30-minute taco pasta recipe with juicy beef, beans, corn, salsa, and pasta in one pot that's taco-seasoned, cheese-topped, customizable, and family loved!
Why this is THE BEST taco pasta
This taco pasta is a destination recipe for Instant Pot cooks AND stove cooks. It checks ALL the boxes for the person cooking AND everyone who eats it. Countless people have reached out and thanked me for their family's new favorite dinner recipe. It's legit spouse and kid-approved! It's also great for game day and potlucks! Here's why we love it...
This Tex-Mex style Mexican pasta is a 30-minute one-pot pasta. One pot – not three! That means less time doing dishes and more time for other things. You're welcome.
Taco pasta is budget-friendly because it uses simple pantry ingredients like pasta, salsa, onions, canned tomatoes, and beans. Fresh ingredients include ground beef, corn, and a modest amount of cheese – and you can always add more cheese.
It's comforting and delicious. Taco pasta literally disappears before your eyes – so you might want to double the recipe. If you like convenience and comfort, check out my taco bowl recipe, Instant Pot chicken alfredo and lasagna soup.
Ingredient notes
Get ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- olive oil - Or any cooking oil.
- onion - Use white, red, or yellow onions.
- ground beef - I recommend lean ground beef or substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken.
- medium shell pasta - Or preferred pasta (rotini, elbow macaroni, penne, etc)
- canned tomatoes - Use canned diced or crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce. For more flavor, use salsa picante or rotel.
- whole black beans - Use canned black beans or pressure cooked black beans – or canned whole pinto beans.
- corn - Use fresh, canned, or frozen corn.
- taco seasoning - Grab my 5-minute easy taco seasoning recipe or use a taco seasoning packet (or two) if you have it on hand.
- chicken broth - Or preferred broth such as vegetable or beef broth.
- cheddar cheese - Or preferred cheese.
Instant Pot taco pasta instructions
Visit the recipe card below for printable instructions.
Heat olive oil and saute onions and beef using the saute setting on the Instant Pot. If needed, deglaze the pot by adding a splash of broth and using a flat-edged utensil to loosen any browned bits stuck to the bottom. This is flavor "gold".
Press "Cancel" on the pot. Add pasta, followed by tomatoes, beans, corn, taco seasoning, and chicken broth. Press ingredients under the liquid. No need to stir, in fact, it's best to keep canned tomato products away from the bottom to prevent an overheat protection notice.
To pressure cook, select MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK on high pressure for 1 minute followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR).
Open the lid and stir in the pasta – it will appear a bit soupy first. This is normal because the liquid becomes the sauce after the cheese is added. The pasta will continue soaking up the moisture, making it the perfect saucy consistency.
Stir in cheddar cheese until it's fully incorporated. Add salt to taste. Serve warm and devour!
True story: I bought my first Instant Pot in 2017. It sat in the box for a few months. Seemed like total hype about how convenient it was to cook meals, not to mention ALL those buttons. Then, I started testing things. All the things! I finally warmed up to it, so much that I went ALL in and created an Instant Pot recipe collection. Even my other half (the non-cook) regularly makes my Instant Pot recipes with total success! There are some things we'll never cook on the stove again. Let's be honest...it's all of them.
How to make taco pasta on the stove
This section doesn't include step by step photos, but they would look almost identical to the Instant Pot Taco Pasta pictures in the section above, minus the pressure cooker lid 😉 Grab the full instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Saute onions and beef in a soup pot on med-high heat.
- Add all other ingredients (except the cheese) and increase heat to bring everything to a boil for a few minutes, stirring as needed.
- Reduce heat to simmer all ingredients until pasta is cooked through.
- Stir in cheddar cheese, salt to taste, and devour!
What's the best pasta for this recipe?
The best pasta to use for this Mexican pasta recipe includes your everyday semolina pasta such as shells, rotini, penne, bowtie, or macaroni. These pasta varieties are budget-friendly and available everywhere. You can substitute whole wheat pasta using the same recipe instructions.
Can I use gluten free pasta?
Yes! The stove method makes it naturally easy to cook any type of pasta because you can adjust cook time easily and not overcook the pasta. If you're an Instant Pot user, I've had countless readers report total success substituting GF pasta with no changes to the recipe. Just realize that you may have to experiment and find the brand that works best for you.
Recipe variations
- Taco seasoning – Reader feedback says that 1 packet of taco seasoning makes taco pasta more kid-friendly and 2 packets makes grown-ups happy.
- Want it cheesier? Double the cheddar cheese. Add a splash of broth to help smooth it out, if needed.
- If you use reduced-sodium ingredients like canned tomatoes, canned beans, or chicken broth, don't come cryin' to me if your taco pasta lacks flavor. Just add some salt until it makes your taste buds happy, k?
- Substitute ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken for a leaner and lighter version.
