Taco Pasta is half taco, half pasta! This mouth-watering, one-pot Mexican pasta is made for the Instant Pot or stove. Juicy beef, black beans, and shell pasta are taco-seasoned, cheese-covered, and ready to devour in 30 minutes! It’s another in my line of easy dinner recipes to help you crush weeknight dinners!
Taco pasta is a family favorite and always makes me feel like a big kid when I eat it. It reminds me of those boxed meals I loved growing up, only it’s made with real ingredients!
This Tex-Mex Mexican pasta is so delicious, we barely have leftovers every time we make it. This frugal recipe is a great way to stretch out inexpensive pantry ingredients, ground beef, and cheddar cheese. It’s a time-saver too as it’s ready in 30 minutes, about the same amount of time it takes to acquire takeout.
Fun fact about TKG: I was afraid of my Instant Pot when I bought it 3 years ago 😳It sat in the box for a few months. Seemed like total hype about how convenient it was to cook meals. Then, I started testing things. I finally warmed up to it, went ALL in, and never looked back! Even my other half (the non-cook) regularly makes our dinners from my Instant Pot recipe collection 🙌🏼 Yeah, nothing hype about that!
Taco Pasta Ingredients
- olive oil (or any cooking oil)
- onion (white, red, or yellow)
- ground beef (or ground turkey or ground chicken)
- canned diced tomatoes (or packaged salsa or diced tomatoes with green chilis)
- canned black beans (or pinto beans)
- pasta shells
- taco seasoning
- chicken broth (or beef broth)
- cheddar cheese (or any cheese combo)
- salt
* Get the full recipe below
How to make taco pasta in the Instant Pot
- Saute onions and beef in the Instant Pot on ‘saute’ setting.
- Stir in all other ingredients (except the cheese) and make sure pasta is under the liquid. It’s ok to stir everything together like a soup.
- Cook on MANUAL high pressure for +1 minute and allow a 10-minute natural pressure release.
- Stir in cheddar cheese and devour!
* Get the full recipe below
Grab my easy Instant Pot recipes
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.
- Reduce heat to simmer all ingredients until pasta is cooked through.
- Stir in cheddar cheese and devour!
* Get the full recipe below
Grab my easy Instant Pot recipes
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 Taco Pasta?
The best pasta to use for this Mexican pasta recipe includes your basic, everyday varieties like shells, rotini, penne, bowtie, and macaroni. These work so great because they’re widely available and they don’t require extra cooking time, unlike specialty pasta such as Gemelli and cavatappi. Those are thicker and take longer to cook, but don’t be discouraged from using them. Just add an extra minute to the cook time.
Taco Pasta Recipe Notes
Add frozen or fresh corn to this recipe. YUM! You can add it before it pressure cooks, or after. Your choice.
Feel free to double up on the taco seasoning if you LOVE lots of taco flavor. I went easy on it to keep it this recipe kid-friendly.
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 plain yogurt for a different flavor and texture.
You can use pinto beans in place of black beans if you prefer.
Recommended Tools
- chef’s knife
- cutting board
- Instant Pot or 4-quart saucepot
- Chopstir meat chopping and stirring utensil
- stirring utensil
- can opener
- air-tight storage containers (to store leftovers)
Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Instant Pot Shrimp Pasta In Lemon Cream Sauce
- Italian Sausage Soup With Orzo
- Lasagna Soup For Instant Pot Or Stove
- Ham Alfredo Pasta For Instant Pot Or Stove
Taco Pasta [Instant Pot or Stove]
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil or other oil
- 1 medium Onion diced
- 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
- 1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes (keep juice) or salsa
- 1 15 oz can Black Beans drained
- 4 cups Pasta Shells or any pasta
- 2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning use 1/4 cup if you like it stronger
- 4 cups Chicken Broth or beef broth
- 8 oz Cheddar Cheese 2 cups shredded
- Salt to taste
RECIPE VIDEO
Instructions
Taco Pasta (Instant Pot Instructions)
- Select “Sauté” on the Instant Pot and heat the OLIVE OIL.
- When the display reads "Hot", add ONION; sauté until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add GROUND BEEF and sauté until cooked through, stirring as needed.
- Press "Cancel" on the Instant Pot. Feel free to drain unwanted grease from the beef, if any.
- Stir in DICED TOMATOES (with their juice), BLACK BEANS, PASTA SHELLS, TACO SEASONING, and CHICKEN BROTH. (Note: make sure pasta is under the liquid. It's ok to stir everything together like a soup to do this).
