One Pan Taco Pasta With Chicken

A close up of a wooden spoon in a pan of taco pasta.

One Pan Taco Pasta With Chicken

One pan taco pasta with chicken comes together in about 30 minutes and is packed with bold, cheesy taco flavor. Everything cooks in one pan, which keeps cleanup simple and makes weeknights a little easier.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 657kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

Cooking spray
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks (if using cooked chicken, add with the pasta)
¼ cup dried minced onions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, to taste
¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper, to taste
28 ounces diced tomatoes, canned and undrained
4.5 ounces chopped green chiles, canned undrained (I used mild but you can always use spicy if you want a kick!)
8 ounces tomato sauce canned
2 cups chicken broth
14.5 ounces black beans, canned and undrained
¼ cup water
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup frozen corn
1 pound penne pasta
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
3 green onions chopped (for garnish)
10 Tortilla chips, crumbled (for garnish)

Instructions

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and grease with cooking spray.
Add chicken and sauté stirring often until it's beginning to brown, around 2 minutes (it won't be fully browned yet). While it's browning add dried minced onions, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.
Add diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, tomato sauce, chicken broth, taco seasoning, undrained black beans and frozen corn. Mix well and bring to this to a boil, around 5-7 minutes.
Once it's boiling, add the pasta, cover and reduce the heat to medium.
Cook for 5 minutes and then remove the cover and stir.
Cover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes and then remove the cover and stir again.
Cover the pan and cook for another 5 minutes and then remove the cover and stir in ½ cup of shredded cheddar.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the pasta. Cover and remove from heat.
Let the cheese melt for a couple minutes then uncover. Sprinkle with scallions and crumbled tortilla chips and serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Cut the chicken evenly. Keep the pieces about 1 inch in size and as similar as possible so they cook at the same rate and stay tender.
Don’t worry if the chicken isn’t fully cooked at first. Once it starts to brown, you’ll add the remaining ingredients, and it will finish cooking as everything simmers.
Use a non-stick pan if you can. It makes a big difference in preventing sticking and keeps cleanup easy.
Stir it a few times while simmering. This helps the pasta cook evenly and prevents sticking.
Ingredients to prep ahead- Cut the chicken and measure out your seasonings.
Leftovers and storage. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. I’m not a big fan of freezing pasta since it can change the texture, but you can freeze it for up to 3 months if wrapped well.

Nutrition