🌮🧀💃 One-Pot Taco Pasta is an EASY recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE skillet, and loaded with Mexican-inspired flavors! A family favorite, it’s great for busy weeknights!
One-Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s ready in 20 minutes, and it’s made in one skillet. And there’s no waiting for water to boil and cooking pasta separately before adding it back into the dish. This recipe is how you streamline dinners and make things easier on yourself.
It’s full of all your favorite Mexican-inspired taco flavors and fixings. And it reminds me of this One-Skillet Tex Mex Beef Mac & Cheese, which is a family favorite.
Who can resist taco-seasoned ground beef, perfectly al dente pasta, sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, black beans, and plenty of melted cheese that sticks to the pasta? Topped with green onions, it’s a fiesta at the dinner table that the whole family will love.
Love Ground Beef and Pasta Dinners?
Then you need to make my American Goulash recipe next!
What’s in This Cheesy Taco Pasta?
To make this one-pot taco pasta recipe, you’ll need:
- Olive oil – Avocado oil also works
- Ground beef – If preferred, substitute ground turkey or ground chicken. Vegetarian? You can definitely omit the ground beef, but you’ll lose some of the flavor of the dish. You might want to add an extra can of beans to make up for it and / or some additional seasonings.
- Seasonings – Taco seasoning, cumin, and cayenne create a bold taco flavor with lots of depth. I don’t find it spicy, but adjust to taste
- Pasta – Use a short, sturdy pasta for this recipe. I used wagon wheels, but bowtie, rotini, penne, and small shells are all okay
- Veggies – Frozen corn, petite diced tomatoes, and green onions
- Black beans – Rinse and drain them well
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend – Substitute mozzarella cheese, or use your favorite plant-based cheese to keep this recipe dairy-free
- Sour cream – Substitute Greek yogurt for a similar taste and even more protein
- Salt – I used no-salt-added canned goods, so I added salt to my pasta dish. Salt and pepper the final dish as desired
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make One-Pot Taco Pasta
This one-pot pasta recipe is ready to eat and completely failproof!
- Brown the beef in oil, breaking it into pieces as it cooks. Drain the fat as needed. I used 90% lean ground beef and didn’t feel the need to drain off the excess grease. However, if you use a fattier beef, you may need to drain off the grease.
- Add the taco seasoning, cumin, and cayenne, if using. Then, stir in the dry pasta, water, and veggies.
- Simmer until the pasta is tender, and sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Add the sour cream, stirring to combine.
- Sprinkle the green onions on top, season to taste, and enjoy!
Can I Meal Prep This Cheesy Taco Pasta?
Yes! It’s a great recipe to make when you want to have planned leftovers, aka meal prepping, because it makes a big batch. Simply add the leftovers to individual plastic containers and store them in the fridge for about 5 days. Or for longer-term storage, this is a very freezer-friendly recipe.
We heat the containers up in the microwave for easy grab-and-serve lunches or hectic weeknight dinners on the fly.
What to Serve with One-Pot Taco Pasta
One-Pot Taco Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef, I used 90%
- one 1-ounce packet taco seasoning, I used reduced sodium, medium heat
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- pinch cayenne, optional and to taste
- 8 ounces dry uncooked pasta, I used wagon wheels; bowtie, rotini, penne, small shells, etc. are ok
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- one 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, do not drain, I used no salt added
- one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used no salt added)
- 2 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend
- ½ cup sour cream, optional
- 2 or 3 green onions, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
- salt and pepper, optional and to taste
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the oil, beef, and cook over medium-high heat, crumbling and stirring frequently as it cooks. I don’t find the need to drain it; and the extra bit of fat will prevent the pasta from sticking later.
- Add the taco seasoning, cumin, optional cayenne (I don’t think it makes it hot, rather it gives it flavor), and stir to combine.
- Add the dry pasta, water, corn, tomatoes, beans, and stir to combine.
- Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for about 12 to 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and pasta is cooked through.
- Evenly sprinkle the cheese and stir to combine.
- Optionally add the sour cream and stir to combine.
- Evenly sprinkle the green onions, taste to check for seasoning balance, and if desired add salt and pepper (I used no salt added canned goods and needed to add a bit of salt and pepper), and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Ground Beef Mexican Recipes:
One-Skillet Tex Mex Beef Mac & Cheese – An EASY recipe that’s made in ONE skillet so you don’t have to cook the pasta separately! Loaded with ground beef, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro! A family FAVORITE that feeds a crowd!
Loaded Beef Skillet Nachos – EASY, ready in 15 minutes, and LOADED with taco-seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, cilantro, and lots of CHEESE! Great for parties, game days, after-school snacks, or a cheat night dinner!
Layered Taco Salad — A classic taco salad that everyone LOVES, it’s EASY, and it’s ready in 20 minutes! There’s ground beef, refried beans, red peppers, tortilla chips, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes!
Loaded Smothered Beef Burritos – Mexican comfort food that’s loaded with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, rice, and smothered with sauce and CHEESE! Tastes BETTER than from a restaurant, freezer-friendly, and so EASY!
Easy 30-Minute Beef Taco Chili – Don’t have all day for chili to simmer? No problem! This EASY, hearty chili full of Mexican-inspired flavors is ready in 30 minutes! If you like TACOS, you’ll LOVE this chili!
Loaded Beef Taco Salad with Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing – Loaded with your favorite taco fixings, minus the shells, to keep things healthier without sacrificing any flavor! The dressing is easy, creamy and irresistible!
Beef Taco Pie — In this taco pie, a crescent roll crust is topped with a mixture of crushed tortilla chips, ground beef, tomatoes, sour cream, and loads of glorious cheese! It’s the ultimate Mexican comfort food!
M
Good stuff! Recipe makes a lot so good for a family or company. I used the med. taco seasoning & it was a kind of spicy (I like spicy) so if you’re not fond of spicy food you might want to use the reg/mild taco seasoning. I plan on making it again in the next week or so.
Good stuff! Recipe makes a lot so good for a family or company. I used the med. taco seasoning & it was a kind of spicy (I like spicy) so if you’re not fond of spicy food you might want to use the reg/mild taco seasoning. I plan on making it again in the next week or so.
I’m glad you enjoyed it and plan on making it again soon!
Would it be possible to make this and leave out the tomatoes?
Possibly…you would lose flavor and moisture though so you’d have to experiment and see what to add to make up for it.
Hi, it looks delicious and I am going to make it for our family’s holiday party this Sunday.
Can you tell me what type of “Sauce and Cream” did you use? There are so many different kinds. Thank you.