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Home recipes Dinner

Mexican Lasagna

35 minutes
black beansgreen peppersjalapenokaleoniontomato
Posted:6/29/21
Updated:10/14/21
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Mexican Lasagna is a smoky and zesty take on the classic! Made with black beans, veggies, cheese, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce, it’s a hearty and satisfying vegetarian dinner that’s easy to make ahead of time or freeze for later.

mexican lasagna with cheese and beans in lasagna dish

Vegetarian Mexican lasagna recipe

Mexican food isn’t just about slow cooker tacos or taco casserole –  it’s also about lasagna! You can turn this iconic Italian dish into a Mexican-inspired vegetarian masterpiece using simple ingredients and seasonings that the whole family will enjoy. 

For this recipe, lasagna noodles are layered with lots of vegetables, cheese, black beans, jalapenos, and tomato sauce. You’ll feel just as satisfied as you would if you were enjoying a classic Italian lasagna, but with added protein, nutrition, and spice! 

One of the best features of this vegetarian dinner is that it’s easy to make ahead. If you have some extra time on the weekend, you can quickly assemble this lasagna and get it ready to throw in the oven when you get home from work on Monday. Bonus: it can be frozen for later and makes great leftovers!

slice of lasagna on spatula being removed from lasagna dish.

Mexican lasagna vs. Italian lasagna

This vegetarian lasagna is a hybrid between Mexican food and Italian. Classic Italian lasagna is made with very little or no vegetables and has layers of tomato sauce, noodles, and cheese.

This Mexican lasagna still has a hint of Italian flair as it’s made with mozzarella, ricotta, and red sauce. The main difference? It’s packed with vegetables, black beans, and taco seasoning! It tastes smoky and zesty while remaining just as comforting as the classic.

cheesy lasagna with beans, tomatoes and kale in baking dish.

How to make vegetarian Mexican lasagna

Not only is this lasagna unique and delicious, but it’s also easy to make. If you’ve ever made traditional lasagna, you can put this recipe together! Here’s how it’s done:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the noodles according to the package instructions and add the kale within the last 3 minutes. 

Drain the noodles and add the kale back into the pot with the sauce, beans, vegetables, and seasonings. 

Add some of the sauce mixture to the bottom of the baking dish. Start with a layer of lasagna noodles, then add the ricotta, vegetable sauce, and mozzarella on top. Continue until you run out. 

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Let it sit for 10 minutes, then slice and enjoy!

baked lasagna with black beans, peppers, tomatoes and kale in baking dish.

Substitutions and variations

  • Want more protein? Mix in some plant-based protein like baked tofu, tempeh, white beans, or red kidney beans.
  • Add more veggies – Like mushrooms, sweet corn, spinach, zucchini, or asparagus. 
  • Don’t have lasagna noodles? Try layering this lasagna with flour tortillas in its place for a taco-inspired lasagna. 
  • Add a garnish – Serve each slice with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, or candied jalapenos on top!
  • If you’re not vegetarian, you can add ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken into the mix. 
  • Instead of pasta sauce, use red or green enchilada sauce.
  • Spice it up! Use this spicy tomato sauce to give this dish some heat.
lasagna in glass baking dish.

Make-ahead Mexican lasagna casserole

To make ahead: Cook the noodles, sauce, and vegetable mixture according to the recipe and assemble the lasagna. Wrap it in foil and store it in the fridge for 1 to 2 days before baking.

Storing leftovers: Cooked and cooled leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350ºF until warmed through, or pop it in the microwave for a few minutes.

To freeze: Leave the lasagna unbaked before freezing. Wrap the high tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375ºF for 45-60 minutes or until thawed and cooked through. 

More comforting vegetarian dinners to try

  • Vegetarian Black Bean Chili
  • Vegetarian Quinoa Burgers
  • Cheesy Green Pepper Bake
  • Cabbage Soup
  • Lentil Kale Soup

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Mexican Lasagna is a smoky and zesty take on the classic! Made with black beans, veggies, cheese, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce, it’s a hearty and satisfying vegetarian dinner that’s easy to make ahead of time or freeze for later.
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5 from 2 votes

Mexican Lasagna

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Mexican Lasagna is a smoky and zesty take on the classic! Made with black beans, veggies, cheese, taco seasoning, and tomato sauce, it’s a hearty and satisfying vegetarian dinner that’s easy to make ahead of time or freeze for later.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
serves 8

Ingredients

  • 9 lasagna noodles
  • 4 cups kale stems removed, chopped
  • 1 medium green pepper chopped
  • 3 tomatoes chopped
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 1 jalapeno chopped and seeds removed
  • 15 oz can black beans drained
  • 32 oz jar pasta sauce
  • 1.25 oz pack taco seasoning
  • 15 oz container ricotta
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Bring large salted pot of water to a boil. Cook lasagna according to instructions. When 3 minutes are left, add chopped up kale to the water. Drain noodles and kale. Add kale back into the pot.
  • Add green pepper, tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, black beans, pasta sauce and taco seasoning into the pot with the kale, mixing to combine ingredients.
  • Grab your lasagna baking dish. Add a few spoonfuls of veggie/sauce mixture on the bottom.
  • Place 3 lasagna noodles down on top of the sauce. Spread 1/3 of your ricotta on top of the noodles. Add 1/3 of your veggie/sauce mixture on top. Add 1/3 of your Mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat 2 more times.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake 10 more minutes.
  • Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Mexican
Keyword:mexican lasagna
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

