One Pot Beef Taco Pasta designed for fast weeknight cooking with simple prep and bold flavor.
Skillet Taco Pasta — a One-Pot Weeknight Win
All the bold, toasty taco flavors you love — plus pasta — cooked in one pan for a fast, low-fuss dinner the whole family will ask for again.
When weeknight hunger meets a desire for something bold and comforting, this one-pot taco pasta answers both. Ground beef, bell pepper and onion get a quick browning, then everything simmers with tomato, broth and dry pasta so the noodles soak up that rich, seasoned sauce. Minimal prep, one pan to wash — dinner arrives without drama and with plenty of flavor.
A couple of small technique choices make a big difference: let the beef get nicely browned (those browned bits are flavor), drain off any excess fat, then push the meat to the side so the onion and pepper can soften without steaming. Stirring in the taco seasoning and a spoonful of tomato paste and cooking it briefly to toast the spices brings out deep, slightly caramelized notes that carry through the whole dish once the tomatoes and broth go in.
Black beans and corn fold in near the end for a pop of texture, color and heartiness; they keep the dish feel fresh rather than saucy and heavy. Finish with shredded cheese, a squeeze of lime, chopped cilantro or a dollop of sour cream and you’ll have a bright, crowd-pleasing plate — avocado slices or crunchy tortilla chips make great companions.
This pasta is a great leftover: flavors mellow and meld in the fridge, and a splash of broth or water while reheating brings it back to saucy perfection. It’s easy to scale up for a crowd, swap in another ground protein, or make once and serve two weeknight dinners without extra effort.
Ingredients
How to Make One Pot Beef Taco Pasta
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
- Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until mostly browned (4–6 minutes). Drain off and discard about 1 tablespoon of excess fat if there's a lot, leaving the browned bits.
- Push the beef to one side, add the chopped onion and diced bell pepper to the pan, and sauté 3–4 minutes until softened; add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and tomato paste; cook 1 minute to toast the spices and coat the vegetables and beef.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juices) and beef broth, then add the dry pasta, black beans, and corn. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring every 3–4 minutes to prevent sticking, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10–12 minutes (timing depends on pasta shape).
- Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar until melted and evenly distributed. Add lime juice, chopped cilantro, and taste; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, garnish with extra cilantro or a squeeze of lime if desired.
Recipe Card
One Pot Beef Taco Pasta
One Pot Beef Taco Pasta designed for fast weeknight cooking with simple prep and bold flavor.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
- Add ground beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until mostly browned (4–6 minutes). Drain off and discard about 1 tablespoon of excess fat if there's a lot, leaving the browned bits.
- Push the beef to one side, add the chopped onion and diced bell pepper to the pan, and sauté 3–4 minutes until softened; add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and tomato paste; cook 1 minute to toast the spices and coat the vegetables and beef.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juices) and beef broth, then add the dry pasta, black beans, and corn. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring every 3–4 minutes to prevent sticking, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10–12 minutes (timing depends on pasta shape).
- Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar until melted and evenly distributed. Add lime juice, chopped cilantro, and taste; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, garnish with extra cilantro or a squeeze of lime if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 69
- Saturated Fat
- 15
- Sodium
- 1060
- Fiber
- 6.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 20
- Protein
- 42
- Fat
- 35
- Cholesterol
- 105
- Trans Fat
- 0.5
- Calories
- 760
- Sugar
- 8