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These crispy sheet pan tacos are filled with lean seasoned meat, refried beans, salsa, and melted cheddar. All 12 bake together, so everyone gets a hot, crispy taco at the same time.
Taco night is always an easy sell in my house, and these sheet pan tacos are what I make when I want something more fun than our usual soft tacos. What I didn’t expect was that one of the fillings would be the key to making the whole idea work.
The Trick That Keeps These Sheet Pan Tacos Folded
I thought folding the tacos and baking them would be simple, but there was one problem: folded tortillas don’t always stay folded once they start warming up. They can pop open in the oven and leave more filling on the pan than inside the taco.
Luckily there’s an easy solution! Not only do the refried beans add extra protein and fiber, but they’re sticky, almost like glue and they give the taco some weight. Thanks to the beans, each taco holds it shape and stays together, even while it’s baking.
That small trick made all the difference. And now I wouldn’t make them any other way.
Ingredients Notes
Most of the ingredients are flexible, but a few choices make these tacos easier to fold and help them crisp up in the oven.
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Ground beef or turkey: Lean ground beef gives you a richer flavor, while ground turkey keeps things a little lighter. Ground chicken or pork also works.
- Taco seasoning: Siete taco seasoning is my favorite here, but any packet you already enjoy will work. Just be sure to check whether it contains salt before adding any extra.
- Salsa: I like a mild, restaurant-style salsa because it blends right into the meat instead of leaving behind large chunks. Use your favorite heat level, and remember to save some for assembling the tacos.
- Small flour tortillas: I use 6-inch flour tortillas (sometimes called fajita tortillas). Whole wheat or high-fiber flour tortillas also work. I prefer flour tortillas over corn tortillas for this method.
- Refried beans: I use regular canned refried pinto beans, not a chunky or whole-bean variety. Their smooth, mashed texture makes them easy to spread evenly over the tortillas.
- Cheddar cheese: Cheddar is my go-to because it melts well and has plenty of flavor. Monterey Jack or a Mexican-style cheese blend would also be delicious.
- Cooking spray: A light coating is what helps the tortillas brown and crisp in the oven. I usually reach for avocado oil spray, but olive oil spray works just as well.
- Toppings: I usually put out sour cream or Greek yogurt, my homemade guacamole, salsa, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and cilantro. Pickled jalapeños, diced red onion, hot sauce, and lime are easy ways to add heat or acidity. I even sometimes dip these tacos in my cottage cheese queso.
How to Make Sheet Pan Tacos
Once the taco meat is ready, the rest comes together quickly. Here’s how I make them:
- Prepare for baking and brown the beef: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a standard sheet pan with parchment paper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef or turkey and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, breaking it apart as it cooks, until browned and cooked through. Drain any grease.
- Season the filling: Reduce the heat to medium-low, then stir in the taco seasoning, ½ cup of salsa, and water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the meat is evenly coated and the liquid has thickened.
- Fill and fold the tacos: Spread about 2 tablespoons of refried beans over one half of each tortilla. Top with about 3 tablespoons of taco meat, 2 teaspoons of salsa, and 2 tablespoons of cheddar. Fold each tortilla in half.
- Bake: Place the tacos snugly on the prepared pan with the cheese side facing down, then lightly coat the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tortillas are crisp. I like to serve them right away with all my favorite taco toppings.
Jamie’s tips
The Small Details That Make These Tacos Work
These little details really do make a difference:
- Spread the beans first. Adding the refried beans first and then flipping the taco before baking helps to keep it closed. Otherwise it might pop open while baking.
- Keep the cheese closest to the pan. Add the cheese last, fold the taco, and place that side down so the cheese melts and helps hold everything together.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas. Stick with the listed amounts so the tacos close easily and the filling stays inside where it belongs.
- Use two pans if yours feel overcrowded. All 12 fit snugly on my standard sheet pan, but pan and tortilla sizes vary. They can touch, but they shouldn’t overlap.
Meal Prep and Storage
These tacos are best straight from the oven, but there are a few easy ways to get ahead or save the leftovers. Keep any fresh toppings in a separate container so they don’t soften the tortillas.
What You Can Make Ahead
- Make the meat ahead: Cook the taco meat up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Wait to assemble the tacos until you’re ready to bake so the salsa doesn’t soften the tortillas.
- Freeze them after baking: Let the tacos cool completely, then freeze them in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe container and keep them for up to 2 months.
- Refrigerate leftovers: Store cooled tacos in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How to Reheat Sheet Pan Tacos
The air fryer is always my first choice because it brings that crispy shell right back. Reheat refrigerated tacos at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes, or pop them in a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
There’s no need to thaw frozen tacos first. Air fry them at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes or bake them at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. I’ll be honest, the microwave works in a pinch, but the tortillas will be soggy.
More Easy Taco Dinners
If you’ve made and love these Sheet Pan Tacos or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 rating and comments below!
Sheet Pan Tacos
Ingredients
Taco meat
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or ground turkey
- 1 packet taco seasoning, (I prefer Siete)
- ½ cup mild salsa, (jarred restaurant style)
- 3 tablespoons water
Tacos
- 12 small flour tortillas
- 15 ounces refried beans
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup salsa
- Cooking spray, like avocado oil
- Toppings: sour cream or Greek yogurt, salsa, guac, lettuce, tomato, cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet on the stovetop on medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 7-10 minutes, breaking apart until meat is browned and cooked through.
- Add the taco seasoning, ½ cup salsa, and water and cook on low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until meat is coated and liquid is thickened.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare each taco. Spread about 2 tablespoons of refried beans onto one half of each tortilla. Then, top with roughly 3 tablespoons of taco meat, 2 teaspoons of salsa, and 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese. Fold the tortilla in half and flip so that the taco is on the sheet pan with the cheese side down (the beans help it stay closed on the sheet pan).
- Arrange all 12 tacos on the sheet pan and spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Note: If needed, you can use two sheet pans, but I find that they fit tightly on one standard size pan.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tacos are crispy.
- Serve with your favorite taco toppings like sour cream, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, and cilantro.
Notes
- Don’t overfill the tacos. Using the listed amounts helps them stay folded and keeps the filling from spilling out as they bake.
- Let the meat mixture thicken. Cook until there’s no excess liquid pooling in the skillet so the tortillas can crisp instead of becoming soggy.
- Keep the cheese side down. Place the folded tacos with the cheese closest to the pan so it melts and helps hold everything together.
- Pan and tortilla sizes can vary. I use a standard 13 x 18-inch sheet pan. If your tacos feel crowded, divide them between two pans rather than overlapping them.
- Nutrition information: Nutrition is calculated without optional toppings such as sour cream, Greek yogurt, guacamole, additional salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, or other toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
Food photography by Marie-Catherine Dubé.
