One Pot Beef Taco Pasta

One Pot Beef Taco Pasta is the ultimate weeknight dinner that brings together all the bold, zesty flavors of taco night with the comfort of creamy pasta—all made in ONE pan! With seasoned ground beef, tender pasta cooked right in savory beef stock, melted cheddar cheese, and a dreamy cream cheese sauce, this dish is pure comfort food magic.

Love More One Pot Recipes? Try My Cheesy One Pot Beef and Potatoes or this One Pot Cheesy Penne Pasta next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A hearty blend of seasoned beef, tender pasta, and gooey cheese comes together in a single pot for a meal that’s bursting with bold taco flavor. It’s creamy, comforting, and packed with Tex-Mex goodness — the perfect easy dinner to satisfy everyone at the table.

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Ingredient List

Protein:

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef

Vegetables:

• 1 bell pepper, diced

Pasta and Liquid:

• 3 cups dried pasta (fusilli, macaroni, or penne)
• 3-4 cups beef stock

Seasonings:

• 2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese:

• 4 oz light cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Optional Garnish:

• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Green onions, sliced

Why These Ingredients Work

I use extra lean beef because draining grease while simultaneously preventing the toddler from eating dog food is not my idea of efficient cooking. Less fat means less mess.

The bell pepper is there so I can tell myself this meal has vegetables in it. Also my daughter will eat peppers but not most other vegetables, so here we are.

Cooking pasta in beef stock changed how I think about one-pot meals. Regular pasta just boils in water and then you dump sauce on top and hope for the best. This way the pasta actually tastes like something on its own because it’s been swimming in flavor the whole time.

I started making my own taco seasoning after reading the ingredient list on those packets. It’s just spices mixed together, not rocket science. Takes 30 seconds and I can make it less salty. But store-bought is fine if you’re not into that.

The cream cheese thing sounded insane when I first read it. Like who puts cream cheese in pasta. But it melts down into this sauce that coats everything and makes it creamy without needing heavy cream or milk or whatever else. The cheddar is because we always have cheddar and also because cheese.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Big skillet. That’s the whole thing. Mine’s 12 inches and cast iron because I got it as a wedding present and it’s the only pan I really like using. Anything big and wide works though.

Do not try to make this in a regular pot. I know it seems like it shouldn’t matter but it really does. The liquid needs space to spread out and bubble off or you end up with soup-pasta instead of actual pasta. Made that mistake exactly once.

You also need a spoon for stirring, something to measure with, and a knife for the pepper. My knife is dull and I keep meaning to sharpen it. Still works for peppers though.

How To Make One Pot Beef Taco Pasta

Step 1 – Brown the Ground Beef

Turn the stove to medium-high and put the beef in your pan. Smash it around with a spoon while it cooks so it breaks into small pieces. Takes about 5-7 minutes until there’s no pink left. If you see grease pooling (you probably won’t with extra lean), tip the pan over the sink or a bowl and drain it out.

Step 2 – Add Seasonings

Throw the taco seasoning on top of the beef. Stir it all together. Cook it for another minute or so. This is when your kitchen starts smelling like tacos and people start wandering in asking when dinner’s ready.

Step 3 – Add Vegetables

Dump in your chopped pepper. Mix it around with the beef. Let it cook for maybe 3-4 minutes. The pepper should get a little softer but still have some crunch. I usually cut my peppers kind of big because they shrink anyway.

Step 4 – Add Pasta and Liquid

Put all your pasta in the pan. Pour beef stock over it until the pasta is about halfway covered in liquid. Doesn’t have to be exact. Stir everything together so the pasta doesn’t stick in clumps at the bottom.

Step 5 – Simmer

Crank up the heat until you see it boiling, then turn it back down to medium. It needs to keep bubbling but not like violently. Stir it every 2-3 minutes. The pasta takes somewhere between 10-15 minutes to get soft, and most of the liquid should disappear. If it’s barely bubbling, turn the heat up. If it’s bubbling like crazy and burning, turn it down. You’ll figure it out.

Step 6 – Add Cream Cheese

Turn off the burner completely. This is important – don’t skip this part. Break up the cream cheese into chunks and drop them in. Stir it around until all the chunks melt into the pasta. If you try to do this while the pan’s still on heat it gets weird and lumpy and separated. Ask me how I know.

Step 7 – Add Shredded Cheese

Mix in the shredded cheddar. Keep stirring until it melts. The whole thing should look creamy now and smell really good. If anyone’s been asking when dinner’s ready, this is when you yell “now.”

Step 8 – Season and Serve

Taste a bite. Add salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Sometimes the taco seasoning has enough salt already. Put cilantro or green onions on top if you have them. I usually forget to buy cilantro so we just skip that part.

You Must Know

Pan size is weirdly important for this recipe. I’ve tried making it in smaller pans thinking I could just reduce everything proportionally. Didn’t work. The liquid couldn’t cook off fast enough and I had mushy overcooked pasta floating in broth. Get a big shallow pan or don’t make this recipe.

Personal Secret: Cut the cream cheese into small chunks before you add it. Like 6-8 pieces. Melts way faster that way and you don’t have to stand there stirring for five minutes waiting for one big blob to melt. I learned this after making it the hard way three or four times.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

The liquid has to bubble pretty actively or your pasta won’t cook right. I know some recipes tell you to be gentle and simmer things quietly. This isn’t one of those recipes. You need actual bubbling action happening.

Stirring it occasionally is fine. You don’t need to stand there stirring constantly. Every couple minutes works. I usually stir it when I remember to, which is not on any particular schedule.

