Easy One-Pot Taco Pasta
This taco pasta is loaded with seasoned ground beef, tender pasta, onions, garlic, and diced tomatoes with green chilies. Everything cooks together in one skillet for a hearty, flavor-packed dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
I prefer using my homemade taco seasoning in this recipe because it adds so much more flavor than the store-bought packets. The result is a cheesy, comforting pasta dish with bold taco flavor that the whole family will love.
One-Pan Beef Taco Pasta
This taco pasta is loaded with seasoned ground beef, tender pasta, diced tomatoes with green chilies, onions, garlic, and a bold homemade taco seasoning blend that tastes so much better than the store-bought packets.
Everything cooks together in one pan, making this an easy weeknight dinner that’s packed with flavor and requires minimal cleanup. Top it with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, or your favorite taco toppings for a meal the whole family will love.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS TACO PASTA
If your family loves tacos and pasta, this recipe combines the best of both worlds. It’s hearty, flavorful, budget-friendly, and easy enough to make on a busy weeknight.
Here are a few reasons this recipe works so well:
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One pan means fewer dishes. Everything cooks in a single skillet for easy cleanup.
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The homemade taco seasoning adds big flavor. No bland taco pasta here.
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It’s customizable. Use your favorite pasta shape and toppings.
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Ready in about 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights.
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Great for leftovers. The flavors are even better the next day.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how flexible it is. I usually make it with cavatappi or spaghetti, but penne, rotini, shells, or whatever pasta you have on hand will work just fine.
I developed this taco pasta recipe after trying several taco pasta recipes that fell a little flat. Once I switched to a homemade taco seasoning blend and adjusted the ratios, this quickly became one of our favorite ground beef dinners.
HOW TO MAKE TACO PASTA
Taco pasta is so easy and quick and uses one pan. And it only takes a few minutes of prep time plus 20 minutes or less to cook.
Brown the beef and aromatics
In a large skillet or braiser, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onions, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the beef with a spoon, until the meat is browned and the onions have softened.
Add the seasonings and sauce ingredients
Stir in the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato paste, beef base, and water.
Add the water. Mix. Let it come to a boil.
Add the pasta
Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the pasta. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. If using spaghetti or another thin pasta, start checking it a few minutes earlier.
Thicken the sauce if needed
Depending on the pasta shape you use, there may be a little liquid left in the pan once the pasta is cooked. If you’d like a thicker sauce, whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir the slurry into the pasta and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened.
Serve immediately and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro, or your favorite taco toppings if you like.
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You may also like these beef recipes
- Yasss The Best Meatloaf Recipe
- Best Chili Recipe
- Quesadillas (Sheet Pan Quesadilla recipe
- Home-Style Ground Beef Casserole with Video
- Jamaican Beef Patties With Perfect Flaky Crust
Taco Pasta
Ingredients
For the Taco Pasta
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1½ tbsp if you're using very lean beef
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 tsp minced garlic
Seasonings
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
- 2½ cups water
- 2 cups uncooked pasta
Optional Garnishes
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Cook the beef. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the meat, until the beef is browned and the onions have softened.
- Add the seasonings. Stir in the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the sauce ingredients. Stir in the diced tomatoes with green chilies, tomato paste, beef base, and water. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cook the pasta. Add the pasta and stir well. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken if needed. If the sauce is thinner than you'd like, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir the slurry into the pasta and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened.
- Serve. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and cilantro, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
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This dish is a HIT in our house, Love everything about it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Taco Spaghetti, seriously what a creative mind! I think my kids will love this, must put it on the menu soon!
This looks so good! I love that the sauce is only 3 ingredients – sometimes sauces are sooo complicated!
This looks absolutely delicious! I love how you combined 2 of my favorite foods, pasta and tacos. Im also digging the spicy level of this dish. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much Elizabeth!
Oh my god this looks so good. I will have to do this the next time I want spaghetti.
I hope you can try it! It’s amazing! Thank you!
What a great dish. A mash up of two of my favorite dishes 🙂
Thank you so much Constance!
Oh my goodness. Taco spagghetti?! Such a great idea!
It’s surprisingly good! Thank you!
This dish is so rich in flavors, taco spaghetti ? really!
I can never think of these combinations, bravo!
You won’t believe how good it is! Thank you!
I love how flavorful and unique your recipes are and how easy they are to make. I have another one to add to the list to make!
Yay! ?? Thank you!
WHOA! I LOVE <3 <3 <3 your creativity!!! Taco spaghetti is something I would never have thought of!! it looks super tasty but somehow I find myself wondering how to make a taco shell out of spaghetti and load it up with taco meat, beans and cheese…. MMMM! Can't wait to try this recipe!
That’s a great idea Tiffany! If you ever make a spaghetti taco shell let me know! Thank you!!
Such a wonderful fusion pasta dish! I love all those incredible flavors. This spaghetti looks like the perfect weeknight meal.
It’s so easy and comes together pretty fast! Thanks again Tara!
Such an interesting combination! And I’m pretty sure my kids will love your cheese sauce. Thanks
The first time I made this, I wasn’t sure I would like it, boy was I wrong. I absolutely looooooooooove it! Thanks!
I just tried it you are exact, it was delicious!!
Hey! I’m glad you like it. It’s a fav in our home! Thank you so much!!
I thought that my spaghetti stuck together because I was doing something wrong, now I know it’s a thing! Haven’t tried Barilla, but I’ve seen it, and since we eat pasta once a week I think I’ll give it a go to your Taco Spaghetti!
Thanks Cynthia! Let me know how it goes!
Oh! I can’t wait to try this one out! My kids love tacos, but hate spaghetti. I wonder if this would change their minds!
My kids don’t like spaghetti either but they love this version. I don’t know which one I like better but I’m leaning more towards taco spaghetti! It’s so good! Thank you!!