One Pot Taco Spaghetti is an easy 30-minute dinner recipe that combines the delicious flavors of tacos and spaghetti. Easy, tasty dinner for taco night and busy weeknights.
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One-Pot Taco Spaghetti recipe is a quick and easy meal packed with flavor.
Tender pasta in savory taco meat sauce with black beans, corn, and cheese is topped with your favorite taco toppings for an easy one-pot meal the whole family will love.
The best part? No need to cook the pasta separately -- uncooked spaghetti simmers right in the sauce! Which means the spaghetti noodles absorb all the rich flavor of the sauce AND less dishes!
More Easy Taco Tuesday Recipes
- Walking Taco Casserole with Fritos
- Chicken Taco Hashbrown Casserole
- Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
- Green Chicken Enchiladas
Why You're Going to Love This Recipe
Quick one-pot 30-minute dinner with easy clean up
Delicious combination of flavors -- like tacos in spaghetti form!
Easy to customize with ground beef or ground chicken
Makes great leftovers for lunch the next day
Ingredients
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients.
Ground turkey. Lean ground beef or ground chicken will also work well.
Taco seasoning. Make my easy homemade taco seasoning or use store-bought packet taco seasoning -- you'll need 2 packets.
Low-sodium beef broth. You can also use beef stock, chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water.
Salsa. Undrained Rotel tomatoes with green chiles is a great substitute for salsa.
Corn. Canned, fresh or frozen and defrosted corn are all great options.
Black beans. Black beans help stretch a pound of ground turkey a looooong way. You can also use pinto beans, chili beans, or leave them out.
Shredded cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese are our favorites. You can also use a Mexican cheese blend, pepper Jack, mozzarella cheese, or your favorite cheese.
Cilantro. If you're like me and can't do cilantro, use fresh parsley.
Mexican Spaghetti Variations
Spices. Add a dash of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to crank up the heat.
Bell peppers. Give it a fajita flair and add diced bell peppers with the onions.
Pasta. Swap with any type of pasta with a similar cooking time as regular spaghetti. Or add more broth or water for pasta with a longer cooking time.
How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning
Store-bought packets of taco seasoning are handy, but the cost adds up. Homemade taco seasoning is super easy to make with simple ingredients you might already have!
Just combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and oregano.
The best part about making your own taco seasoning is you can make it to your family's liking. Not a fan of cumin? Use less. Like heat? Dial it up with cayenne pepper.
Get my full recipe for taco seasoning here.
How to Make One Pot Taco Spaghetti: Step-by-Step
1. Brown the ground turkey.
Heat a large skillet, large stockpot, skillet, or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. If the turkey is very lean, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the cold pan.
When the pan is hot, brown the turkey and onion in the skillet until the turkey is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
Add a little bit of water or broth to the pan and use a spoon to loosen up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
2. Cook the spaghetti.
Add taco seasoning, salsa, tomato sauce, and 2 cups broth to the meat mixture. Break spaghetti noodles in half and add them to the pan, covering them with the liquid.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. Add more broth as necessary. Simmer for 15-18 minutes or until the spaghetti is cooked to al dente.
3. Add the beans, corn, and cheese.
Stir in the beans and corn. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese.
4. Serve and enjoy!
To serve, top with ½ cup cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro or parsley, and green onions. Serve with sour cream and your favorite taco toppings.
Storage & Freezing
Store leftover taco spaghetti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until warm or on the stovetop in a saucepan with a splash of water or broth to loosen up the sauce.
One pot taco pasta is also a great freezer meal! Freeze portions in freezer-safe containers or freezer bags for 2-3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator.
Success Tips
If you're using really lean ground beef or turkey, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan before heating it up.
No lid for your skillet or stock pot? That's ok! Just cover it with aluminum foil while the pasta cooks.
Add more broth or water as necessary to cook the pasta through and keep the sauce "saucy."
FAQs
Yes, you can use any type of pasta you prefer. Penne, rotini, or even elbow macaroni would work well in this recipe. Adjust the cooking time and amount of liquid for pasta that takes longer to cook.
Absolutely! This is a great recipe for ground beef or ground chicken. You could even skip the meat altogether and add extra beans for a vegetarian version.
Yes, this is a great one pot dish to make in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, add a splash of water or broth to loosen up the sauce.
Yes, you can freeze this pasta for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
There are many toppings you can add to Mexican spaghetti, such as shredded cheese, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapenos, sliced black olives, or sour cream. For fun, try serving it in a taco shell!
Stuff I Use
My Cuisinart stainless skillet has a nice thick bottom for even heating and is oven and dishwasher safe. It doesn't have a lid, though, so I covered it with aluminum foil when I simmered the spaghetti in the sauce.
This cheese grater is awesome because it comes apart and stores flat in my utensil drawer.
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One Pot Taco Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or ground beef or chicken
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2-3 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup taco seasoning
- 2 cups salsa
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup corn canned, fresh, or frozen & thawed
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese - cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican blend
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- ¼ cup green onions
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. If the turkey is very lean, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. When the pan is hot, brown the turkey and onion in the skillet until the turkey is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Add a little bit of broth to the pan and use a spoon to loosen up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add taco seasoning, salsa, tomato sauce, and 2 cups broth. Break the spaghetti in half and add it to the pan, covering it with the liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until the spaghetti is cooked to al dente. Stir occasionally to keep the spaghetti from sticking to the pan and to break up any clumps of pasta. Add more broth as necessary.
- Stir in the beans and corn. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese. To serve, top with ½ cup cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and fresh cilantro or parsley. Serve with sour cream.
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