This ground beef taco pasta recipe is cheesy, comforting and hearty, made with ground beef, macaroni, a cheesy sauce, and a whole lot of taco flavors. It's a great recipe to call upon for those busy weeknights that the whole family will love!
A quick, 30-minute, all-in-one-dinner meal!
It's like a taco-flavored upgrade to Hamburger Helper, but much tastier and just as quick to make.
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Don't miss more of my ground beef recipes such as deconstructed Pork Egg Rolls, Ground Beef Taco Salad or low-carb ground beef lettuce wraps.
🛒Ingredients
- Uncooked elbow macaroni - Another similar type of pasta can be used such as penne, bow tie, or rotini. Pasta shells are also great.
- Ground beef - For a healthier option, I’ve used lean ground beef so the fat doesn’t interfere with the sauce texture. But regular hearty ground beef 80/20 can be used too if you like the flavor.
- Beef broth or beef stock - Chicken broth can be used in a pinch or when making this easy pasta recipe with ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Cheese - Cheddar cheese, Colby Jack, Mozzarella, or Monterey Jack or Tex Mex cheese blend - all are great here. I also use mozzarella cheese in this recipe. Use freshly shredded cheese, grated from a block of cheese, for better flavor and melting.
- Milk - Full-fat or low-fat. Heavy cream can be added to thicken the meaty mixture and add extra flavor.
- Can of crushed tomatoes - Or Rotel tomatoes with chilies to add a kick of heat to this pasta dish.
- Garlic - Freshly minced or chopped. Garlic powder is an option if you can't source garlic cloves.
- Onion - Diced brown or yellow onion.
- Lime wedges - optional, great for serving and balancing the flavors.
- Taco seasoning - You can use one packet of store-bought taco seasoning or make your own by combining one teaspoon of ground cumin, one teaspoon of ground oregano (you can use dried oregano, too), salt and black pepper to taste, one teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon chili powder.
- Toppings - Enjoy this cheesy pasta with your favorite taco toppings, such as jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, diced green chiles, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh parsley.
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down to where you'll find the recipe card.
🥘 How To Make Taco Pasta
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion until softened, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Break up the beef into small pieces using a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks.
If you prefer a leaner option, there will be less excess fat to drain, but note that it may slightly affect the flavor compared to using 80% beef.
Add the taco spices to the skillet and stir well.
Pour in the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and milk. Add the uncooked macaroni, cover the skillet, and allow it to come to a simmer.
Reduce the heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the pasta reaches an al dente texture, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
Initially, it may seem like there is excess liquid, but this is normal.
The pasta will absorb the liquid as it rests, resulting in a thickened sauce. It's best to consume this dish immediately if you've cooked the pasta directly in the sauce, as reheating may cause it to become dry.
When reheating, you'll need to add extra liquid such as broth, water, or milk, but note that the flavor may be less intense and different from the original.
Reduce the heat and stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and grated mozzarella cheese, combining them thoroughly.
Remove from heat and serve.
Optionally, you can also sprinkle ¼ cup of cheddar or mozzarella cheese on top of the pasta, cover the skillet, and allow the cheese to melt.
Serve the dish hot, drizzled with sour cream, and accompanied by freshly chopped cilantro and lime wedges on the side.
Or go all in and add your favorite taco toppings: avocado, diced tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, hot salsa, well anything that you love your tacos with!
Ground Beef Pasta Popular Substitutions
- Beef: I prefer leaner meat (ground beef, chicken, or turkey) as I like the ''clean'' flavor. However, the sauce will only benefit in flavor if you use ground meat with a higher fat percentage. I have a similar Mexican pasta recipe but with creamy chicken here.
- Taco Seasoning: you can use a homemade taco seasoning mix, or use at least a couple of Mexican-inspired spices such as cumin+paprika+chili or cayenne. Alternatively, with store-bought fajita, burrito, or southwest seasoning blends you'll have very similar results.
