Taco Pasta (One Pot!) – Easy 50-Minute Weeknight Dinner

Taco pasta earns a permanent spot in my weekly rotation because it gives you everything you love about taco night in a single pot, and the pasta cooks right in the seasoned sauce so nothing gets lost and nothing gets left behind.

You brown the beef, bloom the spices, add the pasta and broth, and let the whole thing simmer into something creamy and hearty while you unload the dishwasher. The cheese goes in at the very end so it melts into a glossy sauce instead of stringing up the spoon.

It is the kind of dinner that makes a Tuesday feel handled, and it reheats beautifully for lunches the next day.

About the Ingredients

1 lb (450g) lean ground beef (90/10)

Ground turkey or ground chicken works just as well here; pick 93/7 if you want less fat in the pot. Look for beef that is pink with no gray patches for the freshest flavor.

1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 160g)

White onion or two shallots can stand in; sweet onion makes the sauce a touch sweeter, which kids tend to like.

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

Jarred minced garlic is fine in a pinch, but use 1 teaspoon and add it with the broth so it does not burn. Fresh garlic should feel firm and smell sharp, never musty.

2 tablespoons chili powder

Use a mild American-style chili powder blend, not pure ground chile, or the dish will turn fiery. Ancho chile powder is a good smoky swap at half the amount.

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Whole cumin seeds toasted and ground taste brighter, but pre-ground is perfectly good. Smoked paprika can replace half the cumin for a deeper flavor.

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Fine sea salt works, but use about 3/4 teaspoon since it is saltier by volume. Taste the sauce before the cheese goes in, because cheese adds salt too.

12 oz (340g) dried rotini or penne

Rotini traps the beef in its spirals; penne, cavatappi, or macaroni all work. Avoid very thin pasta like angel hair, which will overcook in the simmering liquid.

3 cups (720ml) low-sodium beef broth

Chicken broth or vegetable broth can substitute; if you use regular salted broth, cut the added salt to 1/2 teaspoon.

1 can (14.5 oz / 410g) diced tomatoes, undrained

Fire-roasted diced tomatoes add a nice smoky note. Crushed tomatoes make a thicker sauce if you prefer it less chunky.

4 oz (115g) cream cheese, cubed and softened

Neufchâtel is a lighter swap that melts the same way. Let it sit out 15 minutes so it blends smoothly instead of leaving lumps.

1 1/2 cups (170g) shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack

Shred it yourself from a block; pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking starch that can make the sauce grainy. Pepper Jack is great if you want a little heat.

Tips & Tricks

Do not drain all the fat

Leave about a tablespoon of beef fat in the pot so the spices bloom instead of scorching, which is where the taco flavor really comes from.

Stir more than feels necessary

Pasta cooking in a shallow pot of liquid wants to stick; scrape the bottom every 5 minutes so nothing catches and burns.

Hold the cheese until the end

Turn off the heat before stirring in the cheddar so it melts into a smooth sauce rather than clumping into rubbery threads.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Brown the beef

Heat a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat (400°F / 205°C on an electric skillet) for 2 minutes, then add the beef and cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the edges are browned. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat.

2. Soften the onion

Add the onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat (350°F / 175°C) until translucent and soft at the edges, then stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, not browned.

3. Bloom the spices

Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt over the beef and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices smell toasty and darken slightly. This is the step that builds the taco flavor.

4. Add pasta and liquid

Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the rotini. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat (about 2 minutes), then reduce to a steady simmer.

5. Simmer until tender

Cover and simmer 12 to 14 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the bottom, until the pasta is tender with a slight bite and most of the liquid is absorbed. The sauce should look glossy and bubbling at the edges.

6. Melt in the cream cheese

Reduce the heat to low (200°F / 95°C), add the cubed cream cheese, and stir 1 to 2 minutes until it disappears into the sauce and the sauce looks creamy and coats the pasta.

7. Finish with cheese

Turn off the heat, stir in the shredded cheddar a handful at a time, and cover 2 minutes until melted. Taste and add salt or a squeeze of lime as needed.

8. Rest and serve

Let the pot rest 5 minutes off the heat so the sauce thickens, then serve with your favorite taco toppings. If it goes wrong and the pasta is still firm, add 1/4 cup broth and simmer 3 more minutes covered.

Delicious Variations

Taco Mac Supreme

Stir in 1 cup of whole milk with the cream cheese and swap the cheddar for Velveeta-style cheese for a looser, mac-and-cheese texture.

Chicken Taco Pasta

Use 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken added with the broth, skip the beef browning, and add 1 extra tablespoon of oil to bloom the spices.

Spicy Chorizo Version

Replace the ground beef with fresh chorizo, use only 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and finish with pickled jalapeños for a smoky, hot pot.

How to Store Taco Pasta (One Pot!)

Frequently Asked Questions

Give this one-pot taco pasta a try on your next busy night, and set out the toppings so everyone can build their own bowl. Cook it your way, and tell me how it went.

Taco Pasta (One Pot!)

Taco pasta made in one pot: seasoned beef, tender rotini, and melty cheese in a creamy tomato sauce. Weeknight dinner with one pan to wash.

★★★★½ 4.8 (287 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings512 kcalCalories

Print RecipePin Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 lb (450g) lean ground beef (90/10)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 160g)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 12 oz (340g) dried rotini or penne
• 3 cups (720ml) low-sodium beef broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz / 410g) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 oz (115g) cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 1 1/2 cups (170g) shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack

📋 Instructions

1. 1Brown the beef — Heat a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat (400°F / 205°C on an electric skillet) for 2 minutes, then add the beef and cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the edges are browned. Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat.
2. 2Soften the onion — Add the onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes over medium heat (350°F / 175°C) until translucent and soft at the edges, then stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, not browned.
3. 3Bloom the spices — Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt over the beef and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices smell toasty and darken slightly. This is the step that builds the taco flavor.
4. 4Add pasta and liquid — Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the rotini. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat (about 2 minutes), then reduce to a steady simmer.
5. 5Simmer until tender — Cover and simmer 12 to 14 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the bottom, until the pasta is tender with a slight bite and most of the liquid is absorbed. The sauce should look glossy and bubbling at the edges.
6. 6Melt in the cream cheese — Reduce the heat to low (200°F / 95°C), add the cubed cream cheese, and stir 1 to 2 minutes until it disappears into the sauce and the sauce looks creamy and coats the pasta.
7. 7Finish with cheese — Turn off the heat, stir in the shredded cheddar a handful at a time, and cover 2 minutes until melted. Taste and add salt or a squeeze of lime as needed.
8. 8Rest and serve — Let the pot rest 5 minutes off the heat so the sauce thickens, then serve with your favorite taco toppings. If it goes wrong and the pasta is still firm, add 1/4 cup broth and simmer 3 more minutes covered.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: Use a pot wide enough that the pasta sits in a shallow layer of liquid; a too-small pot makes the pasta cook unevenly and stick.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: Mexican-American

Course: Main Dish

Nutrition (per serving): 512 kcal · 29g protein · 47g carbs · 23g fat

Written by Mireille Baptiste

Mireille writes about weeknight cooking built around what is already in the pantry, with a focus on Haitian and Caribbean home dishes made simpler for busy kitchens. She favors short ingredient lists, honest substitutions, and recipes that forgive a missed step. Her angle is feeding a household well without a second trip to the store.