This Instant Pot Taco Pasta is a delicious and cheesy pasta recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights with all your favourite taco flavours.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – use any neutral cooking oil of your choice like canola oil.
- Yellow onion – white onions or shallots would be the next best thing.
- Extra-lean ground beef – you can also try making this recipe using ground turkey.
- Taco seasoning – use a store-bought blend or make your own using a blend of chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred garlic will work in a pinch.
- Fresh salsa – you can also use your favourite jarred salsa variety.
- Beef broth – chicken broth or vegetable broth would be the best substitutes here.
- Rotini pasta – substitute for another medium-sized pasta like elbow macaroni or shells.
- Bell peppers – use any combination of bell peppers of your choice.
- Cheddar cheese – swap out for another cheese like Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
- Cilantro – leave this out altogether if you don’t like cilantro.
How to make taco pasta
- Sauté the beef in onions.
- Add in everything but the peppers, cheese and cilantro in order.
- Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure.
- Stir in the bell peppers.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes then stir in the cheese and cilantro.
- Serve and enjoy!
Making it on the stovetop
You can also make this one pot taco pasta on the stovetop if you don’t have an Instant Pot, but be warned that it will take a little bit longer!
Brown the ground beef and then add in all the liquids and pasta. Bring that to a boil, then cook for 15 minutes until the pasta has soaked up most of the liquid. Stir in the bell peppers and cheese, serve and enjoy!
I prefer making Instant Pot taco pasta because you don’t have to stand over the stove the whole time, but it’s up to you which method you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
This entire taco pasta Instant Pot recipe is ready in 25 minutes from start to finish. The pasta only needs to cook at high pressure for 3 minutes, but it’ll take the Instant Pot about 10-15 minutes to get up to the high-pressure setting. In comparison, if you were to make it on the stovetop, it’d take over 40 minutes.
For this one pot taco pasta recipe, I actually used beef broth instead of water! When the pasta cooks, it absorbs the liquid from the broth so it’s even more flavourful. For one pound of dry pasta, you’ll need to add in 2 cups of beef broth or another broth of your choice.
Yes, you can use any shape of pasta that you or your kids love for this Instant Pot taco pasta. Just keep in mind that it’s very easy for pasta to overcook in a pressure cooker. For the best results, use pasta shapes that are medium in size. Elbow macaroni, shells, fusilli and even small rigatoni are good substitutes.
Storing and reheating
This taco pasta Instant Pot recipe is so delicious that I doubt you’ll have any leftovers – but if you do, you can store them in the fridge for 3 to 5 days in glass meal prep containers. Sprinkle some water or broth over top of the pasta before reheating then stick it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or reheat it on the stovetop with a bit of oil. Top with fresh cheese and some cilantro and enjoy!
Freezing this recipe
I love Instant Pot taco pasta, so I usually freeze some into meal prep containers to have for lunches. If you want to freeze it, be sure that it cools to room temperature first then store it in freezable containers with an airtight lid for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat using your preferred method.
More Instant Pot pasta recipes
- The Best Instant Pot Crack Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Pizza Pasta
- Lighter Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on using this cheesy taco pasta for your weekly lunches.
- I get all my ground beef and free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
Instant Pot Taco Pasta {One Pot!}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups fresh salsa
- 2 cups beef or chicken broth
- 1 lb dry rotini pasta
- 1 each red, green and yellow pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Press saute button and heat olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Add onions and ground beef to Instant Pot, sauteeing for 4-5 minutes until browned.
- Stir in taco seasoning and garlic, then add chicken broth, salsa and rotini to the Instant Pot in that order, making sure to leave the rotini sitting on the top of all the other ingredients. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure the valve is set to seal.
- Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 3 minutes. The Instant Pot will take 10-20 minutes to come to pressure, then pressure cook for 3 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon, then open lid when pressure gauge has dropped and lid opens easily.
- Remove lid when safe to do so and stir in bell peppers. Replace lid and let sit for five minutes. After sitting for 5 minutes, stir in cheese and cilantro then serve and enjoy!