- You can substitute the cheddar cheese with sour cream. Or, for a healthier twist, nonfat Greek yogurt.
- Use whole pinto beans in place of black beans, or no beans, if you prefer.
- Spice it up with your choice of canned diced green chiles, or cayenne pepper, or red chili flakes.
Try these pasta recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Baked Feta Pasta [Tiktok Viral Pasta]
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
- Ham Alfredo Pasta [Instant Pot or stove]
- Instant Pot Shrimp Pasta In Lemon Cream Sauce
Keep this taco pasta recipe close and make it often. It quite literally solves ALL the problems of weeknight cooking and makes the whole family happy. Enjoy!!
Taco Pasta for Instant Pot or Stove
Equipment
- 3.5 quart sauce pan if using stove method
- can opener
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil, or preferred oil
- ½ large Onion, diced
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef (uncooked)
- 1 (15 ounce can) Diced Tomatoes (drained), or 1 cup salsa picante
- 1 (15 ounce can) Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Corn, fresh, frozen, or canned
- 8 ounces Uncooked Medium Shell Pasta, (225 grams)
- 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning, or 1 ounce packet * See footnote
- 2 ¼ cups Chicken Broth, add more for stove version (see recipe footnote)
- 8 ounces Cheddar Cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- Sea Salt, to taste
Instructions
Taco Pasta Instant Pot Method (Get stove instructions in recipe footnotes)
Saute the ingredients
- Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and add OIL. Allow pot to heat until the display reads "HOT".
- Add ONION and GROUND BEEF. Sauté until cooked through, stirring as needed. Drain excess fat as needed.
Deglaze the pot
- If any browned ingredients are stuck on the pot's surface, add a splash of broth and scrape them with a flat utensil to release them. This is called deglazing and it's flavor "gold".
Pressure cook
- Press "Cancel" on the pot. Add PASTA SHELLS in a single layer, followed by TOMATOES (or picante), BEANS, CORN, TACO SEASONING, and BROTH. Press ingredients under liquid to submerge.
- Secure lid and set pressure valve to "Sealing". Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" for 1 minute for thin pasta (shell pasta) or 2 minutes for thicker pasta (penne, rotini, elbow mac, bowtie, etc).
- When cook cycle ends, let the pot sit undisturbed for a 10-minute (NPR) natural pressure release. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP ... the pasta is still cooking.
Open the pot
- Carefully turn pressure release valve to "Venting" position to release remaining steam (if any). Open the lid.Note: You'll see some excess liquid at first, but it helps incorporate the cheese in the next step. Also, pasta always soaks up liquid as it rests (just like IP Mac and Cheese).
- Stir in the CHEDDAR CHEESE and let the pasta rest in the pot for a bit to absorb excess moisture, if needed.Note: Feel free to add more cheese along with splashes of broth as needed to adjust the texture to your liking.
Serving and Storage
- Serve taco pasta warm with your choice of toppings: cilantro, lime, jalapeño, cheese, or sour cream.
- Store in an airtight container up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 90 days in the freezer.
RECIPE VIDEO
Traci's Recipe Notes
- Taco seasoning note – Reader feedback says that 1 packet of taco seasoning makes taco pasta more kid-friendly and 2 packets makes grown-ups happy. You get to pick.
- Heat OIL in soup pot over medium-high heat. Add ONIONS and GROUND BEEF. Sauté until cooked through, stirring as needed.
- Stir in DICED TOMATOES, BLACK BEANS, PASTA SHELLS, TACO SEASONING, and CHICKEN BROTH. Note: Add more liquid (broth or water) as needed to cover the pasta.
- Adjust heat to HIGH and bring everything just to a boil.
- Adjust heat to MED-LOW and simmer until pasta is cooked through (about 10 minutes). Add splashes of liquid (broth or water) as needed.
- Just before serving, stir in CHEDDAR CHEESE. Add SALT to taste.
NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Karen C says
Super easy to make, and everything is a pantry staple so no special trips to the store. We liked it, but it definitely needed more spices/seasoning. We added chili powder at the table. And next time I’d use 4-5Tbsp of taco seasoning, 1.5T chili powder, and some minced garlic while sautéing the beef & onions.
Overall a good meal and will make again with above changes.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes, my recipe note does say that 1 packet taco seasoning (2 tbsp) is kid-friendly and 2x is adult-friendly so we're on the same page. I keep my recipe seasonings minimal so they're minimally spicy and customizable, and you did...perfect! Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Deb says
Saw this recipe last night while searching instant pot recipes. The photo made me drool...lol...Made it tonight with Ground Chicken I had been defrosting and subbed the diced tomatoes with fresh salsa we had from Costco. I added my garden cilantro. Mmmm.... I folded in some cream cheese and it was awesome. I added more taco seasoning and will try cooking for 1 min instead of 2 next time. I like pasta a bit firmer. It was kinda mushy for me but still amazing tasting! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. Will definitely be a keeper.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Deb! So glad you went for it and I love adding cream cheese too! Yes, the pasta cook times are suggested for different pasta types and you can definitely change it to suit your texture preference. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it - I really appreciate the feedback!
Bob says
Made it last night, and had what was left over for supper tonight as burritos. Gonna put it in the keeper file. Thanks!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad to hear it's a keeper for you 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. Enjoy!
Debbie says
This was so easy and delicious! I will definitely be making it again. I also added a dollop sour cream on top. Yum!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad you enjoyed. I'm all for sour cream on Taco Pasta 😉 Thanks for taking the time to review!
Jesica says
Used rigatoni and turned out great.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed 🙂 Thanks for the feedback
Manisha says
Is it possible to make this without beef but keep the rest of the recipe as it is? Typically our protein replacement for beef is beans but beans are already in the recipe. Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Hello, yes you can omit the beef and reduce the pressure cook time to 2 minutes. Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Leah says
This sounds absolutely delicious! Can I ask how you’d modify the cook time for brown/wholewheat pasta please?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Leah, I wouldn't change anything. All my testing reveals that whole wheat pasta requires the same cooking time. Let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy!! 🙂
Bobbie says
I made this recipe once already and it was really good! So going to make it again and I don't have shells, only a box of bow tie pasta. Is this an okay pasta to use and for how long do you cook this one? 1 or 2 minutes?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya, glad you enjoyed 🙂 I would do 2 minutes on bow tie. I've included details like this in the recipe card. Let me know if you have any more questions. I'm here for it. Enjoyyy!
Kim says
I forgot to mention, I used vegan mozzarella, because that's what I had in the freezer.
The Kitchen Girl says
Nice! Yes, any cheese will work on Taco Pasta 🙂 So glad you enjoyed! Thanks again!
Kim says
I made a few modifications. I used a plant based beef for my protein. I used a can of Rotel and a can of hatch chilis. I topped it with some fresh cilantro, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and black olives. It was amazing!
The Kitchen Girl says
Sounds like you dialed it in perfectly for your needs. Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
Barbara says
My family no longer likes hamburger so I was wondering what your thoughts are about using shredded chicken breasts?
The Kitchen Girl says
Sure! You could easily add that to the pasta after it has cooked. You would omit the beef and follow same instructions. Enjoyyy!
Lynn says
Tried this tonight and it was a big hit. Will definitely make it again. Cheap and easy to make with leftovers for lunches. Thank you for sharing!
The Kitchen Girl says
Aww you're so welcome! I always love it when the cook AND the eaters are happy 🙂 Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it!
Robin says
What about time if I double the recipe? Would it need more time for 2 pounds of meat and 16 ounces of pasta
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya, this taco pasta recipe can be doubled and use the same pressure cook and natural release instructions. It will take longer for the Instant Pot to pressurize and depressurize. Let me know if you have other questions. Enjoy!
Nataliya says
We made it tonight and it was a hit with my daughter. It tastes very good, very quick to make and had lots of flavor! Thank you for a great recipe! Everything I made from your blog so far tasted very good and I am going for more recipes to try 😉
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! I'm so glad you're enjoying my recipes and happy your daughter is enjoying too. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. I appreciate it 🙂
Nicole says
Really delicious! Will make this again!
The Kitchen Girl says
Excellent! So glad to inspire it 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. Much appreciated!
Phi says
This is a great and easy recipe. I don't add corn but I to add fresh jalapeno, sliced
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you're enjoying it! Yes, we originally didn't add corn, but now we do. It's totally optional 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment. Cheers!
Lezlie says
Made this for my family as well as my daughter's two friends who are teenage boys. They all absolutely loved it!
Super simple and the leftovers were still quite good after reheating!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! I always love it when the kids approve! Taco pasta is definitely good for that. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. I appreciate it!
Sharon says
Next time I am going to used diced tomatoes with chilis. I think the extra flavor would add a lot. The recipe is good just the way it is but I like adding more.
The Kitchen Girl says
Sure thing! Taco Pasta is totally customizable and I left it mild so kids would eat it LOL. Knock yourself out! And thanks SO much for the review. Cheers!
Kaley says
Hello, do you think adding cream cheese to this recipe would work?
The Kitchen Girl says
Yes, cream cheese is a terrific addition to taco pasta. Just fold it in after it pressure cooks. I'd start with a 2oz or 4oz piece. Let me know if you have more questions. Thanks and enjoy!
Kayla says
Tried this tonight and we loved it!!
Would the leftovers be considered freezable? I followed the recipe just added corn as well.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome and I'm glad it was loved! Absolutely freezable. Also, love corn in this! Thank you for taking the time to review.