The family is bound to love this creamy comfort food! It's bound to be your new weeknight favorite! Next time give this Mexican lasagna a try!
Jump to:
❤️ Why you'll love it
- Make it in one pot - less mess and little clean up!
- Creamy and delicious!
- Budget friendly!
My one pot taco spaghetti recipe takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and, since it's all done in one pot, it's an easy clean up which gives you more time to relax.
Think of it as a spaghetti casserole you don't have to bake and add it to your easy weeknight meal list!
🧾 Ingredients
- I like to use lean ground beef in this recipe since we're making it all in one pot. It keeps the finished taco spaghetti casserole from being too greasy.
- I use thin spaghetti in this recipe because it cooks better in this recipe. As the pasta cooks it soaks up all the flavors from the other ingredients.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
Step one
- Cook beef and onions in a large stockpot or high sided skillet on medoim high heat until the beef is browned and onions are translucent.
- Drain fat.
Step two
- Add the water, RoTel tomatoes, spaghetti, and taco seasoning.
- Bring to a boil and cover.
- Turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes (for thin spaghetti) or longer - make sure the pasta is cooked.
Step three
- When the pasta is cooked stir in the cream of chicken soup and about ⅔ of the cheese.
- Heat until the cheese is melted into the sauce.
- Top with remaining cheese and put the cover back on until the cheese melts.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
For casserole
If you'd like to turn this into a casserole:
- Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Make the taco spaghetti as directed but do not put the last layer of cheese on it.
- Spoon into the prepared baking dish.
- Smooth the top and add the remaining cheese.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese melts and is bubbly.
🥄 Equipment
You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- A wok or large stockpot
- Tongs for serving
- Baking dish (if you want to make it a baked casserole)
🥫 Storage
Put leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for three or four days. I don't recommend freezing because it has a tendency to get a weird texture.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: RoTel comes in a couple of different heat levels. If you want a mild dish go with the original!
- This is a great way to use up leftover taco meat.
- Most recipes call for you to cook the spaghetti al dente - still quite firm. If you prefer your spaghetti noodles more tender then cook the pasta a little longer.
- This creamy taco spaghetti is even better the next day.
📖 Variations
- Add your favorite taco toppings; a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, black olives, chopped roma tomato...
- Use cooked chicken instead of ground beef.
- Substitute chicken broth, beef broth, or V-8 juice for the water.
- Add it to a casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray, top with Mexican cheese blend and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
- Cube some of the cheese and mix it in so you get melty pockets of cheese in each bite.
- Diced bell pepper is delicious in this. It adds a burst of fresh flavor.
- Use Mozzarella in place of the Cheddar.
- Use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
- Sprinkle the top with chopped green onions and a dollop of sour cream before serving.
- Stir in red pepper flakes for extra zip.
- Drain a can of black beans and add them.
- Add a teaspoon of onion powder for more onion flavor.
🍽️ Serve with...
Wondering what to serve with this Mexican spaghetti casserole? Just about anything!
- Salad
- Buttered broccoli
- Garlic knots
- Baguette or garlic bread
- Vanilla pudding
- A fruity, robust red wine
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe. If you don't find the answer to yours here leave a comment below or email me - I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Can I freeze taco spaghetti?
No, the spaghetti noodles get mushy.
How many calories in taco spaghetti?
There are about 455 calories per serving in this recipe.
Related recipes
📞 The last word
- I had to add a little more water to get everything cooked properly. Keep an eye on the pot and be ready to add a little more water if necessary.
- I found that thin spaghetti worked MUCH better than regular spaghetti. It cooks faster and so works well with this "all in one method.
- I used 90/10 lean ground beef so I didn't have to worry about a lot of fat floating around on my taco spaghetti.
- Grate your own cheese from a block. I was in a hurry and grabbed a bag of grated cheese the first time and it didn't work as well. The second time I made this great recipe I shredded it from the block and it was perfection!
📖 Recipe
One Pot Taco Spaghetti
Print Add to Collection Pin RecipeOne pot taco spaghetti is ready in less than 30 minutes plus, since it's all cooked and served from the same pan, there's very little clean-up! This creamy, cheesy Tex-Mex dinner is perfect for busy weeknights and picky eaters.
Servings:6
Calories:455
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1-½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 cup onions, diced
- 3 cups water, or chicken broth
- 10 ounces Ro*Tel tomatoes, don't drain
- 8 ounces spaghetti, thin spaghetti works better than regular spaghetti
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 10.75 ounce cream of chicken soup, don't dilute
- 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded; divided use (or use Mexican cheese blend)
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Step one
- Saute the ground beef and onions in a skillet or large stockpot until the beef is browned and onions are translucent.
- Drain excess fat if there is any
Step two
- Add the water, Ro*Tel, uncooked spaghetti, and taco seasoning mix.
- Bring to a boil and cover.
- Turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes (for thin spaghetti) or longer - make sure the pasta is cooked.
Step three
- When the pasta is cooked stir in the cream of chicken soup and about ⅔ of the shredded Cheddar cheese.
- Heat until the cheese is melted into the sauce.
- Top with remaining cheese and put the cover back on until the cheese melts.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
For casserole
- Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Make the taco spaghetti as directed but do not put the last layer of cheese on it.
- Spoon into the prepared baking dish.
- Smooth the top and add the remaining cheese.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese melts and is bubbly.
Notes
Expert Tip: RoTel comes in a couple of different heat levels. If you want a mild dish go with the original!
- This is a great way to use up leftover taco meat.
- Most recipes call for you to cook the spaghetti al dente - still quite firm. If you prefer your spaghetti noodles more tender then cook the pasta a little longer.
- This creamy taco spaghetti is even better the next day.
- I had to add a little more water to get everything cooked properly. Keep an eye on the pot and be ready to add a little more water if necessary.
- I found that thin spaghetti worked MUCH better than regular spaghetti. It cooks faster and so works well with this "all in one method.
- I used 90/10 lean ground beef so I didn't have to worry about a lot of fat floating around on my taco spaghetti.
- Grate your own cheese from a block. I was in a hurry and grabbed a bag of grated cheese the first time and it didn't work as well. The second time I made this great recipe I shredded it from the block and it was perfection!
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 1070mg | Potassium: 442mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1107IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 320mg | Iron: 3mg
Rebecca Bushey
Could this be made in an Instant Pot?
Marye
Rebecca I am sorry - I've never used one so I can't answer that.