Similar Recipes

  • Vegetarian Taco Casserole
  • One Pan Taco Casserole
  • Taco Enchilada Casserole
  • Mexican Taco Hot Dog

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  1. Linda Bedson says

    August 31, 2018 at 10:46 am

    Hi Pam, have you tried freezing this and cooking it later?

    Thanks,
    Linda

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      September 5, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      You absolutely can! Just make sure to defrost overnight and then bake as usual (you might need to add a additional 15 minutes!). Enjoy the lasagna!

      Reply
  2. Peggy says

    November 27, 2017 at 7:29 am

    Wanted to try this recipe but was t sure if I should sauté the veggies first. Not a big fan of crunchy veggies after I bake a dish! Should they be soften first !!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      November 27, 2017 at 1:28 pm

      Hey Peggy, I don’t really think they require additional cooking. The only suggestion I have is to make sure to add the kale to the boiling water, per recipe instructions, so it’s not crunchy. With that said, if you really want to saute the veggies before hand, you totally can! Hope you enjoy this lasagna!

      Reply
  3. Marion says

    August 17, 2017 at 6:47 pm

    I tried this recipe cut in half, using a smaller baking dish and also left off one layer. I substituted cottage cheese on hand for ricotta. I used oven ready pasta. Turned out great!!! I’ll be making this again 🙂

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      August 17, 2017 at 10:42 pm

      Hey Marion, so happy to hear you enjoyed this lasagna! Thanks for letting me know!

      Reply
  4. Mary says

    February 15, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    Looks soooo yummy! I have to make this but could you tell what size glass pan you are using? Thank yous so much!!!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      February 16, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      Hey Mary, 13×9 is pretty average for a lasagna pan. As long as it can fit 3 rolls of noodles across it will do the job. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        February 17, 2017 at 5:03 pm

        Thank you sooooo very much. Next, will pick up necessary ingredients next week on my grocery stocking trip. Only go to town once a week… pretty isolated here.

        Reply
  5. Marisa says

    September 16, 2016 at 5:21 pm

    Oh my.,. this looks so delicious. I never thought of having a mexican lasagna. I’m going to have to try it this weekend!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      September 16, 2016 at 8:25 pm

      Hope you enjoy Marisa!

      Reply
  6. Laura | Food Fun Family says

    September 13, 2016 at 8:37 pm

    This recipe looks amazing! Thanks for sharing with the Delicious Dishes Recipe party this week!

    Reply
  7. Amanda @ The Kolb Corner says

    September 11, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    This looks like a great meatless dish to make for dinner tonight! Plus we will sure have leftovers which is always wonderful. Thank you for sharing at Merry Monday!

    Reply
  8. Valerie says

    September 5, 2016 at 1:13 pm

    I haven’t made lasagna in a long time. Now I am inspired to make it again!

    Reply
  9. Megan - The Emotional Baker says

    August 31, 2016 at 7:42 am

    I haven’t been making many pasta dishes, until recently. Can’t wait to incorporate this yummy dish into my meal plan!

    Reply
  10. Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says

    August 31, 2016 at 4:06 am

    Great minds think alike with the Mexican lasagna 😉
    This is a favourite in our house too, as it’s such a good way to eat loads of veggies in one meal.

    Reply
  11. grace says

    August 30, 2016 at 11:36 am

    outstanding! i just love every single thing about this! you’ve created perfection in a casserole dish. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says

    August 30, 2016 at 6:26 am

    Nothing can beat veggies and more veggies. Being a vegetarian myself I love vegetarian dishes and I love Mexica dishes too. Does that mean this lasagna is calling my name? Drooling. 🙂

    Reply
  13. Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today says

    August 30, 2016 at 5:02 am

    It looks like such a treat.

    Reply
  14. Mary says

    August 29, 2016 at 10:02 pm

    I’ve made many Vegetarian Lasagna and always include the zucchini and eggplant so when I sat down and started reading this post I was blown away when you included kale, tomatoes, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion and black beans. It truly blew my mind and I can’t wait to try it out for myself.

    Reply
  15. themodestfoxpr says

    August 29, 2016 at 4:23 pm

    This is so great! I’ve been looking for recipes like this! Thank you <3
    themodestfoxpr.blogspot.com

    Reply
  16. [email protected]'s Recipes says

    August 29, 2016 at 9:47 am

    Lots of veggies are always good, esp. when paired with lots of cheese 🙂 Delicious!

    Reply

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Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

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