If you are looking for an easy, one pot meal, this Taco Spaghetti Recipe is always a family favorite. The ingredients are simple and give this recipe so much flavor. Ground beef, spaghetti noodles and melted cheese make this the perfect weeknight meal — and at about $1.43 a serving, it’s an easy way to feed the whole family without stretching the budget.
Check out a few more easy one pot favorites – Easy One Pot Spaghetti Recipe and One Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta Recipe.
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, like my lemon spaghetti.
Budget Breakdown
This recipe costs about $8.55 total, or $1.43 per serving — cheaper than a single fast food taco per person. Serving a bigger group? Double the recipe and you’re still feeding 12 people for less than $20. That’s the kind of math that makes taco night an easy “yes” on a busy week.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef so the dish doesn’t turn greasy. If you only have 80/20 on hand, just drain the grease well after browning.
- Yellow Onion – Adds a little sweetness and softens right into the sauce as it cooks.
- Taco Seasoning – Make Homemade Taco Seasoning with simple spices, or use a store-bought packet.
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies – We use a can of Rotel, juice and all. That liquid helps cook the noodles, so don’t drain it.
- Spaghetti Noodles – Uncooked noodles go right into the pot with everything else. No need to boil them separately.
- Water – Cooks the noodles right in the pot along with the tomato juice, so you only dirty one pan.
- Cheddar Cheese – Shred your own from a block if you can. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating that keeps it from melting as smoothly.
- Fresh Cilantro – Stirred in at the end for a fresh, bright finish.
Substitutions and Additions
- Add a Topping – This recipe is also delicious topped with your favorite taco toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, sour cream, etc.).
- Use Broth Instead of Water – Swap the water for chicken or beef broth for extra flavor. Broth adds saltiness, so taste before adding any extra seasoning.
- 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 low, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the noodles are tender. Keep the lid on the whole time — the noodles cook in the trapped steam, and lifting the lid lets it escape.
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!
Quick Fixes While You Cook
Sauce looks greasy? Drain the beef more thoroughly next time before adding the seasoning.
Pan looks too watery at 5 minutes? Normal — leave the lid on and keep cooking.
Liquid gone before noodles are tender? Add a splash of water, cover, and cook a few more minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Check for Doneness – At 15 minutes, uncover and check a noodle. It should be tender with just a slight bite. If it’s still firm, cover and cook 2 to 3 more minutes, checking again.
- 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.
- For Picky Eaters – Leave the tomatoes and green chilies out of the pot and stir them in separately once it’s cooked, so picky eaters can pick a plain, cheesy noodle portion before you add the rest.
- 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.
- Bake Taco Spaghetti – Pour the taco spaghetti into a greased baking dish, top with cheese, and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
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.
- Feeding a Crowd – This recipe doubles well for a bigger group. Use a large Dutch oven or stock pot instead of a skillet, and add about 5 minutes to the simmer time since there’s more volume to cook through. Check the noodles for doneness before serving either way.
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
- Taco Rice
- Taco Pie
- 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
- ½ 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
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Brown 1 lb ground beef with ½ diced onion over medium-high heat until beef is cooked and onions are soft. Drain grease.
- Stir in 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, 8 oz spaghetti noodles, and 3 cups water.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes until noodles are tender.
- Stir in ½ of the shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz) and cover for about 1 minute until melted.
- Serve topped with remaining 2 oz cheddar cheese and chopped cilantro.
Could this be cooked in a slow cooker?
I just made this tonight and it came out great. I did have to substitute with dried cilantro and shredded cheese since I didn’t have fresh cilantro or un-shredded on hand but it didn’t seem to matter. I especially love how simple and inexpensive it was. This will definitely become one of my go-to recipes.
My husband loved this. Said it his new favorite thing I have made. I loved how easy it was to make and the fact it was all in one pot. Will definitely be in my rotation.
Awesome! I love hear this Victoria and thank you so much for the positive review – its means so much to me!
Loved how EASY this was and truly only one pan! The peppers in the tomatoes were unusually spicy, so I added an 8oz can of tomato sauce, and a can of corn. Not usually a wimp on spicy. But this still was a bit spicy! Alli n all this is an awesome recipe and I’m sure we will make it many times to come. Thank you!
Yay! So glad you plan to keep this on repeat, Renee! Love that and your additions sound yummy.
Enjoyed this! I added a can of olives and half a cup of frozen corn. My teens had seconds. Yummy comfort food.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The addition of the olives and corn sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing!
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