Description
This Best Mexican Lasagna recipe layers rich, flavorful meat sauce seasoned with authentic Mexican spices, creamy cheese filling, and tender noodles to create a comforting and hearty casserole perfect for family dinners. With a blend of ground beef, diced tomatoes, beans, corn, olives, and a hint of cocoa and cinnamon to deepen the sauce, this dish boasts vibrant flavors, gooey cheese layers, and a satisfying texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Filling
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons chili powder (NOT cayenne pepper)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 4-6 garlic cloves minced
- 3 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1 (4 oz.) can mild chopped green chiles
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (may substitute black beans)
- 1 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn (no need to thaw)
- 1 (6 oz.) can chopped black olives, drained
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Layers
- 15 regular lasagna noodles (NOT no boil)
- 2 cups freshly grated Monterrey Jack cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
Creamy Filling
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup mild salsa verde (such as Herdez)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Soak Noodles: Place the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a long pan and pour hot tap water over them until fully submerged. Let soak at least 30 minutes, occasionally agitating with your hands to prevent sticking.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a deep 9x13-inch baking pan. Whisk together the flour and all dry meat filling seasonings (chili powder through cayenne pepper) and set aside.
- Cook Beef: In a Dutch oven or large skillet, brown the ground beef and chopped onion until almost cooked through. Sprinkle in the flour and seasoning mixture and cook for 2 minutes to absorb flavors.
- Add Tomato Paste and Garlic: Reduce heat to low, stir in tomato paste and minced garlic cloves. Cook for 1 minute to develop flavor.
- Simmer Meat Sauce: Stir in chicken broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices, chopped green chiles, cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until thickened.
- Finish Filling: Stir in rinsed pinto beans, frozen sweet corn, drained black olives, and apple cider vinegar. Remove from heat.
- Prepare Creamy Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream (or Greek yogurt), softened cream cheese, salsa verde, and salt until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine Monterrey Jack and sharp cheddar cheeses and set aside.
- Assemble Lasagna: Spread 1 cup of meat sauce evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer 4 lasagna noodles lengthwise plus part of a 5th noodle to cover. Spread 3/4 cup creamy filling evenly over noodles, followed by 1 cup combined cheeses. Repeat layering two more times using 2 cups meat sauce, 4+ noodles, 3/4 cup creamy filling, and 1 cup cheese each time. Finish with remaining meat sauce and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake: Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh tomatoes, olives, avocado slices, cilantro, and sour cream if desired.
Notes
- This Mexican Lasagna is flavorful but not spicy; the small amount of cayenne pepper adds depth without heat, making it family-friendly.
- Use American-style chili powder to avoid excessive spiciness; other countries' chili powders can be much hotter.
- For a gluten-free option, swap noodles for corn tortillas, although the recipe is designed for lasagna noodles.
- Customize with vegetables such as zucchini, bell peppers, sweet potatoes or jalapenos; adjust meat accordingly to maintain sauce balance.
- Black beans can be substituted for pinto beans but add them earlier so they soften well in the sauce.
- Ground turkey or chicken can replace beef; shredded rotisserie chicken can be stirred in at the end of cooking.
- Measuring all seasonings before cooking helps prevent disrupting the browned meat during seasoning addition.
- Do not skip cocoa powder, sugar, or cinnamon; they create an authentic enchilada sauce flavor.
- Simmer sauce longer for thicker consistency or add chicken broth/water to thin it.
- Top with your favorite garnishes such as jalapenos, avocado, tomatoes, olives, cilantro, and sour cream.
- This dish is perfect for make-ahead; refrigerate or freeze assembled or cooked lasagna for convenience.
- Reheat in oven covered with foil at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or in microwave in individual servings for 90 seconds plus intervals.
- Properly freeze wrapped with plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months; thaw in refrigerator 48 hours before baking.
- When baking from frozen, increase bake time to 1 1/2 hours covered, then uncover and bake 15-30 minutes more until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