Short pasta is the move here. Penne, fusilli, macaroni, those spiral ones, whatever. I tried spaghetti once because that’s all we had and it turned into a tangled mess that didn’t cook evenly. Short pasta spreads out better and cooks more consistently.

Start with 3 cups of stock and keep an eye on it. Some pasta soaks up liquid faster than others. If it looks dry before the pasta’s cooked, pour in more stock. I’ve had to add an extra cup before. It’s not a big deal.

Flavor Variations / Suggestions

Jalapeños are good in this if you like spicy stuff. I chop them up and throw them in with the peppers. Or just buy the jarred ones and dump some in at the end if you’re lazy like me.

Canned black beans and frozen corn make this more filling and also use up stuff that’s probably sitting in your pantry already. Drain the beans, no need to cook them first. The corn can go in frozen. Both go in at the pasta stage.

Sometimes I throw in whatever vegetables are about to go bad in my fridge. Zucchini works. Mushrooms work. Tomatoes work. Just chop them small and add them with the peppers.

I’ve used different cheese when we’re out of cheddar. Monterey jack, pepper jack, Mexican blend, whatever’s open in the fridge. All fine. Sometimes I use two kinds of cheese because I have partial bags of multiple types and I’m trying to use them up.

Top it however you want. Sour cream, diced tomatoes, more cheese, hot sauce, crushed tortilla chips from the bag that’s been open too long. My kids fight over who gets the chips.

Make-Ahead Options

This cooks fast enough that prepping ahead doesn’t save much time. But if it makes you feel better, you can chop the pepper the night before and stick it in a container in the fridge.

I mix up a big jar of taco seasoning every few months. Cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, whatever else. Shake it up and use it for tacos, this pasta, other stuff. Saves me from measuring individual spices every time.

You can brown the beef and cook it with the seasoning and peppers ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge. Then when you want to eat, just reheat it and continue from the pasta step. Saves maybe 10 minutes total.

Don’t freeze this. I tried once because we had a bunch left over. Thawed it out a week later and it was watery and the pasta was mushy and the cheese was grainy. Whole thing went in the trash. Just eat it within a few days or don’t make as much.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

If your liquid’s not bubbling, your pasta’s not cooking. That’s the main thing. Heat needs to be high enough to see consistent bubbles the whole time.

Different brands and shapes of pasta cook at different speeds. Start checking it at 10 minutes. Just eat a piece. If it’s crunchy, keep cooking. If it’s soft, you’re done.

Sauce too thick? Pour in some more stock and stir. Too thin? Let it keep bubbling with no lid until more liquid evaporates. Usually takes a few more minutes.

Leftovers get really thick in the fridge because pasta is like a sponge. When you reheat, add milk or stock or even just water. Otherwise it’s dry and gummy and nobody wants to eat it.

Serving Suggestions

This is already a complete meal. Protein, carbs, vegetables, cheese. That’s dinner. Sometimes I put out a bag of salad on the side because it makes me feel like I tried harder than I actually did.

Tortilla chips on the side are good because my kids like crunching them up on top. Also because I like eating tortilla chips. We usually have a bag open anyway.

If I’m trying to impress someone or we have company or whatever, I put out bowls of toppings. Sour cream, shredded cheese, jalapeños, diced tomatoes, hot sauce, cilantro if I remembered to buy it. People can make their bowl however they want and it looks like I put in effort.

How to Store Your One Pot Beef Taco Pasta

Stick leftovers in whatever container you have with a lid. Keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. After that it starts tasting weird.

Reheat it on the stove over medium heat and add some milk or stock while you stir it. The pasta absorbs liquid while it sits so you have to add moisture back or it’s like eating paste. Microwave also works. I do 30 seconds, stir, 30 more seconds, stir again, repeat until it’s hot.

Already said this but don’t freeze it. Comes out terrible.

Food safety people say not to leave cooked food sitting out for more than 2 hours. So get it in the fridge before then if you care about that.

Allergy Information

This has dairy in it from the cream cheese and cheddar. Also has gluten from the pasta and maybe from the taco seasoning depending on what brand you use.

For dairy-free you need dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free shredded cheese. Also check your beef stock because some have butter or milk in them for reasons I don’t understand.

For gluten-free just use gluten-free pasta. Also make sure your taco seasoning is certified gluten-free or make your own. Rest of it is naturally gluten-free.

If you don’t eat beef, use ground turkey or ground chicken instead. Switch to chicken stock to match. Or use plant-based ground meat, whatever you’re into.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My pasta isn’t cooking evenly—what happened?

Heat’s probably too low. The liquid needs to be bubbling pretty actively the whole time or the pasta just sits there not doing anything. Also stir it more. Maybe every 2 minutes instead of every 5. If nothing’s working add more stock and turn up the heat.

The sauce is too thin/too thick—help!

Too thin means keep cooking it with the lid off so more water evaporates. Too thick means add liquid (stock, milk, water, whatever you have) and stir it in. Also remember it thickens up as it cools so don’t panic if it looks thin when it’s super hot.

What if I don’t have taco seasoning?

Make it yourself. One tablespoon chili powder, one and a half teaspoons cumin, one teaspoon paprika, one teaspoon garlic powder, half teaspoon onion powder, half teaspoon oregano. Add cayenne if you want it spicier. Mix it together. Done. Tastes better than the packets anyway because you control the salt.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Did you make this? How’d it go? Any changes you made? Leave a comment and let me know.