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This Mexican Ground Beef Casserole has beans and chiles, and it’s a delicious family-friendly dinner with just enough spicy flavor! And this Mexican casserole is probably lower in net carbs than you might think, but skip the beans and double the ground beef for a low-carb version if you prefer!

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Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef, Beans, and Chiles shown on serving plate with casserole dish in back.

This Mexican Ground Beef Casserole is a perfect ideas for an easy dinner! I’m a member of The Casserole Fan Club, because casseroles usually mean leftovers in the fridge for easy meals later in the week. And although some of my Casserole Recipes contain rice, quinoa, or pasta, for years I’ve been working on more casserole recipes like this one that are carb-conscious and family-friendly.

This recipe was definitely inspired by my Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans), although if you’ve tried that one I think you will find this recipe is quite different. This ground beef casserole is definitely spicier than the chicken one, which is one reason it tastes so great with a dollop of low-fat sour cream, but if you’re cooking for a family I’ll share how to tone down the spiciness. And see tips in the post if you want to skip the beans and make this Mexican Ground Beef Casserole even lower in carbs!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

Spicy Green Chile Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef, Black Beans, and Tomatoes from KalynsKitchen.com

What chiles did I use for the Mexican Ground Beef Casserole?

One reason this recipe is spicy is because it uses Whole Roasted Green Chiles (affiliate link) between the layers, plus Green Chile Enchilada Sauce. You can omit the extra layer of green chiles in the middle of the casserole and use those extra green chiles to make something else with green chiles if you want less spice. And be careful to buy mild whole green chiles and not jalapenos to make this! I love Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (affiliate link) which is gluten-free, but there are other good brands, and if you’re cooking for kids, use MILD green chile enchilada sauce.

How low in carbs is the Mexican Casserole with ground beef?

This tasty dinner with Mexican flavors has just 17 net carbs and 38 grams of protein!

How can you make Mexican Ground Beef Casserole even lower in carbs?

I developed this recipe when I was eating more beans than I do now. To make a version that’s lower in carbs I would simply omit the can of beans and double the amount of ground beef, and it will be just as delicious!

More Casseroles with Mexican Flavors:

For more tasty Mexican Casseroles, check out Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken and Cauliflower Rice, Green Chile and Chicken Mock Enchilada Casserole, or Slow Cooker Mexican Lasagna.

Spicy Green Chile Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef, Black Beans, and Tomatoes found on KalynsKitchen.com

How to make Mexican Ground Beef Casserole:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray.
  2. Dump green chiles into a colander and let drain. When chiles are drained, remove them to cutting board, then and rinse and drain black beans.
  3. Heat olive oil and cook onions until they’re starting to brown.
  4. Remove onions, add more of olive oil and brown the ground beef, breaking apart. When beef is brown, add Taco Seasoning and cook a couple of minutes more.
  5. Then add tomatoes, black beans, and onions and simmer on low until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
  6. Open each whole green chile with your fingers; then use a paper towel to wipe away seeds and blot dry. Arrange in 3 stacks.  (This will take 6-8 paper towels . Don’t leave seeds in unless you want it to be much spicier.)
  7. Make a layer with 1/3 of the chiles.
  8. Put half the ground beef mixture over the chiles.
  9. Then make another layer of chiles. (You could skip this layer of chiles if you’re making the casserole less spicy for kids. Just make a thicker layer of ground beef.)
  10. Then put the rest of the ground beef mixture over the chiles, and make a final layer of chiles on top.
  11. Beat eggs and whisk together with 1 cup of Green Chile Enchilada Sauce. (Freeze the extra sauce to use later.)
  12. Pour sauce over the casserole and then use a fork to move the ingredients aside so the sauce will run down.
  13. Sprinkle on cheese and cover the casserole with lid or foil.
  14. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  15. Then remove lid or foil and bake another 20-25 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling hot.
  16. If you like your cheese nicely browned, you can turn oven to broil and broil the top for a few minutes.
  17. Serve the Mexican Ground Beef Casserole hot, with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

More Casseroles from Kalyn’s Kitchen:

Weekend Food Prep:

This Mexican Ground Beef Casserole recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Green Chile Mexican Casserole with Beef, Beans, ,and Chiles finished casserole and one serving on plate
Yield: 8 servings

Mexican Ground Beef Casserole

Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

This Mexican Ground Beef Casserole has beans and chiles, and it's a delicious dinner option! See tips for making it a bit less spicy if you're cooking for kids.

