Cheesy Instant Pot Taco Pasta

You will love how this flavorful Instant Pot Taco Pasta Recipe is a twist on traditional tacos. This new taco night favorite combines meat, cheese, and taco seasoning with tender pasta for an unforgettable dinner the whole family will love. 

It is incredibly easy to make tasty pasta dishes in your Instant Pot. Your meal will be done in a fraction of the time, and you will have fewer dishes to clean. If you haven’t cooked pasta in your Instant Pot yet, you are in for a real treat with this Instant Pot Taco Pasta!

The Instant Pot is an excellent tool for minimizing cooking time and reducing cleanup. Instead of cooking pasta in one pot, draining it, and then adding it to the sauce you’ve cooked in yet another pot, this taco pasta recipe is cooked entirely in the insert of your Instant Pot. 

Tacos and pasta together in one dish? Tacos and pasta are usually a big hit with kids, and Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta is the perfect marriage of two kid-friendly recipes. Tender pasta is covered with a meaty, cheesy, taco-flavored sauce, and the entire dish cooks in the Instant Pot in under 30 minutes.

Why Make This Recipe

• Picky Eater Approved – Cheesy, tender pasta with a taco flavored sauce is perfect for kids and picky eaters. 
• Fast – Throw together ingredients you have in your pantry and get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. 
• Easy – The Instant Pot is your new best friend when it comes to cooking pasta. 
• Adaptable – Change out ingredients or add more veggies to bulk it out. See variations below.

Ingredient Notes

• Olive oil – Substitute any mild vegetable oil.
• Ground beef – Use lean ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
• Onion – Sweet or white onion. 
• Garlic cloves – Fresh garlic has more flavor but jarred garlic is a convenient option. 
• Salsa – Use your favorite brand and heat level.
• Tomato sauce – Helps to thicken the sauce.
• Low-sodium broth – Use either chicken or beef for the most flavor.
• Shell pasta – Or your favorite small dried pasta.
• Taco seasoning – Usually a combination of chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper.
• Salt and black pepper to taste.
• Bell pepper – Choose any color, but red, yellow, and orange are sweeter than green. 
• Shredded cheese – Use a mixture of Mexican and cheddar.
• Half and half – You can substitute milk.

How To Make Instant Pot Taco Pasta

Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.

1. Using the sauté function, brown the beef in oil until no longer pink.
2. Add in the onions and cook for a few more minutes before adding the remaining sauce ingredients and the broth. 
3. Pour in the pasta and press it under the liquid. 
4. Cover and seal the Instant Pot and cook at high pressure for 4 minutes, followed by a quick pressure release. 
5. Add the peppers, milk, and cheese, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. 
6. Open the lid, stir, and serve.

Tips For Success

• Instead of stirring, use a spoon to press down all of the pasta under the liquid. 
• If the pasta looks watery when you open the Instant Pot, stir everything and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. The pasta will absorb any remaining liquid as it stands. 
• If you prefer your peppers to “disappear” into the sauce, add them before pressure cooking. They turn mushy so if you want more crunch, add them at the end as directed. 
• Cooking times do not account for the time that it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.

Variations

• Make it Spicy – You can easily adjust the heat level of this dish by selecting a spicier salsa. You can also swap the bell pepper for a poblano pepper or add in a bit of jalapeno pepper. 
• Add More Veggies – Toss in a can of corn, black beans, or diced tomatoes to add more bulk to this recipe without going over budget.
• Add Fresh Herbs – Top with sliced green onion and fresh cilantro for a burst of flavor and bright color. 
• Make it Meatless – Skip the meat and add a can of black beans for a tasty meat-free dish. Swap the broth for veggie broth and use vegan cheese to make it vegan. 
• Top it Off – Serve with your favorite taco toppings like guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. 

Budget-Friendly Tips 

• Buy Meat in Bulk – Meat keeps well in the freezer, so purchase in bulk or when on sale. 
• Skip the Meat – Leave out the meat and use black beans instead.
• Bulk it Up –  Add extra veggies like corn and diced tomatoes or toss in some black beans or pinto beans. 
• Make Taco Seasoning – It’s easy to make taco seasoning with spices you already have on hand. 

Make Ahead And Storage

• Prep Ahead – This recipe is perfect for making ahead and reheats well. If the sauce is a little dry, add a bit of water when reheating. 
• Store – Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cover tightly. 
• Freeze – I find that the pasta gets mushy when frozen, so when freezing, just freeze the sauce. Prepare the sauce as directed without adding the broth. Freeze the sauce in a bag for up to three months. To prepare, add the pasta, broth, and frozen sauce mixture to the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes followed by a quick release. Stir in the cheese and serve. 

FAQs

More Recipes You May Like

• Instant Pot Hamburger Helper.

Tools To Make This

• Instant Pot.
• Handy Instant Pot Accessories.

Get The Cheesy Taco Pasta Instant Pot Recipe:

Instant Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta

Ground beef is seasoned with taco seasoning and salsa, cooked with pasta shells and mixed with cheese for a tasty weeknight pasta dish.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 833kcal

Author: Bintu Hardy | Budget Delicious

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound (454g) lean ground beef
• 1 onion peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup (260g) salsa
• 1 cup (225g) tomato sauce
• 2 ¾ cups (650ml) low-sodium chicken or beef stock
• 12 ounces (350g) shell pasta
• 1 ½ tablespoons taco seasoning
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 bell pepper deseeded and diced
• 2 cups (83g) shredded cheese use a mixture of Mexican and cheddar
• ¼ cup (60ml) half and half

Instructions

• Set Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the oil, then add in the ground beef and brown for about 5 minutes making sure to break up the beef.
• Stir in the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
• Stir in the garlic, taco seasoning, salsa, tomato sauce and stock and mix, making sure to deglaze the insert well by scraping with a wooden spoon.
• Then add the pasta, making sure it is fully submerged.
• Cover and seal the Instant Pot, set to pressure cook / manual pressure on high for 4 minutes.
• When done, perform a full quickly pressure release, open the lid, add in the peppers, half and half, and cheese.
• Cover and let stand for 5 minutes, allowing peppers to soften and cheese to melt. Then open the lid, stir, and serve.

Notes

• Instead of stirring, use a spoon to press all of the pasta under the liquid. 
• If the pasta looks watery when you open the Instant Pot, stir everything and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. The pasta will absorb any remaining liquid as it stands. 
• If you prefer your peppers to “disappear” into the sauce, add them before pressure cooking. They turn mushy so if you want more crunch, add them at the end as directed. 
• Cooking times do not account for the time that it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure or for the pressure to release.
• Store – leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Cover tightly.

Nutrition

Calories: 833kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 1343mg | Potassium: 1294mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 2217IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 496mg | Iron: 6mg