This Instant Pot taco pasta is an easy, family friendly dinner made with ground beef, pasta shells, salsa, and cheese. It is mild, creamy, and full of taco flavor, all cooked together for a quick meal everyone will want again.
If you love tacos and you love hamburger helper, then you’re going to love this! This will remind you of the hamburger helper that you used to eat as a child, but it’s even better than that! It’s so flavorful, cheesy, and creamy. Real comfort food served in a bowl!
The Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground meat: Use ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork. I used lean ground beef.
- Taco seasoning: Homemade or store bought both work.
- Tomato sauce and mild salsa: I like using both, but you can use just one if that is what you have.
- Stock: Beef, chicken, or vegetable stock all work. Water works too.
- Heavy cream and cheese: I used mild cheddar, but cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or sharp cheddar all work.
How to Make Instant Pot Taco Pasta
- Saute the beef and aromatics.
- Add tomato sauce, salsa, and seasoning followed by the stock.
- Add the pasta on top of everything, and make sure it’s all covered in liquid.
- Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes + quick release.
- Stir in cream and cheese.
Storing Tips
- To store – store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To freeze – freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months (preferably in individual portions). Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat – reheat over the stovetop on medium heat until it’s warmed through, or in the microwave. Add a splash of water to loosen the sauce before reheating.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Instant Pot Taco Pasta
This Instant Pot taco pasta is perfect for an easy dinner to be made any day! It's mild, cheesy, creamy, and family-friendly. You can't go wrong with this taco pasta, everyone will ask for seconds!
servings
This Instant Pot taco pasta is perfect for an easy dinner to be made any day! It's mild, cheesy, creamy, and family-friendly. You can't go wrong with this taco pasta, everyone will ask for seconds!
Recipe Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef 85-90% lean
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 8-ounce can (225 g) tomato sauce
- 1 cup (225 g) mild salsa homemade or store-bought
- 3 cups (700 ml) beef stock
- 12 ounces (340 g) uncooked medium pasta shells
- 6 ounces (170 g) cheddar cheese about 1 ½ cups, shredded
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
- Press on the SAUTE button, and brown the beef breaking it up as you go until it's all brown and no longer pink (about 3 minutes).
- Add the diced onion, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Switch off the SAUTE setting.
- Season with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then add tomato sauce, salsa, and pour in the stock.
- Add the pasta over the ground beef, and with a spatula push it in the liquid so it's all covered. If necessary add a little bit of water to cover it.
- Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and set the valve on SEALING position. Press on PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL on high for 4 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure, and cook. Once the cooking has finished, quickly release the steam.
- Give the pasta a quick stir, then stir in the heavy cream and cheese until the cheese has melted. Serve warm.
Notes:
- No oil needed: I usually brown the ground beef without oil. It may stick at first, but once it releases its fat, scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Deglaze well: If anything is stuck to the bottom, add a splash of water or stock and scrape well to avoid the BURN message.
- Cover the pasta: Make sure the pasta is fully covered with liquid. Gently press it down with a spatula if needed. I like to keep the beef on the bottom and the pasta on top.
- Do not worry about extra liquid: When you open the lid, the pasta may look a little loose. Once you stir in the cream and cheese, it will come together and continue to thicken as it cools.
- Cream swap: Heavy cream can be replaced with sour cream or plain yogurt.
- Best cheese: For the best melt and flavor, grate your own cheese from a block instead of using pre shredded cheese.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, ideally in individual portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave. Add a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 623kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 104mg, Sodium: 802mg, Potassium: 737mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 833IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 267mg, Iron: 3mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Kimberly says
I have made this twice already! SO easy and oh so flavorful!!! I always look for recipes that are easy with minimal ingredients and this one did not disappoint. I followed it as is and it turned out perfect!
Heather says
So so yummy and easy!!
Karen J Argust says
Delicious and so easy. I used ground turkey and added a bit of Cajun spice as we like a little heat.
Diana says
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Using ground turkey is a great choice, and adding a bit of Cajun spice sounds like a wonderful tweak for a little extra kick. Thanks for sharing your modification!
Cassandra says
I have made this recipe over a dozen times. It’s a weekly favorite for my family!
I made it tonight and, while it looked perfect, it tastes bland. I forgot I wasn’t using the same beef stock as before and that’s likely why. How can I fix it? Help!
Diana says
Hi Cassandra, glad to hear you enjoy this recipe! If it’s bland, I suggest that you try and add more flavor to it, a beef stock cube or maybe more taco seasoning?
Jeff H says
Garlic! Add more garlic.
Bella says
I made this for my family and it was so good the recipe was easy to follow and just overall amazing. just one thing is to maybe add a homemade heavy cream just if someone might not have any. But I will definitely make this again.
Brian Hilton says
Doubled the taco season, and used sour cream instead of regular. Omg it’s good. Love it!