One-Skillet Beef Taco Pasta — An EASY recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE skillet, and loaded with Mexican-inspired flavors!! A family favorite that’s great for busy weeknights!!
One-Pot Taco Pasta
The beauty of this cheesy taco pasta recipe is that it’s ready in 20 minutes and it’s made in one skillet. ONE.
No waiting for water to boil and cooking pasta separately before adding it. Just brown the ground beef and then add everything else. One pan to wash, I love it.
This taco skillet is full of all your favorite Mexican-inspired taco flavors, including juicy taco-seasoned ground beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn, beans, cheese, sour cream, green onions, and avocado. A fiesta in your mouth.
And the pasta comes out perfectly al dente.
This one-pot taco pasta is a great recipe to make when I want to have planned leftovers because it makes a big batch. I put the extras in plastic containers and we heat them up in the micro for easy grab-and-serve lunches or hectic weeknight dinners on the fly.
What’s in One-Pot Taco Pasta?
To make this cheesy taco skillet, you’ll need:
- Ground beef
- Taco seasoning
- Water
- Uncooked pasta
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- Red kidney beans
- Frozen corn
- Shredded Mexican cheese
- Sour cream
- Green onions
- Avocado
How to Make Taco Pasta
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, then drain off excess fat if necessary. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over top, then add the water, pasta, tomatoes, kidney beans, and frozen corn.
Let the mixture simmer until the pasta is cooked through. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese, green onions, and avocado before serving.
Can I Use Ground Turkey Instead?
Yes, you’re welcome to make this one-pot taco pasta with ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef.
Can I Add Extra Veggies to This Taco Pasta?
Yes, but keep in mind that veggies release water as they cook, which means you may not need to add as much water to the taco skillet to cook the pasta.
Tips for Making Taco Pasta
I like to control the amount of salt that goes into my food, so I prefer using reduced sodium versions of taco seasoning, canned beans, and so forth. It’s easy to add more salt to a dish, but it’s impossible to make something less salty!
You can use any type of short, sturdy pasta in this taco skillet. I used rotini pasta, but bowtie, small shells, and elbow macaroni will also work.
To scale back the spiciness in this dish, use a mild taco seasoning and regular diced tomatoes instead of fire-roasted.
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One-Skillet Beef Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean or extra-lean ground beef
- one 1-ounce package taco seasoning, I used medium heat reduced-sodium
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups uncooked pasta, I used rotini; bowtie, small shells, elbow macaroni, etc. may be substituted
- one 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, use regular diced tomatoes if you prefer less spiciness
- one 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (black beans may be substituted)
- 1 ½ cups frozen corn
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- ½ cup sour cream, I used light
- ⅓ cup green onions, sliced into thin rounds for garnishing (cilantro may be substituted)
- 1 Hass avocado, peeled and cubed for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the ground beef and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until beef is cooked though. Crumble and toss intermittently as it cooks to ensure even cooking. Drain liquid if desired or necessary (it wasn’t necessary for me).
- Evenly sprinkle the taco seasoning over the beef and add the water, pasta, tomatoes (do not drain), kidney beans, and frozen corn.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and allow mixture to simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until pasta has absorbed most of the liquid and is done.
- Turn off the heat, add the sour cream, and stir to combine.
- Add the cheese and cover momentarily to allow cheese to melt.
- Evenly sprinkle with green onions and optional avocado before serving.
Notes
- Recipe is best warm and fresh but extra will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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