Easy Mexican Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

Mexican Shepherd’s Pie – with taco seasoning, black beans, and corn, this recipe is a tasty twist on traditional shepherd’s pie. My whole family loves it!

With bold Mexican flavors, hearty potatoes, and melted cheese, this casserole is the perfect comfort food for fans of Mexican cuisine!

I’ve been making this spicy shepherd’s pie for over a decade, and we like it even more than regular shepherd’s pie. It’s perfect for taking dinner to sick friends, and is always a hit at potlucks as well.

Because we love it so much, I updated the post with new photos and added more details to the recipe. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do!!

HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN SHEPHERD’S PIE

1. PREP – Spray a 2 1/2 quart casserole or 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. FILLING – Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain off any fat. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili powder, salt, and garlic. Add the black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and olives. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
3. ASSEMBLE – Pour the meat mixture into the prepared dish. Spoon potatoes over the top and spread evenly. Sprinkle cheese over the potatoes.
4. BAKE – Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted. If desired, garnish with green onions, sour cream, diced tomatoes, or avocados.

You can assemble the entire casserole, cover it, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. It will take longer to heat through, so I recommend covering it with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking, then removing the foil and cooking another 20 minutes or so.

Leftover shepherds pie keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Simply reheat individual servings in the microwave for a minute or two. I love this microwave cover for preventing splatters!

VARIATIONS:

• If you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes, you can use instant mashed potatoes, or whip up a batch of these garlic mashed potatoes.
• Feel free to add green chiles, poblano pepper, chipotle peppers, bell peppers, or jalapeno peppers to the filling.
• You can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the beef.
• Instead of cheddar, use pepper jack, colby jack, mozzarella, or any other type of cheese that melts well. Sometimes I add a layer of cheese between the meat and potatoes. Extra yummy!

MORE MEXICAN RECIPES:

• Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
• Chicken Tostada Recipe
• Sweet Jalapeno Cornbread
• Chicken Fajita Quesadilla
• Mexican Red Rice Recipe
• Taco Chicken Soup
• Cheesy Beef Taquitos

(recipe originally posted on 2/6/2009, updated March 2024)

Give this Mexican Shepherd’s Pie a try and let me know how you like it. I hope it makes it into your regular meal rotation!