My taco cornbread casserole with Jiffy recipe is easy and delicious! Ground beef, Rotel tomatoes, and beans mixed with Fajita-style onions and bell peppers form the well-spiced bottom layer of this Mexican bake. Sweet and savory cornbread with creamed corn and Cheddar cheese form the top, giving this Tex-Mex-style dish an amazing sweet and spicy combination. Although you can season it however you want, I recommend using packets of taco seasoning like I did to keep things simple. This 9×13 taco cornbread bake is fantastic on its own because it’s so flavorful, but it’s also great topped with salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes—and I’m sure that fresh guacamole or shredded cheese would be good as well! If you want to learn how to make taco cornbread casserole with Jiffy corn muffin mix, follow my step-by-step directions and watch the video below!
Taco Cornbread Casserole with Jiffy
Ingredients
- Taco Cornbread Recipe Ingredients
- Filling:
- 1 LB ground beef (454g)
- 1 15.5 oz can beans (I used mild chili beans)
- 1 10 oz Rotel tomatoes
- 2 1 oz packet taco seasoning
- *(I added 1 packet on camera, another off camera)
- **I used Taco Bell Original seasoning
- 3/4 cup water **(per directions on packet of Taco seasoning)
- 1 large onion (287g chopped)
- 1/2 large green bell pepper (187g chopped)
- Cornbread Topping:
- 1 8.5 oz box Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 2 Tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120g)
- 1/3 cup milk (80g)
- 1 14.75 oz can creamed corn
- 1 15.25 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
- 8 oz sharp cheddar, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up as it browns.
- Add the 2 packets taco seasoning and ¾ cup of water, then reduce the heat to low, stir, simmer for 10 minutes, and then set the meat aside. **Note that in the video I only added 1 packet of seasoning at the beginning, then I added another off camera—my recommendation would be to add 2 packets of seasoning now, but only using the amount of water required for 1 so as not to make the dish too watery.**
- Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 8 minutes, or until softened, then add the onion to the seasoned beef.
- Add a little more oil to the skillet and sauté the green bell pepper for about 7–8 minutes, or until softened.
- Dump the ground beef, onions, bell pepper, undrained beans, and Rotel tomatoes to the greased 9x13 casserole dish. Stir to combine, then spread the mixture evenly.
- Combine the Jiffy corn muffin mix, melted butter, sour cream, milk, creamed corn, drained whole kernel corn, and egg in a large bowl. Stir until combined.
- Stir the shredded Cheddar cheese into the cornbread mixture.
- Spread the cornbread batter evenly over the beef and bean mixture. Do not stir the two layers together.
- Bake uncovered at 400°F for 45 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let the casserole cool for about 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve as-is or top with salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, guacamole, or additional shredded cheese.
Recipe Review
I was extremely pleased with how this taco cornbread casserole with Jiffy mix turned out. The taco-seasoned ground beef and chili beans had plenty of flavor without being overly spicy, and the Rotel tomatoes, onions, and green bell peppers made the filling even more flavorful and filling. The biggest surprise for me was how well the sweet cornbread topping worked with the savory filling. The Jiffy mix, creamed corn, and whole-kernel corn gave the cornbread a nice sweetness, while the sharp Cheddar added saltiness that balanced it out. Every bite had a great combination of sweet, savory, and mildly spicy flavors.
The texture was also excellent. The beef and bean filling stayed moist without being watery, while the cornbread formed a soft, moist topping with a beautiful golden-brown crust. I especially liked having the two distinct layers rather than mixing everything together. The sweet cornbread contrasts nicely with the seasoned filling, and the casserole holds together well after cooling.
I thought this 9×13 Mexican taco cornbread casserole was flavorful enough to serve on its own, but traditional taco toppings make it even better. Salsa, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, guacamole, or extra cheese would all work well. I also think a simple salad would be a nice side dish if you want something fresh to balance the hearty meal.
Overall, I think this Jiffy cornbread taco casserole is a fantastic one-dish dinner and a recipe I would definitely make again. I especially like how flexible it is—you can change the meat or beans depending on what you have on hand. It also reheated very well in the microwave the next day, making it a great choice for meal prep. If you like Tex-Mex and Southern food, I think you’ll really like this meal.
Taco Cornbread Casserole with Jiffy FAQs
Bake the casserole uncovered at 400°F for about 45 minutes, or until the cornbread topping is golden brown. Let it cool for about 20-30 minutes before serving so the layers can set and pieces hold their shape when cut.
This Tex-Mex meets southern casserole has a strong sweet, spicy, and salty contrast: the savory filling has plenty of taco-seasoned meat, beans, and fajita-style vegetables while the top is sweet from the creamed corn and Jiffy mix. The Cheddar cheese in the cornbread adds a saltiness as well, the three flavors combining to make every bite taste incredible.
You’ll need just one 8.5-ounce box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix for this 9×13-inch casserole. Although one box of Jiffy mix is usually just enough for an 8×8 pan, adding whole-kernel corn, creamed corn, and shredded Cheddar cheese adds enough volume for it to spread out to fill the larger baking dish.
Don’t drain the Rotel, beans, or creamed corn, but DO drain the whole kernel corn. If you are trying to minimize salt in your diet, you might want to drain and rinse the beans as well, but I don’t think that undrained beans will make this casserole too salty for most people.
I recommend using two 1-ounce packets of taco seasoning—it’s a lot, but just like other southern-style casseroles, you need a lot of seasoning to really make it flavorful. However, only add 3/4 cup of water, which is the amount called for with one packet. Using the full amount of water for both packets could make the casserole too watery.
After combining the taco filling in the baking dish, spread the cornbread batter gently over the top—don’t stir the cornbread into the filling. Spreading it carefully helps maintain the distinct layers as the casserole bakes.
Yes! I used ground beef and mild chili beans, but you can use ground turkey or pork for the meat, as well as black or kidney beans. In fact, FiveHeartHome has a recipe that uses black beans and adds black olives for an extra savory finish.
Yes! This Mexican taco cornbread casserole reheats very well in the microwave, so feel free to make it ahead of time and store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It freezes very well as well, so you can cut it into individual portions and then thaw and reheat as needed.
Although this Jiffy taco bake is good enough to eat plain, you can serve it with traditional taco toppings like shredded lettuce and diced tomato. Extra cheese would be nice, as would onions and guacamole—the possibilities are endless!
I think the secret to a delicious taco cornbread casserole is using enough seasoning for all the meat, beans, and veggies—that’s why I recommend 2 packets (or about 4-6 Tablespoons total). Also, if you want well-defined layers, spread out the savory ingredients, then pour over the cornbread batter—then DON’T mix!
Other Jiffy Cornbread Recipes
If you love the classic corn muffin mix, take a look at these other ideas on how to use it:
Jiffy Cornbread with Sour Cream – If you want a super moist 8×8 pan of cornbread, this version is for you.
Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn – Adding a can of cream-style corn take the flavor to another level.
