Taco Pasta {One Pot!}
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A quick and easy dinner of Taco Pasta that is made in one pot! Cheesy macaroni with hamburger, salsa, corn and more to make this a hit at your dinner table. Your entire family will love this easy Tex-Mex recipe!
Are one-pot dinners the best or what? I mean, being able to toss all the ingredients in one pot, cook them, and then have dinner on the table in 30 minutes without a giant mess in the kitchen is my idea of cooking heaven.
This Taco Pasta has everything you love about tacos like ground beef, salsa, and cheese but it all cooks in one pot on the stove for easy clean-up. If you’re tired of regular old tacos for Taco Tuesday then you have to give this easy dinner recipe a try! And after you try this, you should check out this One Pot Pizza Pasta to change up your pizza night.
Why This Recipe Works:
- It’s full of flavor, but only requires 7 ingredients that are probably already in your pantry or refrigerator!
- It cooks in one pot which means less mess to clean up!
- Packed with flavor and ready in under 30 minutes means it’s every busy family’s dream dinner recipe.
Ingredients Needed
If you’d rather skip my (very helpful, I think) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this delicious one pot recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
- Ground beef – We prefer beef for the flavor. Use a 90% lean ground beef for less grease. You could also use ground turkey or chicken.
- Salsa – Use a thick and chunky salsa. Control the heat of this dish by selecting either mild or hot.
- Tomato sauce
- Water
- Elbow macaroni – Feel free to substitute any pasta you have on hand that you need to use up. Try and use the same pasta and not mix shapes as they cook at different rates.
- Canned corn – Frozen corn can also be used, but it might add time to the recipe as it’s frozen and needs time to heat up.
- Cheddar cheese – For the ultimate melty cheese grab a block of cheese and grate it yourself!
Two Steps to Prepare Taco Pasta!
- Brown Beef – in a large pan, brown the beef over medium-high heat for five to seven minutes. Drain the grease once it’s cooked.
- Cook – add the salsa, tomato sauce, and water to the pan and bring it all to a boil. Add the macaroni and corn and simmer it for 20 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and cover the pan until the cheese is melted.
Not kidding, it’s that easy – seven ingredients, one pot, two steps and dinner is ready!
Topping Ideas!
- Guacamole
- Shredded Cheese
- Tortilla Strips
- Sliced black olives
- Diced Tomatoes
- Sour Cream
Helpful Tools
Can I use a different type of meat?
I prefer ground beef for this recipe because it cooks fast and is easy to eat with the pasta.
It’s better to go with a lean ground beef so your pasta isn’t greasy. If your beef is fattier you’ll want to drain off all of the excess grease before you add the liquids.
We love this with beef, but you could also substitute ground turkey!
Can I use a different kind of pasta?
One pot pastas can be tricky if you use a different pasta shape. Different pasta shapes have different cooking times, so if you use something other than macaroni it might not cook (or will overcook) in the time listed in the recipe.
If you use another type of pasta just watch the cook time and test it for doneness throughout the time!
Make it a Meal!
- Pair it with Restaurant Style Salsa and tortilla chips for a Mexican inspired meal!
- Roasted Vegetables round out any meal when you need an easy vegetable side dish.
- Toss a salad together or grab a salad kit to serve with this!
I’d love it you would rate this recipe!! A five-star rating will make my day!
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats that way I’m sure to see your pictures!!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Taco Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 c. salsa
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 c. water
- 2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
- 15.5 oz canned corn
- 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Brown hamburger in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes. Drain grease off.
- Add salsa, tomato sauce and water to hamburger in skillet. Heat to boiling. Add macaroni and corn, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Stir occasionally.
- When macaroni is cooked sprinkle with cheese, replace cover and let stand until cheese is melted.
Tips
Video
Nutrition Information
Recipe adapted from: Betty Crocker
Synlover Too says
Um. Just an observation – but under NUTRITION your serving size is listed as 1g. That’s not even a tablespoon full!! Noticed in a couple of other recipes too – but just SMH. Finally decided to spout off about it as portion size is important for those of us who are TRYING to guesstimate our calorie intake/portion size.
Thanks so much for so many great recipes. I appreciate all the work you do to ensure the rest of us have great meal ideas!!
Julie says
There are 6 servings in this recipe so 1/6 of the recipe is the serving size. Sorry, my nutritional information can be finicky!
Annette says
What salsa is used with this recipe? I really wanna try it
Julie says
You can use any kind of salsa that you enjoy!
lora says
do i have o have corn in this recipe. i cant eat alot of corn it messes with my stomach
Julie says
No, you can just omit the corn.
Erika says
Would it be okay to add a can of black beans to this recipe as well? And should I drain off the liquid?
Julie says
I haven’t tested it with any additions, you could drain the beans but reserved the liquid in case you need to add more as it cooks!
Love Keil says
Your taco pasta recipe was a huge hit, thank you for sharing!
Julie says
Awesome! Thanks for trying it!
Ashley F says
This is one of those recipes we come back to again and again! The flavor is so good!
Julie says
I love to hear when a recipe can be added to the meal rotation, thank you!
Mary Jo Overman says
I tried this taco pasta and truly loved it especially since it is so quick and easy Thanks
Julie says
You’re welcome! So happy you loved it!
Susan Walker says
Is there a substitute for the salsa?
Julie Evink says
I’m sorry I’ve never tried anything but salsa!
Maxi says
I finally found a web site that had two people who have actually tried it and liked it. I have visited probably 20 sites trying to find someone who had tried and all I found was the boring ”
looks good” “I’m going to have to try!” Real right. Why don’t you try then write something about it. I won’t lie and say I am going to try until I see someone else has tried it and it turned out good.
Judy D. says
I don’t like chunks in my pasta sauces (aside from the meat – I even blend my Prego, lol). Could I blend the salsa to make it smooth? And, if so, should I drain the corn to make up for the liquid difference? Thanks! Looks seriously delicious!
Julie Evink says
I think you can blend the salsa or use a picante sauce and I’d try draining the corn and reserving the liquid mixture in case you need it as you experiment!
cheats for Baseball Heroes says
It’s going to be end of mine day, but before end I am
reading this wonderful post to improve my knowledge.
Naomi says
Yum!! The Mexican Skillet Pasta looks so delicious!! SO just to confirm, I don’t cook the macaroni until I add it to the water/salsa mixture?
Julie Evink says
That’s correct Naomi!
linda nelson says
one question do you drain the corn?
Julie Evink says
Nope!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
This is definitely being added to our dinner menu, looks amazing.
Julie Evink says
Thanks Pamela!
jackie lair says
Great and easy recipe! I made it tonight and it was awesome! I even made it gluten free and used brown rice noodle. It was really gooooooood!
Julie Evink says
Glad you enjoyed it Jackie 🙂