This One Pot Beef Taco Pasta dinner is BEYOND easy and a dish the entire family is guaranteed to enjoy! It’s a soul-satisfying, taco-flavored one pot meal that’s zesty and budget-friendly too!
Hey there folks!
I’ve got a delicious dish for your next Taco Tuesday! It’s a dish the whole family is guaranteed to love especially if you enjoy Mexican inspired food.
It’s along the lines of a Hamburger Helper, but so much better. It’s a one pot meal that you know who could even manage on his own.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This simple dinner recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when the kids need to go in all different directions and your time is limited. It’s also one of those meals that’s budget-friendly too. It’s a meal your kids who are away at college can easily manage to whip up on their own. And they’ll have leftovers for lunch the next day too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- olive oil
- ground beef
- yellow onion
- garlic
- taco seasoning
- low-sodium beef broth
- milk
- tomato sauce
- small pasta like mini farfalle, elbows or mini penne
- Cotija cheese
- tortilla chips
- cilantro (if desired)
Step-By-Step Instructions
For the first step, you’ll brown your meat with some onions in a bit of olive oil until the meat is cooked though and the onions are translucent. You’ll want to drain the excess grease before adding your garlic and taco seasoning, then you’ll continue to cook for a minute or two.
Next up will be the addition of your beef broth, milk, tomato sauce and pasta. You’ll want to mix until it’s well combined. You’ll bring the mixture to a boil before you turn the temperature down to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 12-14 minutes or until most of the liquid is evaporated and the noodles are tender.
And that’s it folks. Dinner is served!
I love to serve this meal with some crumbled Cotija cheese, which is a delicious, somewhat salty Mexican cheese, as well as with some crushed tortilla chips for added crunch and if you’re a fan of cilantro, a sprinkle of cilantro leaves.
I hope you guys give this delicious simple meal a try next Taco Tuesday! If you do, please let me know in the comments below. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!
A Few Cook’s Notes for One Pot Beef Taco Pasta
I used mini farfalle pasta for this recipe, but you could also use elbows or mini penne.
My favorite taco seasoning is by Outside Table. It has such incredible flavor and just the perfect spicy kick. You can also use your favorite taco seasoning. I thought two tablespoons of the Outside Table spice was perfect.
I like to mix the Cotija cheese into the pasta, but you could also just serve it as a topping.
The added crushed tortilla chips are optional, but they give the dish un unexpected tasty crunch.
The sprinkle of chopped cilantro leaves is totally optional. I know some people have an aversion to cilantro. (me being one of those people)
More Delicious One Pot Meals to Enjoy
One Pot Salsa Chicken and Rice
One Pot Beef Taco Pasta
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning, I use Outside Table
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
- 2 cups mini farfalle pasta, or any small pasta shape (elbows, mini penne)
- 1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
- crushed tortilla chips and chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and brown, breaking it up with a spoon, along with the onion until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Drain most of the liquid. Stir in the garlic and taco seasoning and cook for an additional one minute.
- Stir in the broth, milk, tomato sauce and pasta. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce temperature to a simmer. Cook for 12-14 minutes or until the pasta is nice and tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in Cotija cheese until melted or you can serve it with the Cotija and let people sprinkle their helping with it themselves. Garnish with/or serve with crushed tortilla chips and chopped cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.
Notes
I’m always up for new takes on tacos and this pasta is calling my name! Love how easy it is to make too – perfect weeknight dinner.
Tom loves this one Marissa!
You had me at one pot! Love easy dinners like this one and my husband is always a fan of anything taco-flavoured :) Will put this one on the menu!
Enjoy Jennifer!
We had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! It’s a keeper. We had shredded lettuce, avocado, pico, and sour cream on the side. And lots of cilantro! :)
So happy you gave the recipe a try April and enjoyed it!