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Taco Spaghetti combines my kids two favorite recipes, tacos and spaghetti. This recipe is delicious, easy to make, and perfect for feeding a crowd.
If you are looking for an easy, one pot meal this Taco Spaghetti Recipe is always a family favorite. The ingredients are simple and gives this recipe so much flavor. The ground beef, spaghetti noodles and melted cheese makes this the perfect weeknight meal.
I love one pot meals as they are budget friendly, perfect for a pasta bar and easy clean up. No need to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, when you can easily make this meal and save money too. Even my picky eaters will enjoy this dish.
Check out these easy one pot recipes – Easy One Pot Spaghetti Recipe, One Pot Italian Chicken Pasta Recipe and One Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe.
Table of Contents
What is Taco Spaghetti?
Taco spaghetti is an easy one pot recipe that combines two family favorites, tacos and spaghetti. The seasoned ground beef is loaded with flavor. Add in the tomatoes, taco seasoning and noodles to make a delicious weeknight dinner.
After all the ingredients are combined we love to top with shredded cheese to bring everything together. This recipe is kid approved and perfect for any day of the week.
Ingredients
- Taco Seasoning – Make Homemade Taco Seasoning with simple spices.
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
Substitutions and Additions
- Add a Topping – This recipe is also delicious topped with your favorite taco toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, sour cream, etc.).
- Veggie Option – If you prefer to make this dish without meat, you can mix in black beans or pinto beans.
- Change the Meat – This taco pasta recipe can easily be made with ground turkey or ground chicken. I have even mixed half ground turkey and half ground beef.
- Change Cheese – We used cheddar cheese, but you can easily use Mexican cheese blend, Velveeta Cheese or Colby Jack Cheese for added flavor.
- Tomatoes – We used a can of Rotel Tomatoes. To add in some spice we like to add hot Rotel to this mixture. The ingredients really balance out the spicy levels.
- Pasta – Change the pasta to a penne, rotini linguini, fettuccini, or angel hair pasta. You can also use a bite size pasta. Use what you prefer.
- Seasoning – Feel free to add in seasoning that you prefer. Red pepper flakes is always a great addition for a bit of spice.
- Veggies – When I make this taco spaghetti casserole, I like to sneak in veggies. Bell Peppers or green chiles are a great addition.
How to Make Taco Spaghetti
- Step 1 – Brown the ground beef with the diced onions in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Break up the beef as it browns. Cook until the onions are soft and the beef is no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease.
- Step 2 – Stir in the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes with green chilies, spaghetti noodles and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium heat and cook on low for 15 minutes until the noodles are cooked through.
- Step 3 – Stir in half of the shredded cheese. Cover and let sit until the cheese melted (approximately 1 minute).
- Step 4 – Turn off the heat. Serve this one-pot taco spaghetti recipe warm topped with the remaining shredded cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Cheese – Shred your own cheddar cheese instead of using the pre-shredded type as it will melt more creamy in the pasta dish.
- Cook Beef and Onions – Brown ground beef and onions until no longer pink. Make sure to drain any grease from the beef.
- Allow Mixture to simmer – After adding in the taco seasoning, rotel, noodles and water allow tex mex mixture to simmer. This is when the noodles cook al dente and it allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Mixing in Cheese – Mix in the cheese once the pasta has cooked.
- Bake Taco Spaghetti – You can easily pour the taco spaghetti in a baking dish in a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Top with cheese and bake until cheese is melted.
Serving Suggestions
This taco spaghetti is a quick weeknight meal. In less than 30 minutes, you can have this pasta recipe on the table. So I like to keep the sides simple and easy. These are some of my favorites.
- Green Salad – Serving a garden salad with this dish is perfect as I can add in vegetable which makes this a complete meal.
- French Bread – I love serving this with a side of french bread. It is easy and great for getting the last drop of the sauce.
- Guacamole – Chips and guacamole can easily be served with this taco spaghetti recipe. You can even serve guacamole and salsa on top of the dish.
- Roasted Vegetables – Add a side of roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus for a delicious and easy side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This Mexican Spaghetti is delicious leftover as the ingredients marinate overnight to give it more flavor. I like to store in individual containers for an easy lunch the next day.
When you are ready to reheat leftovers, place in a microwave safe dish. Reheat for about 30 second intervals until reheated thoroughly.
Taco Spaghetti can be placed in the freezer in an air tight container. Taco spaghetti can be frozen for about 3 months if stored properly.
When ready to reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave.
More Taco Recipes
- Easy Crock Pot Taco Meat Recipe
- Taco Spaghetti Recipe
- Doritos Taco Salad Recipe
- Easy Wonton Taco Cups Recipe
If you make this Taco Spaghetti Recipe, please leave us a comment or star review. We love to hear from you.
Taco Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1/2 Yellow Onion diced
- 1 packet Taco Seasoning 1 oz
- 1 can Diced tomatoes with Green Chilies Rotel – 10 oz can
- 8 oz Spaghetti Noodles uncooked
- 3 cups Water
- 4 oz Cheddar Cheese shredded
- Fresh Cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef with the diced onions in a large skillet over medium high heat. Break up the beef as it browns. Cook until the onions are soft and the beef is no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes with green chilies, spaghetti noodles and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook on low for 15 minutes until the noodles are cooked through.
- Stir in half of the shredded cheese. Cover and let sit until the cheese melted (approximately 1 minute).
- Turn off the heat. Serve warm topped with the remaining shredded cheese and cilantro. Enjoy!
I was very impressed. The family loved it.
Taco spaghetti is our new favorite over traditional spaghetti. So easy to make in one pot and dinner is ready! Serve with all the taco toppings if you choose and sliced avocado on the side.
I made this tonight and my husband loved it. He says this is the best new dish I’ve made in a long time. Thank you