, spray the baking dish with cooking spray. Place one of the tortillas into the greased pan and then top with half the refried bean mixture. Sprinkle the beans with cheese.

• Top with another tortilla. Add half the meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

• Cover the meat mixture with another tortilla. Repeat the layers, using up the remaining refried beans and taco meat. Top with one final tortilla, and then cover with salsa and generously top with the remaining shredded cheese.

• Once layered, cover tightly in foil. Pour 2 cups of cold water (regardless of the size of your pressure cooker) and place a metal trivet into the pot. Place the lasagna on the rack and seal shut.

• Set the cook time for 10 minutes on High Pressure. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure. Once cook time has elapsed, leave the Instant Pot alone for at least another 10 minutes before doing a quick release of pressure.
• Carefully remove the lasagna from the inner pot and, very carefully remove the foil, not allowing any condensation to drip down onto lasagna.

• Just like any lasagna recipe, it is best to allow this Taco Lasagna to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Allergy and Dietary Modifications

• Vegetarian Modifications: Instead of ground meat, use 4 cups of black beans and season with cumin and salsa. You can also opt to use sofritas.
• Vegan Taco Lasagna: In place of beef, use 4 cups of black beans and season with cumin and salsa, or use sofritas in place of beef.  and use vegan cheddar cheese instead of regular cheese.
• Lower Fat: Be sure to use either extra lean ground beef or ground white chicken. Instead of adding cheese to each layer, only top the lasagna with 4 ounces of cheese. You can also use low-carb or low-fat tortillas in place of traditional flour tortillas.
• Creamy Instant Pot Mexican Lasagna: If you are craving a layer of creamy filling, check out my recipe for Mexican Lasagna and use the cottage cheese filling instead of refried beans for this recipe.

Pro-Tips

• Storage Instructions: If you happen to have leftovers, which is rare when it comes to this recipe, store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze individual slices wrapped in foil in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, unwrap and heat.
• Don't forget the toppings--just like tacos, the toppings are key to finishing this dish. I suggest lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocados, and sour cream.
• Put leftovers to use! If you happen to have leftover taco meat, Instant Pot Carnitas, or Instant Pot Chicken Taco Meat, use that for the meat layer in this casserole. It will make this recipe come together that much faster!
• Remember to ALWAYS use cold tap water when pressure cooking. If you don't it will change the cooking time. And for this recipe, use a full 2 cups of tap water--even if you are making in a 6 or 3-quart instant pot.

More Instant Pot Favorite Recipes

• Instant Pot Lasagna: If you are in the mood for traditional lasagna, this Instant Pot version is everything you love in the classic, but made a lot faster!
• Instant Pot Chicken Tacos: This is the easiest chicken taco meat recipe--and it also would be delicious used in place of the ground beef mixture in this Mexican Lasagna.
• Instant Pot Carnitas: The pork literally becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender and full of flavor!
• Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa: Tender shredded beef in a flavorful Mexican sauce, this beef is incredibly delicious and versatile.

If you enjoyed this Instant Pot Mexican Lasagna, please leave a comment and a review below.

This recipe was originally published in 2019 but has been updated in 2021 with a new video.