- Pasta: you can choose any small or tubular pasta shapes that offer nooks and crannies that will hold the sauce perfectly. Penne, shells, rigatoni, farfalle (bow ties), fusilli, orecchiette (little ears), or rotini. For a healthier option, opt for wholewheat pasta rather than the regular options.
- Gluten-free: you can use brown rice or corn pasta instead. if using store-bought taco seasoning, be sure to check the ingredient labels as many brands often contain gluten-free fillers.
- Dairy free: you can choose a vegan cheese, or vegan cream cheese (1 cup of cream cheese + 1 cup of grated vegan cheese) in place of regular cheese in this recipe.
What Does Taco Pasta Taste Like?
In short, it's cheesy, saucy and simply great comfort food.
This Mexican-inspired style pasta dish boasts a robust and savory flavor, complemented by a hint of spiciness and a cheesy undertone.
Overall, it has a mildly spicy profile. If you desire an extra kick, incorporating Rotel with chiles, hot peppers or spicy taco seasoning, will enhance the spiciness.
The texture is pleasantly saucy without being excessively watery.
For a more saucy texture, avoid overcooking the pasta, serve promptly, and consider adding mild to medium salsa as a finishing touch once the dish is cooked.
📋Tips
- Short pasta tends to hold up better in casseroles. If you don’t use elbow pasta, consider rotini or penne. The short tubular shapes cling to pasta sauce well too!
- If you like it spicy, use chorizo instead of ground beef. Remove the casings and cook it as ground meat. Very tasty!
- Browning the ground beef adds flavor and ensures that the meat is cooked properly. I’ve used lean beef to reduce the grease, but this does reduce flavor. If you opt for 80% beef instead, ensure any excess grease is drained away from the browned beef before assembling the casserole.
- Extra veggies and legumes can be added to increase the nutritional value of the meal. I recommend bell peppers, corn, jalapenos, tomatoes, and a can of black beans. However, keep in mind that adding extra ingredients will make the pasta thicker and you’ll need to increase the sauce ingredients 1 ½ times.
- Cook the pasta al dente when first added to the stovetop as it will continue to cook in the sauce and when combined with the rest of the casserole ingredients. Overcooked pasta will become mushy by the time this dish is cooked.
- For extra flavor and a gooey cheese texture, add additional shredded cheese to the top of the casserole towards the end of this easy recipe. Close the lid of the pot so that the cheese melts.
- Leftover ground beef pasta can be enjoyed as a light meal with a side of tortilla chips.
- Or you can also consider adding some crushed chips on top of the Mexican pasta right before serving.
- You can also use diced or shredded chicken instead of ground beef. Simply mix it in towards the end of cooking, as boiling it with the pasta can make it tough.
Storing Leftovers
- 🍱To Store. Let the pasta cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge. The sauce will thicken as it sits and when reheating you may need to add some water or broth to return the initial consistency.
- 🥶Freezing. My personal preference is not to freeze this dish as the cheesy sauces don't freeze well and the consistency will not be the same after reheating. But if you do need to save it for later, then place the pasta dish into an airtight container for up to 2-3 months. I would keep the cheese out and add it only after defrosting. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to reheat, add the cheese, more beef stock (or chicken or veg), or milk and simmer on medium over the stovetop until warmed through.
👪Serving Suggestions
Overall it's a quick meal that goes great with a fresh salad on the side. This cheesy taco pasta is a fulfilling meal on its own, and I wouldn't serve it with too many condiments or sides. You can try one or two of the following:
- With a simple side salad - cucumber and onion salad or colorful coleslaw.
- Mexican-inspired side dishes and appetizers - Pico de Gallo, avocado crema or guacamole.
- Condiments - pickled red onions and radishes.
- More vegetables - a classic side for any tasty dish. Try our pan fried asparagus, cabbage pie.
