Raise your hand if you grew up on Hamburger Helper. 🖐 Yeah, me too. :) This Beef Taco Pasta is like a homemade version of your favorite childhood dinner in a box with a southwest spin. It has ground beef, a cheesy tomato sauce, green chiles, pasta, a healthy dose of taco seasoning, and tons of delicious comfort all in one bowl. Plus, it all cooks in one pot, which makes dinner time so fast and easy. #WIN
What Kind of Pasta to Use
I used small pasta shells this time around because that’s what I had on hand, but I originally made this recipe with egg noodles. You can use other short pasta shapes as well, keeping in mind that you may need to simmer slightly longer or for less time depending on the type of pasta used. Rotini and penne are also good options.
What Else Can I Add to Taco Pasta?
This is my favorite part of any recipe. I love rummaging through my fridge or pantry looking for leftovers that can be added to whatever I’m cooking to make sure nothing I buy goes to waste. Here are some other ingredients that you can add to your Beef Taco Pasta that would also taste great with this flavor profile:
- Jalapeños (fresh or pickled)
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Black olives
- Black beans
- Pickled red onions
Swap Out the Meat
This recipe is super flexible, so if you want to use a different type of ground meat, like ground turkey or ground chicken, that would work just as well. Likewise, you could use a vegetarian ground beef alternative, or just skip the ground beef altogether and replace it with a can of black beans. So many options!
One Pot Beef Taco Pasta
Servings 6 1.3 cups eachIngredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb. ground beef ($3.00)
- 1 packet taco seasoning* ($0.67)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.79)
- 1 4oz. can diced green chiles ($0.67)
- 1/2 lb. small pasta shells ($0.50)
- 2 cups beef broth ($0.26)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($1.15)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and olive oil to a deep skillet or wide-bottomed pot. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft.
- Add the ground beef and taco seasoning and continue to cook and stir until the ground beef is cooked through.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices) and diced green chiles (with juices) to the beef and stir to combine.
- Finally, add the pasta and beef broth and stir to combine once again. It's okay if the pasta is not fully submerged under the broth.
- Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the broth to come up to a full boil. Once boiling, give the pasta a stir, place the lid back on top, and turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Let the pasta continue to simmer, stirring every few minutes and always replacing the lid, for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. There should be some thick saucy liquid left in the pot once the pasta is cooked.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir until it has melted into the sauce. Top with sliced green onions and serve!
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Beef Taco Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Add them to a deep skillet or wide-bottomed pot with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft.
Next, add ½ lb. ground beef and one packet of taco seasoning (or homemade taco seasoning). Continue to cook over medium until the ground beef is cooked through.
Add one 15oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices) and one 4oz. can diced green chiles (with juices).
Add ½ lb. pasta shells (uncooked) and 2 cups of beef broth. Stir everything to combine. It’s okay if the pasta is not fully submerged in the broth.
Place a lid on the skillet or pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the broth to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a full boil, give the pasta a stir (put the lid back in place), turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the pasta continue to simmer, stirring once every few minutes and always replacing the lid, for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
Once the pasta is tender there should still be some thick saucy liquid left in the skillet.
Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the pasta and stir until it has melted into the thick tomato sauce.
Top the cheesy taco pasta with sliced green onions and serve!
This is good with a rotisserie chicken. Just add it when you add the tomatoes. It’s great with ground beef too. One of my go to week night recipes.
Being a college student, I am always looking for comfort food that I can make. Then freezing whatever is left and be able to eat it when ever. The cost is also perfect since I have a food budget. I love tacos and pasta so this is a great combination. I might have to add some more spice since I like my food spicy!! I cannot wait to try this!!
You’re right… this is definitely comfort food! Even though it’s sort of hot and humid here in Cali right now, I thought I’d give this a try. It came out great, a combo of Hamburger Helper and spaghetti but with good flavor. Keep up the one pots!
Made this last night — subbed whole wheat rotini for egg noodles, and it still cooked up fine using the “one pot” method. Kids really enjoyed it, though said the meat was a little spicy — think my tomatos w/chiles was “medium” instead of mild. Fast, easy and eaten makes this a winner in my world! Thanks for a great recipe!
This is delicious!!!! I’m learning how to cook, and I followed all the steps….and my family loved this meal.
Thank you for sharing your recipes :)
I’ve made this twice now. I use leftover taco meat so I skip all the steps up through the meat. It’s a great way to use up the leftover taco meat. I used separate cans of diced tomatoes and chilies the first time and a can of total the second time-both work great. I also added some avocado on top before serving, just because we had some. Thanks for the recipe!
Super easy, super affordable and no complaints from anyone! Used rotini since I have no egg noodles.
I’ve made this twice in the past 5 days, and it was amazing both times. Great recipe, easy to follow instructions, and DELICIOUS to boot. What more could you ask for? I’ve made several of your recipes since I’ve stumbled upon your site, and everything has been yummy. Thanks so much!
A can of Rotel, not total! Lol.
Hi Beth. I want to make this recipe but I couldn’t find green chiles. What do you recommend instead? Thanks!
Rotel
I used sliced pickled jalapenos from a jar that I diced, plus a little of the juice from the jar, and it worked out very well.
This is my second round with this dish. I brown the ground beef and remove from pan, saute’ garlic and onion in remaining grease. Follow the rest of the recipe as written in the one pot. I do add the cayenne, in fact I quadruple it, and toss in about a quarter teaspoon of ancho and chipotle for extra depth toward the end. Easy, delicious, quick.
I am in love with this site! I made this last night and OMFG it was so good! My insanely picky 3 year old daughter ate every last bite in her bowl and even asked for more! I’m not a broke college student but a broke mom trying to feed her family on a tight budget. I don’t know how we would eat this well without this site.
Made this for dinner tonight, 2 pots since my husband doesn’t eat cheese, and both were delicious! This is definitely a keeper!
Did you just omit the cheese or replace it with something? Was it still good, I imagine it wouldn’t be as creamy?
We made this for dinner tonight. I left out the chilis and olives since we didn’t have any and it was still delicious! Served all 4 of us with a bit leftover. Many thanks!!
We had this for dinner tonight, oh my word, it was delicious! I really love all your one pot recipes, makes cleaning up the kitchen a breeze! I am in a recipe sharing group on Facebook, and lately almost every recipe is a link to your blog. I can’t wait to get your cookbook!
BETH! Another glorious success, made this for dinner and it was so unbelievably good. I’m not even sure WHY it was so fantastic but it was. I mean amazing. I wanted to eat all of it!! Thanks!
Flawless!
Excellent! I followed the recipe exactly as written. Will definitely make again.