Can we be honest for a minute? Sometimes leftovers are so much better than they were the night before. And nothing is more delicious than when we have leftovers from Taco Tuesday. They are truly the gift that keeps on giving. Whatever leftover meat you happen have, they can (and should!) be transformed into a fresh new dish more amazing than the sum of its parts.
If you don't have any leftover taco meat on hand, don't sweat it. We have plenty of tips for mixing up a homemade taco seasoning that will go great with roast chicken, grilled shrimp, ground beef, even lentils.
Adding taco meat to breakfast tacos is an ideal way to start the day, and "putting an egg on it" is also an important pillar of our lifestyle. But if you're looking for more lunch or dinner ideas, we've rounded up plenty of taco-inspired pastas, casseroles, and even lighter keto options. You also can never go wrong with adding leftover taco meat to other Mexican classics, like nachos, burritos, or our favorite beef enchiladas.
Want even more easy taco recipes? Take a quick peek at our fish tacos, cilantro-lime shrimp tacos, and easy chicken tacos. No matter the direction you take with your leftovers, you can never go wrong with serving them up with some homemade tortilla chips and guacamole, salsa verde, or Mexican rice and beans.
And if Taco Tuesday has truly transformed into Taco Wednesday, we have plenty of tequila-based drinks to make your meal all the more festive.
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1
Crunchwrap Supreme
This copycat recipe has all the main components of the iconic Taco Bell offering: seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and, most importantly, a crunchy tostada shell.
Get the Crunchwrap Supreme recipe.
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2
Taco Tomatoes
We're all for a genius low-carb hack—and these tomatoes totally deliver. We had never thought to stuff them with taco meat, cheese, and sour cream, but we'll do anything in the name of ditching a tortilla for a low-carb meal. You can change up the fillings for cheeseburger tomatoes, too.
Get the Taco Tomatoes recipe.
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3
Breakfast Tacos
A good breakfast taco is a thing of beauty. Not only will these keep you full until lunch, they've also been known to cure a mean hangover. (Hair of the dog, a la Michelada, anyone?) Pickled red onions aren't necessary, but they do add a nice crunch.
Get the Breakfast Tacos recipe.
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4
Cheesy Taco Casserole
This crazy casserole is somewhere between a loaded Tex-Mex taco and lasagna. Not only will your leftover taco meat be transformed, but the leftovers of this casserole are even better. If you're not a fan of ground beef, try it with ground turkey or lentils from our vegan chipotle lentil tacos instead!
Get the Cheesy Taco Casserole recipe.
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5
Loaded Taco Bake
Meet one of our favorite make-ahead meals. You can layer the ground-beef mixture with corn taco shells and cheese ahead of time. Once it's baked, load yours up with avocado, cilantro, tomatoes, and scallions.
Get the Loaded Taco Bake recipe.
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6
Cheesy Taco Noodles
Adding your favorite leftover taco meat to this easy, cheesy pasta kicks up the spicy factor. Ground beef (from our cheesy ground beef tacos) is our go-to.
Get the Cheesy Taco Noodles recipe.
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7
Mexican Pizza
This take on the Taco Bell favorite isn't actually Mexican, nor is it a pizza. It's actually more of a Tex-Mex quesadilla, and we love it for a lightning fast dinner. The ease of flour tortillas straight from the bag can't be beat, but if you want to be true to the Taco Bell experience, shallow fry them in vegetable oil.
Get the Mexican Pizza recipe.
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8
Cheesy Taco Skillet
In this easy skillet dinner you will get all of your favorite Tex-Mex flavors in every square inch of the skillet: spicy beef, savory black beans, fresh veggies, and, of course, lots and lots and lots of cheese. Just make sure to not burn yourself on the skillet when you're scraping out every last bit from the bottom of the pan.
Get the Cheesy Taco Skillet recipe.
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9
Taco Stuffed Avocados
This kid-friendly dish couldn't be more perfect for all those delicious Taco Tuesday leftovers. You can also make this vegetarian by swapping in lentils.
Get the Taco Stuffed Avocados recipe.
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10
Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
We love how you can stuff sweet potatoes with pretty much anything. We took these into Tex-Mex territory with a combo of ground turkey, onion, carrots, tomatoes, and taco seasoning.
Get the Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes recipe.
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11
Keto Taco Casserole
We'll take all the cheese, please, with this spicy, filling casserole. Make a batch of keto tortilla chips and you won't need any utensils, just simply dip and chow down.
Get the Keto Taco Casserole recipe.
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12
Keto Taco Cups
If you're a fan of Tex-Mex ground beef tacos and are trying to follow a low-carb diet, consider these taco cups your new BFF.
Get the Keto Taco Cups recipe.
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13
Beef Taco Salad
No matter what leftover taco meat you have on hand (or perhaps even roasted chicken or grilled shrimp?), we highly recommend stirring it up with homemade taco seasoning for an endlessly customizable, hearty salad.
Get the Beef Taco Salad recipe.
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14
Taco Soup
This easy one-pot soup was inspired by our love for classic ground beef tacos, especially from those nostalgic boxed taco kits. Top the soup how you would tacos—onions, cilantro, cotija cheese, or sliced radishes are all fair game. And absolutely keep some tortilla chips close by to crush over your bowl.
Get the Taco Soup recipe.
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15
Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos
Don't have any leftover taco meat on hand? Here's an excellent starting point. Throw beef chuck roast—which has a strong beefy flavor and needs time to tenderize—in the slow-cooker and your future self will be so happy.
Get the Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos recipe.
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16
Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla
We love chicken quesadillas, yes. But what really sets this one apart is our take on the Taco Bell's sauce. Our secret? Plenty of pickled jalapeños—and some juice from the jar.
Get the Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla recipe.
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17
Burrito Zucchini Boats
As the saying goes: more meat, less carbs, can't lose. We stuffed hollowed out zucchinis with a tac0-spiced mix of ground beef, beans, corn, and tomatoes before broiling them with melty Monterey jack and cheddar.
Want even more stuffed zucchini recipes? Try our garlicky shrimp zucchini boats.
Get the Burrito Zucchini Boats recipe.