🤷Frequently Asked Questions
The combination of buttermilk, broth, and cheese mixed with diced tomatoes creates a thick sauce for this casserole. You can also add a cornstarch slurry to taco meat as a way to thicken the consistency.
Taco seasoning typically consists of a combination of any of these spices: salt, paprika, oregano, chili, onion powder, ground cumin, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
If you don’t have cumin for your homemade taco seasoning, you can add garam masala to the mix since it contains cumin.
Chili seasoning has a higher concentration of chili powder and paprika, while taco seasoning has a higher concentration of cumin. You can use chili seasoning instead of taco seasoning for this recipe in a pinch, but the taste will differ slightly.
A simple Mexican chopped salad, lime cilantro coleslaw, fresh tomato salsa.
❤️Did you make this recipe? Please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below. Thank you!❤️
📖Recipe
Cheesy Ground Beef Taco Pasta
Ingredients
For Pasta
- 2 ½ cups uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 pound ground beef, I used lean
- 2 ½ cup beef broth
- 1 cup cheddar cheese or colby jack, grated from a block for better melting
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, I recommend grating from a block
- ¾ cup milk, full fat or low fat is fine
- 1 (10 oz) can, (284 ml) crushed tomatoes or Rotel tomatoes with chiles
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced/chopped garlic
- ½ cup diced brown/yellow onion
For Taco Seasoning (+see notes)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano, you can use dried oregano too
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion until softened, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Break up the beef into small pieces using a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks. If you prefer a leaner option, there will be less excess fat to drain, but note that it may slightly affect the flavor compared to using 80% beef.
- Add the taco seasoning to the skillet and stir well.
- Pour in the beef broth, crushed tomatoes, and milk. Add the uncooked macaroni, cover the skillet, and allow it to come to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the pasta reaches an al dente texture, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking. Initially, it may seem like there is excess liquid, but this is normal.
- The pasta will absorb the liquid as it rests, resulting in a thickened sauce. It's best to consume this dish immediately if you've cooked the pasta directly in the sauce, as reheating may cause it to become dry. If reheating, you'll need to add extra liquid such as broth, water, or milk, but note that the flavor may be less intense and different from the original.
- Reduce the heat and stir in 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and grated mozzarella cheese, combining them thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve. Optionally, you can also sprinkle ¼ cup of cheddar or mozzarella cheese on top of the pasta, cover the skillet, and allow the cheese to melt.
- Serve the dish hot, accompanied by lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Taco Seasoning - You can use 1 packet of store-bought taco seasoning instead.
- Toppings - I used jalapeno and cherry tomatoes, parsley. Jarred salsa or Fresh salsa.
- Uncooked elbow macaroni - Another type of pasta can be used such as penne, bow tie, rotini. Pasta shells are also great.
- Ground beef - For a healthier option, I’ve used lean ground bee so the fat doesn’t interfere with the sauce texture. But regular hearty ground beef 80/20 can be used too if you liek the flavor.
- Beef broth or beef stock - Chicken broth can be used in a pinch or when making this easy pasta recipe with ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Cheese - Cheddar cheese, Colby Jack, Mozzarella or Monterey Jack is great. I also use mozzarella cheese in this recipe. Use freshly shredded cheese, grated from a block of cheese, for better flavor and melting.
- Milk - Full-fat or low-fat. Heavy cream can be added to thicken the meaty mixture and add extra flavor.
- Can of crushed tomatoes - Or Rotel tomatoes with chilies to add a kick of heat to this pasta dish.
- Garlic - Freshly minced or chopped. Garlic powder is an option if you can't source garlic cloves.
- Onion - Diced brown or yellow onion.
- Lime wedges - For serving.
- Taco seasoning - You can use one packet of store-bought taco seasoning or make your own by combining one teaspoon of ground cumin, one teaspoon of ground oregano (you can use dried oregano, too), salt and black pepper to taste, one teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon chili powder.
This ground beef pasta is a delicious one pot dinner that is ready in 30 minutes!