Mexican Tater Tot Casserole (Vegan)

This vegan tater tot casserole is packed with Mexican-inspired ingredients and smoky flavors. It tastes like a taco, but is as easy and quick as any other casserole!

Every scoop of this Mexican Tater Tot Casserole tastes just like your favorite vegan enchiladas and tacos… Smoky, a little spicy, and chock full of hearty beans, enchilada sauce, and salsa. It just happens to be much easier and faster to make!

It’s the perfect meal to mix up your typical taco Tuesday. Made with a taco seasoned vegan ground beef and black bean filling, then topped with enchilada sauce, vegan cheese, and tater tots, every bite feels like you’re biting into a taco! All you need is a little vegan sour cream or avocado on top to make it feel complete.

This is a fun one that both kids and adults will love. It’s best served with even more of your Mexican-inspired favorites, like Vegan Quesadillas or Vegan Nachos Supreme!

Jump to:

• What’s in a Mexican tater tot casserole?
• How to make a vegan tater tot casserole
• Variations
• Can you make it ahead of time?
• Storing and freezing
• More taco Tuesday recipes
• Mexican Tater Tot Casserole (Vegan)

What’s in a Mexican tater tot casserole?

It’s simple Mexican-inspired and vegan ingredients that fill this casserole with savory and subtly spicy flavors, such as:

• Yellow onion
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Vegan ground beef - Adding vegan ground beef to this veggie casserole gives it extra substance while making you feel like you’re enjoying a meaty vegan taco. I like using vegan ground beef from Beyond Meat or Impossible Meat, but you can use any brand you like.
• Taco seasoning - Buy a packet of taco seasoning mix or make the spice blend yourself using the list of spices in my Vegan Taco Meat recipe.
• Red enchilada sauce - My homemade Vegan Enchilada Sauce is nicely spiced and easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients. If you don’t want to make your own enchilada sauce, feel free to buy bottled red sauce instead.
• Salsa - Use your favorite bottled chunky, mild, or spicy salsa.
• Diced green chilies
• Corn - You can use canned, frozen, or fresh corn.
• Black beans - Or use pinto beans or a mix of the two instead.
• Shredded vegan cheese - You need a lot of vegan cheese, so use your favorites!
• Tater tots - Most tater tots are vegan-friendly and easy to find in the freezer aisle of major grocery stores.
• Toppings - Top the finished casserole with sliced black olives, fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, vegan sour cream, sliced avocado, shredded lettuce, salsa, or any of your favorite taco toppings!

How to make a vegan tater tot casserole

This easy tater tot casserole comes together in just 4 simple steps:

Step 1: Make the beef filling. Saute the onion in a skillet with oil. Once it’s soft, add the garlic and vegan ground beef and cook until the “beef” is warmed through.

Step 2: Add the rest. Season the vegan meat with the taco seasoning and give it a good stir. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the vegan cheese and tater tots. Stir well to combine and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes to help it thicken.

Step 3: Assemble the casserole. Pour the “beef” filling into a prepared casserole dish. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer before sprinkling the shredded vegan cheese over top. Finally, layer the tater tots over the cheese.

Step 4: Bake. Bake the casserole until the enchilada sauce is bubbling, the cheese has melted, and the tots are golden brown. Take it out of the oven and add your favorite taco toppings on top. Enjoy! Full ingredients and instructions in printable recipe card below.

Variations

• What else can you add to a tater tot casserole? There’s plenty you can add to the casserole filling, like bell peppers, carrots, frozen peas, tomatoes, or any other fresh or frozen vegetables you love.
• Instead of vegan beef - Swap the vegan beef for crumbled tofu or tempeh, rehydrated soy curls, vegan sausage, my vegan taco meat, or leftover vegan steak. You can also leave out the “meat” entirely and add more black beans, pinto beans, or vegetables in its place.
• If you don’t have tater tots - Use frozen hash browns instead.

Can you make it ahead of time?

The best way to prepare this recipe ahead of time is to make the filling up to 2 days in advance. Cook the filling as normal, layer it into your baking dish, cover with a lid, and keep it in the fridge. When it’s time to eat, add the cheese and tater tots on top, then bake.

Storing and freezing

To store: The leftover casserole can be stored either covered in the baking dish or in individual airtight containers in the fridge. It should stay fresh and flavorful for 3 to 4 days.

To freeze: I haven’t tested it, but the baked casserole should freeze well for about 1 month. You can reheat it in the oven right from frozen until it’s warmed through and the tater tots are crisp again.

More taco Tuesday recipes

You aren’t limited to just tacos on taco Tuesday! Mix up the menu by pairing this casserole with more fun recipes, like:

• Street Corn Salad
• Vegan Jerk Tacos
• Mexican Chopped Salad
• Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme
• Easy Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

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