This one pot taco spaghetti is rich, cheesy and packed with flavour-loaded beef, all cooked in a single pot in just 30 minutes. It’s quick, easy and perfect for a fuss-free dinner.
What sets this taco spaghetti apart is the one pot cooking method that helps create that gorgeous, creamy sauce. It also only uses a handful of simple, store-bought ingredients. And yes, I promise, it takes just 30 minutes in total! Follow me…
Taco Beef Spaghetti
The beef part of the recipe is really simple and consists of minced/ground beef, onion, seasoning and tomato puree. I recommend using beef that’s below 12% fat, although if you only have fattier beef, you can just drain away some of the excess fat. This is to ensure the pasta doesn’t end up too oily.
What kind of seasoning should I use?
This is a really simple recipe, so for ease, I often just use a sachet of store-bought taco seasoning. Having said that, I do have a Homemade Taco Seasoning, so feel free to whip that up if you fancy! In both cases, you can tweak the seasoning to suit your taste buds. I’ll often add more salt and pepper to the sachet, alongside some cayenne pepper for an extra kick of heat.
Process shots: fry onion (photo 1), fry beef (photo 2), stir in seasoning (photo 3), fry tomato puree (photo 4).
One Pot Taco Spaghetti
The beauty of this recipe is that everything is cooked in one pot – including the spaghetti. I’m a huge fan of One Pot Pasta Recipes and spaghetti is no exception. This is a huge bonus because the spaghetti releases starch as it cooks, which helps thicken everything into a rich, glossy sauce. For the sauce, all you need is chopped tomatoes and beef stock. To take it to the next level, here are two other additions:
- Sour cream – Once the pasta has cooked, I love stirring through some sour cream for a creamy touch. It balances out the salty/spicy flavours so beautifully! It’s really important to make sure the sour cream is close to room temp though, just to prevent it from curdling.
- Cheese – Cheese is just a no-brainer in this dish. Instead of serving it on top, I find it goes beautifully stirred through the pasta. I highly recommend using Cheddar and grating your own (it’ll melt more efficiently).
These are two key ingredients that help create a rich, comforting and indulgent dinner, so don’t skip them.
Process shots: add stock and chopped tomatoes (photo 5), add spaghetti (photo 6), stir in sour cream (photo 7), stir in cheese (photo 8).
Recipe Tip
If you find that the sauce dries up before the spaghetti is cooked, simply add more hot stock or water as needed.
How to serve Taco Spaghetti
The end result will be perfectly tender spaghetti and soft ground beef in a creamy, cheesy sauce. To serve, here’s what I recommend:
- Tomatoes – I love adding some diced fresh tomatoes. I highly recommend adding these. They offer little sweet bursts to break up the rich/heavy sauce. These are a game-changer, so don’t skip them.
- Cilantro/Coriander – I also love adding some fresh coriander, although you could sub parsley or leave it off altogether. This is mainly for a pop of colour to garnish.
For the sister recipes to this dish check out my Chicken Fajita Pasta and Taco Pasta Bake!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this taco spaghetti shall we?!
How to make Taco Spaghetti (Full Recipe & Video)
One Pot Taco Spaghetti
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Deep Pot & Wooden Spoon
- Jug (for stock)
- Cheese Grater
- Tongs
Ingredients
- drizzle of Olive Oil
- 1 large Red Onion, finely diced
- 1lb / 500g Ground/Minced Beef (5-12% works great)
- 1x 1oz/25g packet of Taco Seasoning (see notes)
- 2 tbsp Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
- 1x 14oz/400g can of Chopped Tomatoes
- 3 cups / 720ml Beef Stock, or as needed
- 10.5oz / 300g uncooked Spaghetti (see notes)
- 1x 5oz/150g pot of full fat Sour Cream, at room temp
- 1 cup / 100g freshly grated Cheddar
- 2 Fresh Tomatoes, finely diced (to serve)
- 1-2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Coriander or Parsley (to serve – see notes)
- Salt & Black Pepper, as needed
Instructions
- Add a drizzle of oil to a large deep pot over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until it softens and begins taking on colour, then add the beef. Break it up with your wooden spoon until well-browned, then stir in the seasoning. Stir in the tomato puree and fry for a minute or so.
- Pour in the stock and chopped tomatoes, then add the spaghetti. As it starts to soften, gently press it down so it is submerged under the liquid. Keep on a steady simmer and as the spaghetti begins to loosen up, use tongs to gently toss it now and then to prevent it from sticking. Keep it submerged as best you can.
- Once the sauce has reduced and the spaghetti is almost cooked (but still has a little bite) turn down the heat and stir in the sour cream. Cook for another couple of minutes until the spaghetti is cooked and the sauce has thickened again, then turn off the heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
- Check for seasoning and adjust (generously if needed) then serve individual portions with diced tomatoes and coriander or parsley.
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
Taco Spaghetti FAQ
Make sure you keep the spaghetti submerged in the liquid as best you can, and keep tossing now and then to ensure it doesn’t stick together.
It depends on the taco seasoning you use, but because of the sour cream, it doesn’t end up crazy spicy.
Yes! You can use any cut of pasta, so long as it’s the same weight and not fresh.
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Taco Dinners
- Marry Me Chicken Tacos
- Taco Stuffed Sweet Potato
- Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tacos
- Taco Pockets
- Puff Pastry Tacos
- ALL Taco Dinners
Wasn’t expecting to like this’s as much as I did. Kids went crazy for it too.
Thanks for the review, Molly! 🙂 C.