Taco Pasta is half taco, half pasta! This mouth-watering, one-pot Mexican pasta is made for Instant Pot or stove. Juicy beef, black beans, and pasta are taco-seasoned, cheese-topped, and ready in 30 minutes! Add it to your 30-minute dinner recipes collection.
Taco pasta is a family favorite and always disappears. You'll see! This Tex-mex style Mexican pasta is so delicious, we barely have leftovers every time we make it. It's a budget-friendly recipe that makes the most of inexpensive pantry ingredients, ground beef, and cheese.
It's a time-saver too as it's ready in 30 minutes, just like this Taco Bowl recipe, Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo and Instant Pot Chicken Burrito Bowl.
Key ingredients
Get amounts in the recipe card below.
- olive oil - or any cooking oil
- onion - white, red, or yellow
- ground beef - can be substituted with ground turkey or ground chicken
- canned diced tomatoes - or use packaged salsa, rotel, or fresh chopped tomatoes
- black beans - canned or pressure cooked
- corn - fresh, frozen, or canned
- pasta - use any kind of pasta (I use medium shells)
- taco seasoning - grab my 5 minute recipe for homemade taco seasoning, or grab a packet (or two) if you have it on hand.
- chicken broth - or preferred broth (beef or vegetable)cheddar cheese - or preferred cheese combo
How to make Instant Pot taco pasta
- Saute onions and beef in the Instant Pot on 'saute' setting (I use the 6 quart Duo). Deglaze the pot, if needed
- Add other ingredients (except the cheese) and press ingredients under the liquid.
- Pressure cook: Select MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK on high pressure for 1 minute followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release.
- Add cheese: Stir in cheddar cheese, add salt if needed, 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
- 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!
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!
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. Countless readers have reported that gluten free pasta can also be substituted without altering instructions.
Recipe tips & substitutions
- Taco seasoning – Reader feedback says that 1 packet makes it kid-friendly and 2 packets makes grown-ups happy. You get to pick.
- Want it cheesier? Double the cheddar cheese (you might need a splash of broth to help smooth it out).
- Add salt to taste. If you use reduced-sodium ingredients (tomatoes, beans, chicken broth), there’s a strong chance you’ll need to add salt to this recipe.
- You can use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of the beef.
- We like to substitute the cheese with sour cream. Or, for a healthier twist, nonfat Greek yogurt.
- You can use pinto beans in place of black beans…or no beans, if you prefer.
- Feel free to add a can of diced chiles to this to spice things up!
- Gluten free pasta - Many have reported great success substituting gluten free pasta because this recipe uses short pressure cook time and natural release. The pasta just needs to be thick enough so it holds its shape.
If you like pasta recipes, you'll love these!
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Baked Feta Pasta [Tiktok Viral Pasta]
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
- Italian Orzo Sausage Soup [Instant Pot or stove]
- Lasagna Soup [Instant Pot or stove]
- Ham Alfredo Pasta [Instant Pot or stove]
- Instant Pot Shrimp Pasta In Lemon Cream Sauce
Taco Pasta [Instant Pot or Stove]
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil, or preferred oil
- ½ large Onion, diced
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef (uncooked)
- 1 (15 oz can) Diced Tomatoes (drained), or 1 cup salsa picante
- 1 (15 oz can) Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Corn, fresh, frozen, or canned
- 8 ounces Uncooked Medium Shell Pasta, (225 g)
- 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning, or 1-oz packet * See footnote
- 2 ¼ cups Chicken Broth, add more for stove version (see note)
- 8 ounces Cheddar Cheese, same as 2 cups shredded
- Sea Salt, to taste
RECIPE VIDEO
Equipment
- 3.5 quart soup pot (if using stove method)
- stirring utensil
- can opener
Instructions
Taco Pasta (Instant Pot Method)
- Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and add OIL. Allow pot to heat until it the display reads "HOT".
- Add ONION and GROUND BEEF. Sauté until cooked through, stirring as needed. Drain excess fat as needed.
- 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".
- Press "Cancel" on the pot. Add PASTA SHELLS, TOMATOES (or picante), BEANS, CORN, TACO SEASONING, and BROTH. Press all 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.
- 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.
Taco Pasta (Stove Method)
- 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.
Taco Pasta Serving and Storage Instructions
- 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.
Traci's Recipe Tips
- Pasta type - no need to adjust pasta weight even if you use different pasta.
- Taco seasoning – Reader feedback says that 1 packet taco seasoning makes it kid-friendly and 2 packets makes grown-ups happy. You get to pick.
- Want it cheesier? Double the cheddar cheese (you might need a splash of broth to help smooth it out).
- Make the sauce even creamier and stir in 4 oz cream cheese at the end.
- Add salt to taste. If you use reduced-sodium ingredients (tomatoes, beans, chicken broth), there’s a strong chance you’ll need to add salt to this recipe.
- You can use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of the beef.
- We like to substitute the cheese with sour cream. Or, for a healthier twist, nonfat Greek yogurt.
- You can use pinto beans in place of black beans…or no beans, if you prefer.
- Add canned diced chiles to this to spice things up!
- Gluten free pasta - Many have reported great success substituting gluten free pasta because this recipe uses short pressure cook time and natural release. The pasta just needs to be thick enough so it holds its shape.
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
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 ww 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 just added a note to the recipe. 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 likely 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.