Ingredients

  • one 27 oz. can whole green chiles, drained
  • one 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed well with cold water and drained
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1 T taco seasoning
  • one 14.5 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
  • 3 eggs, beaten well
  • 1 cup Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (see notes)
  • 1 1/2 cups Mexican Four Cheese Blend
  • sour cream for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
  2. Dump the whole green chiles into a colander placed in the sink and let them drain while you prep the filling.
  3. When the green chiles are drained, move them to a cutting board and then put the black beans in the colander, rinse with cold water, and let drain.
  4. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a large heavy non-stick pan, add the onions, and cook over medium-high heat until onions are browned, about 5-6 minutes.  Remove onions to a small bowl.
  5. Add the other teaspoon of olive oil and the ground beef and cook 6-8 minutes, or until the beef is well browned, breaking it apart with the turner as it cooks.
  6. Add the taco seasoning and cook 1-2 minutes more.
  7. Add the diced tomatoes and juice, drained black beans, and onions and turn heat to medium low.
  8. Cook until the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated. (When you use the turner to push the mixture aside, the bottom of the pan should look nearly dry.)
  9. While the meat mixture cooks use your fingers to open each of the whole chiles and then use a paper towel to wipe away the seeds and blot each chile as dry as you can get it.
  10. (You will need 6-8 paper towels to do all the chiles, but don’t skip this step.  If you don’t remove the seeds, this dish will be extra spicy.)
  11. Divide the chiles into 3 piles as you dry them.
  12. Spray the casserole dish with non-stick spray and make a layer of 1/3 of the chiles in the bottom of the dish.
  13. Top with 1/2 the meat mixture.
  14. Make another layer of chiles on top of the meat mixture, and top with the other 1/2 of the meat mixture.
  15. Finish with a top layer of the last 1/3 of the chiles.
  16. Beat the eggs and then whisk in the cup of Green Chile Enchilada sauce. Pour this over the casserole and then use a fork or knife to gently push the ingredients aside so the egg/sauce mixture can run down into the layers.
  17. Top with the grated cheese and cover the casserole dish with the lid or foil.
  18. Bake covered for 30 minutes, or until all the cheese is melted and the casserole is starting to bubble.
  19. Remove the lid or foil and bake 20-25 minutes more.
  20. If you want the top well-browned, switch to broil the last few minutes and brown the top.
  21. This is easier to serve if you let it sit for about 10 minutes before cutting.
  22. Serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream on top if desired.

Notes

I used Kalyn's Taco Seasoning, but use any brand you prefer. Freeze the rest of the green chile enchilada sauce for another use.

Use any dish that’s 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ with high sides.  (If you don’t have a dish that size, I think a rectangular glass casserole dish would work to make a flatter casserole, although you might not be able to make an extra layer of green chiles in the middle.)

Nutritional information doesn't include optional sour cream.

This recipe was created by Kalyn and Jake with inspiration from Mexican Chicken Casserole (with Pinto Beans).

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 472Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 174mgSodium 622mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 6gSugar 8gProtein 38g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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© Kalyn Denny
Category: Casseroles

Mexican Casserole with Beef, Beans, and Chiles showing finished casserole and one serving on plate

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
The Mexican Ground Beef Casserole has about 17 net carbs per serving if you use the beans; for a version that’s lower in carbs just skip the beans and double the amount of ground beef. For the original South Beach Diet, remember that it’s important to use lean beef (less than 10% fat) and low-fat cheese. The Green Chile Enchilada sauce does have a very small amount of modified corn starch, but using that ingredient only adds 2 carbs per serving to this dish, so I still consider it to be suitable for any phase of the South Beach Diet and not that much of a splurge for low-carb diets.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historic Notes for this Recipe:
This Mexican casserole with ground beef, beans, and chiles was first posted in 2013. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2025.

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