Description
Crockpot Taco Pasta is the ultimate comfort food made easy! This slow cooker recipe features seasoned ground beef, tender pasta, and gooey cheddar cheese in a flavorful tomato-based sauce. With just 15 minutes of prep and your crockpot doing the rest, it’s perfect for busy weeknights when you want something warm, satisfying, and delicious.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15 oz / ~425 g) can tomato sauce
- 1 (10 oz / ~280 g) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (optional for extra flavor)
- 2 cups beef broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 packet taco seasoning (or ~2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning)
- 8 oz (225 g) uncooked pasta (rotini, penne, or shells)
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Toppings:
- Sour cream
- Sliced green onions
- Chopped cilantro
- Avocado
- Fresh lime wedges
Instructions
In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onion and minced garlic until no pink remains, about 6-8 minutes.
Break up the meat as it cooks so it’s nice and crumbly.
Drain off any excess grease — this keeps your dish from being too oily and lets all those beautiful flavors shine through!
Transfer the cooked beef mixture to your slow cooker.
Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with chilies (if you’re using them), beef broth, and taco seasoning.
Give everything a good stir to combine all those wonderful flavors. At this point, it should look like a chunky, seasoned meat sauce just waiting to work its magic.
Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours.
This slow simmer allows all the flavors to meld together into something truly special. Your kitchen will smell INCREDIBLE during this time!
About 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve, stir in the uncooked pasta.
Make sure the pasta is mostly submerged in the sauce and liquid — if it looks a little dry, add a splash more broth.
Cover again and cook until the pasta is tender, about 25–30 minutes on LOW (or a little less if you’re cooking on HIGH). The pasta will absorb all that beautiful, seasoned sauce!
Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and watch it melt into creamy, gooey ribbons throughout the dish.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. This is where the magic really happens — the cheese creates this incredible creaminess that coats everything!
Spoon generous portions into bowls and let everyone customize with their favorite toppings.
I love adding a dollop of sour cream, some sliced green onions, fresh cilantro, creamy avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime. Every bite is pure comfort!
Notes
- Choose the right pasta shape — rotini, shells, and penne work beautifully because they hold onto all that delicious sauce. Avoid long, thin pastas like spaghetti or angel hair; they don’t work as well in the crockpot.
- Check your liquid levels before adding the pasta. If the mixture looks too thick or dry, add an extra ½ cup of broth. The pasta needs enough liquid to cook properly.
- Don’t add the pasta too early or it will turn mushy and overcooked. Timing is everything here!
- Let the cheese melt naturally — once you stir it in, just give it a few minutes with the lid on. No need to keep stirring; the residual heat will do the work.
- Make it spicier by using hot taco seasoning, adding diced jalapeños, or sprinkling in some red pepper flakes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours (low) or 2-3 hours (high) + 30 minutes for pasta
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Crockpot
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex