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If you love tacos and pasta nights, this taco spaghetti recipe is about to become a regular in your dinner rotation. Everything cooks together in one pot for a cozy, flavor-packed meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights — and cleanup is a breeze.
Love Tex-Mex flavors? Then you’ll also appreciate this Easy Mexican Corn and my crowd-pleasing Taco Casserole.
Why you’ll love this one-pot taco spaghetti recipe!
If you feel like having tacos but want to make them a little differently, you definitely need to try my recipe for taco spaghetti! You’ll take browned ground beef and taco seasoning and add spaghetti for a fun take that’s full of classic taco flavor. And, it’s a one-pan meal!
I love this recipe because you can cook it in just one skillet, making meal prep super easy. It also comes together in less than an hour, so you’ll get dinner on the table fast. And, because it includes vegetables as well as meat, I consider it to be a one-bowl meal! This taco spaghetti is a family favorite around here and I know you will love it just as much!
- One pot recipe: Which means less work on the stovetop and less clean up too.
- Big taco flavor: Everything you love about ground beef tacos in pasta form!
- Kid-approved: If you’re looking to switch up your weeknight meal routine but want to pick a dish your kids will LOVE, this is it!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Taco Spaghetti
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef – I like to use lean ground beef so I don’t need to drain off the grease.
- Vegetables – Yellow onion, green onion, and bell pepper add some veggie goodness to make this a complete meal.
- Taco seasoning – Use your favorite brand or homemade taco seasoning.
- Hot sauce – You can choose how spicy you want to make this dish depending on what hot sauce you use!
- Beef stock – If you’re out of beef stock you can use vegetable broth.
- Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies – This adds extra Tex-Mex flavor.
- Spaghetti – This recipe was formulated for using thin spaghetti noodles. Other varieties of pasta might not work, as they can require different cooking times.
- Cheese – Use Mexican Blend shredded cheese.
- Cilantro – Not a cilantro fan? You can leave it out.
- Sour cream – Or Greek yogurt for a healthier option.
Variations
This is a great recipe as-is, but if you want to change things up a little, try these variations:
- Substitute ground turkey for the beef: You can swap an equal amount of ground turkey for the ground beef if you prefer. Cook it the same way as the instructions detail for cooking the meat.
- Skip the hot sauce: Look, I love this dish with a lot of heat! However, I know not everyone loves or can take a lot of spice. So if you like your food less spicy, you can reduce the amount of hot sauce or omit it entirely.
- Vegetarian: Swap the ground beef for black beans.
How to Make Taco Spaghetti
- Cook the vegetables and beef: Place the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the ground beef and cook until browned throughout, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, taco seasoning and salt, then cook for another 6 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the hot sauce, stock, and tomatoes: Lower the heat to medium, then add the hot sauce, beef stock and canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the pasta: Break the spaghetti noodles in half, then add to the pot with the meat sauce. Cook until the noodles are done but still al dente, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Finish: Remove from the heat, then mix in the shredded cheese until it begins to melt. Transfer to serving bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream, then serve.
Serving Suggestions
Serve taco spaghetti with:
- A salad. A fresh salad like my Corn Avocado, and Cilantro Salad would be an amazing pairing with this dish!
- Vegetable sides. While I consider this a one-pot dinner, a vegetable alongside would be nice! Try my simple recipes for Steamed Broccoli or Fried Zucchini.
- Fresh bread. It’s hard to go wrong with a loaf of fresh bread! Slices of my Easy Homemade French Bread would go so well with this meal.
How to Store Taco Spaghetti
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a plate to avoid any splatter, and reheat in the microwave until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Mexican Spaghetti” is a cheesy casserole made with ground beef, spaghetti noodles, and tomato and enchilada sauces. My Taco Spaghetti takes similar flavors but it’s cooked on the stove rather than in the oven.
As written, this recipe has a mild heat to it, but you can use more or less hot sauce to adjust the heat level.
Yes! This is a dish that reheats well and is great for meal prep.
Technically speaking, you can, but it’s best if it has the same cooking time as spaghetti. If it doesn’t, the consistency of the finished dish may be more watery or too dry, depending on the cooking time of the pasta.
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Taco Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ green onion, diced
- 1 package taco seasoning
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and chilies
- 8 ounces dry spaghetti
- 1 ½ cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
To Serve
- fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- sour cream
Instructions
- Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the ground beef and cook until browned throughout, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, taco seasoning and salt, then sauté for another 6 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Lower the heat to medium, then add the hot sauce, beef stock and canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.
- Break the spaghetti noodles in half, then add to the pot with the meat sauce. Cook until the noodles are done but still al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, then mix in the shredded cheese until it begins to melt. Transfer to serving bowls, garnish with fresh cilantro and sour cream, then serve.
Notes
- Check the noodles at 10 minutes; if they are still hard, keep cooking and check again after another minute. Keeping cooking the noodles until they reach your preferred consistency.
- If the pasta absorbs liquid too quickly, add a splash of broth before serving.
- Let it rest for a few minutes — the sauce thickens as it sits.
