Taco seasoned ground beef, cheese and tater tots is what you will find in this kid-friendly Crock-Pot Tater-Tot Taco Casserole recipe. Perfect for dinner any night of the week!
Crock-Pot Tater-Tot Taco Casserole
My kids tend to go a little crazy over anything with tater tots in it. And this Mexican inspired casserole was no exception.
First I cooked up a couple of pounds of extra lean ground beef with some taco seasoning mix, then added a jar of salsa and some tomato sauce.
I put that mixture in the bottom of my Casserole Crock-Pot (I LOVE that one!) and topped with some shredded cheese (I used Kraft Fat Free cheddar cheese because I am doing Weight Watchers) and then arranged some tater tots on top of it all.
The whole thing only needed to cook for about 4 hours and dinner was ready!
Before dinner time I set out some sour cream, extra cheese and some sliced green onions and let everyone top their serving of slow cooker taco casserole however they liked it.
Huge hit with everyone in the family!
Equipment Needed For Crock-Pot Tater-Tot Taco Casserole Recipe:
- 3.5 Quart Casserole Slow Cooker OR 6 Quart, 6.5 Quart Or 7 Quart Slow Cooker
- Large Skillet
- Wooden Spoon
- Can Opener
- Cheese Grater
Common Questions:
Can I Use Ground Turkey In This Recipe?
If you want to shave off calories and fat you can easily substitute the ground beef for ground turkey. You can even use ground chicken or venison.
Do I have To Use A Casserole Crock-Pot?
I choose to cook this in my casserole slow cooker because the final dish looks more like a traditional oven-baked casserole. However you can easily cook this in a 6 quart or larger oval slow cooker and the recipe will be great. You may find that you have extra tater tots that won’t fit in a single layer on to of the casserole but that is OK. You can just save them for another meal.
Do The Tater Tots Get Crispy When Cooked In The Slow Cooker
The tater tots that top this casserole won’t get super crispy but they will crisp up. Because the tots are placed on a layer of cheese, the cheese acts as a little bit of a barrier from the moisture in the meat mixture below. If you would like the tater tots to be super crispy you can take the stoneware insert out of the heating base and place it under the broiler in your oven for just a few minutes (double check that you insert is oven safe).
More Fantastic Slow Cooker Casseroles!
- Crock-Pot Funeral Potatoes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Brushetta Bake
- Crock-Pot Cheesy Chicken Ranch Tater Tot Casserole + Video
- Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole + Video
- Crock-Pot Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Recipe Collections:
Casserole Crock-Pot Recipes | Entree Slow Cooker Recipes |
Mexican Slow Cooker Recipes | Kid Friendly Crock-Pot Recipes |
Hamburger Crock-Pot Recipes | Beef Slow Cooker Recipes |

This delicious and kid-friendly taco casserole features a great ground beef taco filling topped with cheddar cheese and then a layer of tater tots. Everything is then cooked in the slow cooker until the tater tots are cooked through. To take this recipe to the next level, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, additional shredded cheese and sliced green onion if you want.
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Rating |
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Servings | 8People |
Prep Time | 20Minutes |
Cook Time | 4 - 5Hours On HIGH |
- 2 Pounds Extra Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Packet Low Sodium Taco Seasoning Mix Or 3 Tablespoons Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
- 16 Ounces Jarred Salsa
- 8 Ounces Canned Tomato Sauce
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 16 Ounces Frozen Tater Tots
Ingredients
Servings: People
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- In a large skillet on the stove-top, brown and crumble the ground beef with the taco seasoning until the meat is fully cooked. Drain off any excess fat.
- Add the salsa and tomato sauce to the ground beef mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour meat mixture into a 3.5 quart casserole slow cooker OR a 6 quart or larger oval slow cooker and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the meat mixture.
- Arrange the tater tots in a single layer over the top of the cheese.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours or until the tater-tots are cooked through.
- Serve with additional toppings if desired and ENJOY!
To make clean up easier you may wish to either line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Weight Watchers Points calculated using Kraft fat free shredded cheddar cheese and 96% lean ground beef with no additional toppings.
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