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This taco pasta one-pot dinner brings bold Tex-Mex flavor in one easy, cheesy skillet—perfect for busy weeknights. Everything cooks together for minimal cleanup and maximum flavor, and it’s ready in just 30 minutes!
👉 Love Tex-Mex? Try my Doritos Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing or my Steak Quesadillas next time!
Practice sneaking veggies into a recipe with my Hidden Veggie Chocolate Muffins!
Table of Contents
- Why This Recipe Stands Out!
- 🔍 Quick Look: Taco Pasta One-Pot
- Step-by-Step Recipe Video
- Simple Ingredients
- Substitutions & Additions
- Recipe Tips
- How To Make Taco Pasta One-Pot
- Recipe FAQs
- Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
- More Great One-Pot Recipes
- More Great One Pot Recipes:
- The BEST Taco Pasta One-Pot Recipe
- Best Recipes Using Orzo:
Why This Recipe Stands Out!
This recipe is the best of both worlds—taco night and pasta night in one skillet. It’s creamy, cheesy, and satisfying without being fussy.
It’s a family favorite, just like my One Pot Lemon Chicken & Rice and Sheet Pan Balsamic Bacon Chicken with Veggies.
🔍 Quick Look: Taco Pasta One-Pot
What I love most is that it’s comfort food with a kick. The pasta soaks up Tex-Mex spices, the Rotel adds a zesty punch, and the melty cheese ties it all together.
- ⏰ Ready In: 30 minutes
- 🛒 Key Ingredients: Ground Beef, Rotel, Cheddar Cheese
- 🍽️ Servings: 4
- 👩🍳 Difficulty: Easy
- 🧊 Make-Ahead Friendly: Stores 3–4 days in fridge; freezer-friendly 2 months
Cook once eat many times.. Make the ground beef for this recipe and prep and freeze it to use in many others with my easy slow cooker ground beef recipe.
Step-by-Step Recipe Video
Simple Ingredients
You don’t need anything fancy for this meal—just ground beef, pantry staples, and cheese. That’s it! Just like my One Pot Creamy Chicken & Egg Noodles, this one keeps things simple but delicious.
Main Ingredients
- Protein: Use lean ground beef (90/10) for the best flavor and texture, but you can also swap with ground turkey or chicken. Brown well to develop flavor.
- Pasta: Use small pasta like elbows or shells so it cooks evenly and soaks up the broth. Cooking directly in the broth adds flavor.
- Cheese: A mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack creates a gooey, tangy finish. Try Pepper Jack for a spicier kick.
- Rotel: The secret Tex-Mex ingredient. It adds tomatoes and green chilies for a zesty punch. Use plain diced tomatoes if you prefer it mild.
- Seasoning: Taco seasoning and Worcestershire sauce give smoky, tangy depth. A homemade taco seasoning blend works perfectly too.
Pick up a rotisserie chicken and make this super quick Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad.
Rest of the Ingredients
- butter
- minced garlic
- tomato paste
- chicken broth
- beef broth
- milk
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions & Additions
- Pasta: Swap for rotini, penne, or bowtie pasta.
- Cheese: Use Colby, mozzarella, or a Mexican cheese blend for variety.
- Add-ins: Stir in black beans, corn, or diced bell peppers for more bulk.
For all substitutions and additions I’ve noted for this recipe, please see the recipe card below.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Drain grease to keep the sauce rich, not oily.
- Stir often to prevent pasta from sticking.
- Simmer covered, then uncovered for the best pasta texture.
- Melt cheese off-heat for smoother creaminess.
How To Make Taco Pasta One-Pot
- In a large pot, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain excess grease.
- Add the butter and minced garlic; cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Stir in taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste.
- Add chicken broth, beef broth, Rotel, milk, and pasta. Stir, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and cook another 5 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
- Stir in cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses until melted.
6. Serve hot and enjoy!!
See the recipe card for full information on how to make this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes—rotini, penne, or shells all work well.
Yes—rotini, penne, or shells all work well.
Use plain diced tomatoes instead of Rotel, and mild cheddar.
Absolutely—just use a larger pot and increase cooking time slightly. See recipe card multiplier for doubling the recipe.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze portions for up to 2 months. Reheat with a splash of broth.
- Meal Prep Tip: Brown extra ground beef and freeze it in bags—next time this recipe comes together in 15 minutes! Tip: Use my slow cooker ground beef meal prep in this dump and go crockpot recipes roundup to save even more time!
👉 If freezer meals are your thing, don’t miss my 20 Easy Freezer Meals.
More Great One-Pot Recipes
👉 One Pot Caprese Chicken and Rice
👉 Tasty One Pot Beef Bolognese
👉 One Pot Mexican Quinoa
👉 One Pot Creamy Chicken and Egg Noodles
👉 One Pot Chicken Stroganoff
👉 Homemade Hamburger Helper One-Pot
More Great One Pot Recipes:
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One-Pot Mexican Quinoa
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Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
The BEST Taco Pasta One-Pot Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tbs minced garlic
- 2 tbs taco seasoning
- 1 tbs worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 can rotel
- ½ lb smaller sized pasta
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain excess grease.1 lb ground beef
- Add the butter and minced garlic; cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).1 tbs minced garlic, 1 tbs butter
- Stir in the taco seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste.2 tbs taco seasoning, 1 tbs worcestershire sauce, 2 tbs tomato paste
- Add chicken broth, beef broth, Rotel, milk, and pasta. Stir, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and cook another 5 minutes, or until pasta is tender.1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup beef broth, 1 can rotel, 1/2 lb smaller sized pasta, 1 cup milk
- Stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses until melted. Serve hot.1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
Video
Notes
- Substitutions & Additions: Pasta swaps (rotini, penne), cheese swaps (Colby, mozzarella, Mexican blend), add-ins (beans, corn, peppers).
- Storage: Store 3–4 days in fridge or freeze up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Warm with a splash of broth to restore creaminess.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Julia, I’ve been enjoying your channel for years . I loved this recipe. I had all the ingredients on hand . Thanks so much!
I loved this. I actually don’t eat red meat so I used ground turkey and all chicken broth. I also used fiesta blend cheese instead of the 2 kinds. Came out amazing.
My husband loved this pasta. Followed the recipe to the “t”. Delicious and easy! Just found your utube channel and am making my 3rd recipe of yours today, Beef and potato casserole in the slow cooker!