One Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta is such an easy weeknight dinner recipe. It's creamy, cheesy and full of great flavor that the whole family will love and best of all, ready in under 30 minutes!
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Why You've Got To Try This Taco Macaroni
Weeknight meals are a challenge no mater how you slice it. There are always some nights where the day just got away from us and you can't imagine spending a whole hour (or more!) cooking. And I say this as a gal who loves cooking! So it's always helpful to have a recipe up your sleeve where the ingredients are all in your pantry/fridge/freezer and it can be thrown together quickly with minimal work, minimal clean up but maximum flavor.
Taco night is always a favorite in our home, but since we often make our taco meat in the slow cooker, this isn't exactly a good last minute option. But combining taco night with pasta night provides flavors the whole family always love, the easy way! Here's why you'll love it:
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Simple ingredients we all tend to have on hand
- One pot = minimal clean up
- Deliciously creamy with zesty flavor
- Kid-friendly
- Reheats easily for delicious leftovers
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Ground Beef- I like to go with a leaner ground beef mix, like 90/10 to minimize the amount of grease, but if you use one with a higher fat content you can always drain the grease before adding seasonings.
- Pasta- My preferred pasta for this is penne but if you favor a different shape, feel free to use that. The big thing is choosing a pasta shape of a similar size, noodles aren't really ideal for this recipe. Other great options are Rotini or Farfalle.
- Seasonings- A combination of a taco seasoning packet, salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried minced onions add robust flavor.
- Sauce- The sauce is made up of chicken broth (beef also works), diced tomatoes, chopped green chiles, tomato sauce, black beans and frozen corn. Make sure you don't drain any of the canned items, as the liquid in them helps make the sauce. If you want to substitute canned corn for frozen, it will work, just make sure you drain that.
- Cheese- I personally enjoy shredded sharp cheddar for this but mild or white cheddar also work and so does a Mexican blend or Colby. Hand-shredded cheese melts better, but this recipe works just fine with pre-shredded.
- Toppings- While optional, I think topping this with crushed tortilla chips and chopped scallions adds even more great flavor and texture.
How To Make One Pot Taco Pasta
Step 1: Brown ground beef
Add ground beef to a skillet over medium-high heat and break up with a spoon. While it browns, mix in seasoning.
Step 2: Add sauce ingredients
Add diced tomatoes, chopped green chiles, tomato sauce, chicken broth, beans and corn to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
Step 3: Stir in pasta and cover
Stir in pasta and cover, keeping heat at medium-high. Cook covered for 10 minutes stirring 2-3 times during cooking to keep it from sticking.
Step 4: Add cheese
Stir in ½ cup of cheese and top with remaining cheese. Turn off heat, cover and cook for 2 more minutes to melt cheese. Top with crushed tortilla chips and scallions and serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! The amount of liquid allows the pasta to boil while it's covered and the pasta absorbs extra liquid leaving just the right amount of sauce.
The leftover will last covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tips For Making This Taco Pasta Recipe
- Drain grease if needed- When browning the beef, if you notice its pretty greasy, drain the grease before adding the seasonings. I haven't run into this issue when using lean ground beef, but a mix with a higher fat content may cause this.
- Prep all ingredients before you start cooking. This is called a Mise en Place and it's a good idea to make every recipe run smoothly. But it's especially important for this recipe because the hands-on part of the cooking tends to go quickly.
- Do not turn the heat down once you cover it. This is key for getting the pasta to cook through in the sauce while it's covered.
- Stir while it's covered. While it's covered and cooking, I try to stir it every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Feel free to add toppings once the pasta is cooked. Although this is great on it's own, in addition to green onions and chips, this would be awesome with some guacamole, sour cream, etc. The world is your oyster!
- Leftovers and storage- This will last up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator. I typically reheat individual portions in the microwave but you can always reheat in a pan over medium heat on the stove stirring often. A splash of water or broth will help if it seems too dry.
What To Serve With Mexican Pasta
Round out your meal with these delicious recipes:
Other Great Taco-Themed Recipes
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One Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles (I used mild but you can always use spicy if you want a kick!)
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
- 1 14 ounce can black beans, undrained
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 pound uncooked penne pasta
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I used sharp but this would also be delicious with mild)
- Chopped green onions for garnish
- Crumbled tortilla chips for garnish
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to break the beef up.
- Add dried minced onions, garlic powder, salt, pepper and taco seasoning. Stir to combine while browning.
- Once beef is fully browned, add diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, tomato sauce, chicken broth, undrained black beans and frozen corn. Mix well and bring to this to a boil.
- Once it's boiling, stir in pasta and cover. Do not reduce heat, leave it at medium-high.
- Cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking.
- Stir in ½ cup cheddar cheese and then sprinkle the remaining cup of cheddar cheese over the top. Cover the pasta again and turn off heat. Let sit for 2 minutes to melt cheese.
- Sprinkle with green onions and crumbled tortilla chips and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
-
- Drain grease if needed- When browning the beef, if you notice its pretty greasy, drain the grease before adding the seasonings. I haven't run into this issue when using lean ground beef, but a mix with a higher fat content may cause this.
-
- Prep all ingredients before you start cooking. This is called a Mise en Place and it's a good idea to make every recipe run smoothly. But it's especially important for this recipe because the hands-on part of the cooking tends to go quickly.
-
- Do not turn the heat down once you cover it. This is key for getting the pasta to cook through in the sauce while it's covered.
-
- Stir while it's covered. While it's covered and cooking, I try to stir it every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
-
- Feel free to add toppings once the pasta is cooked. Although this is great on it's own, in addition to green onions and chips, this would be awesome with some guacamole, sour cream, etc. The world is your oyster!
-
- Leftovers and storage- This will last up to 4 days covered in the refrigerator. I typically reheat individual portions in the microwave but you can always reheat in a pan over medium heat on the stove stirring often. A splash of water or broth will help if it seems too dry.
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