- Secure the lid, set pressure release valve to the "Sealing" position. Select "Manual" and set the Instant Pot on "High" pressure for +1 minute. (Don't worry, pasta shells will cook perfectly in the time the pot takes to pressurize, pressure cook, and depressurize.) If you use a thicker pasta like rotini or penne, you could add 1 minute to the cooking time, so +2 (instead of +1).
- When the cycle completes, allow the Instant Pot to sit for 10 minutes, undisturbed, for a natural pressure release (NPR). Use an oven mitt for protection and release any remaining steam by turning the pressure release valve to the "Venting" position.
- Then remove the lid. It might look watery at first, but the pasta will continue to soak up the liquid. Stir in the CHEDDAR CHEESE and serve. Add SALT to taste.
Taco Pasta (Stove Instructions)
- Heat a 3.5 quart soup pot over medium-high heat; add ONIONS, sautéing until tender, stirring as needed.
- Add GROUND BEEF and sauté until beef is cooked through, stirring as needed.
- Stir in DICED TOMATOES (with their juice), BLACK BEANS, PASTA SHELLS, TACO SEASONING, and CHICKEN BROTH.
- Turn heat to HIGH and bring to a boil.
- Turn heat to medium low and simmer until pasta is cooked through (about 10 minutes).
- Stir in the CHEDDAR CHEESE and serve. Add SALT to taste.
Taco Pasta Serving and Storage Instructions
- Serve taco pasta warm with your choice of toppings: cilantro, jalapeño, shredded cheddar 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 NOTES
TOOLS NEEDED
- Instant Pot or 3.5 quart saucepot
- Chopstir meat chopping and stirring utensil
- slotted spoon
- can opener
- air-tight storage containers (to store leftovers)
Nutrition
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Bridgett says
I made this tonight for my husband and I. We have alot of leftovers with just the two of us. Does this do well with freezing leftovers?
Bridgett says
Nevermind! I just saw where it said you can freeze it up to 90 days!
The Kitchen Girl says
Haha ok 🙂
The Kitchen Girl says
Hope you loved it 🙂 Yes, it yields 9 1-cup servings and yep, freezing is an option 🙂
Candice says
Hi! I’m planning on making this tonight, can’t wait! I just had one question…the 4 cups of pasta, is that equivalent to one whole box? Or is it less or more than that?
Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Candice, it varies and really depends on the type of pasta, which is why I made it 4 cups…to keep the volume consistent regardless of the type. What are you planning to use?
Candice says
Thanks for getting back to me so quick! I plan on using Rotini.
The Kitchen Girl says
You’re so welcome 🙂 So, we just used Rotini this week for ours and we used exactly 4 cups. I believe there are 5 cups in a 1 lb. box and I don’t recommend using that much b/c I think the other ingredients will get lost in that extra pasta. Hope you love it like we do!
Candice says
It’s absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this over and over again! Thank you!!
The Kitchen Girl says
Oh yay…so glad to hear it, Candice! Are you able to add a star rating to this review? That would be the mostest 😉 Have a great weekend!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
This Taco Pasta is making me super hungry that I could hear my tummy growl! Yum! I can’t wait to have this on my plate.
The Kitchen Girl says
Haha thanks, Maggie! I get the same feelings a lot 😂 because yummmmm!
Stephanie says
I made this last night, thanks to this post and it was soooo good! I used pinto beans because we are out of black beans and it was delish! Thanks for the dinner idea – this one is a keeper!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Stephanie! I’m SO glad you enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. Much appreciated 🙂
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
This dish certainly has my mouth watering! I love tacos and I love pasta so this sounds like the perfect dish for me and my family.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Bintu! So glad your family can enjoy this one 🙂
Marlynn says
I love taco pasta so much!! This is such an easy, satisfying recipe and we love it!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Marlynn! So glad you think so…we’re right there with you 🙂
Alison says
You had me at Taco Pasta. Two of my favorite things combined! So good!
The Kitchen Girl says
Haha right there with you, Alison. So glad you can enjoy the combination 🙂
Jen says
So easy and totally cheesy. Perfect weeknight recipe and loaded with protein.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks, Jen! Glad you think so 🙂
Peg says
So easy and yummy! My picky picky boy loved it! Thanks for the recipe!!
The Kitchen Girl says
These are my favorite words, Peg 😊 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know 🧡
JB says
Tacos and pasta? What’s NOT to love! This recipe ROCKS every time and is so fast! Doesn’t get any simpler and will be making this again and again!