This easy one-pot Taco Macaroni is a cheesy, family-friendly weeknight dinner made with lean ground beef, pasta, bell peppers, and taco seasoning—all cooked in one pot in under 30 minutes.
One Pot Taco Macaroni
If you enjoy my homemade hamburger helper, I think your family will love this taco macaroni recipe. It combines taco night with mac and cheese for the ultimate weeknight comfort meal, done in less than 30 minutes. What’s not to love?! This weeknight dish packs over 30 grams of protein per serving, and the best part is that everything cooks in one pot. Many of you have been asking for more one-pot recipes so I have been busy testing. I love cooking this way so much so much that I even wrote a whole cookbook dedicated to it, Skinnytaste One and Done, which is one of my most popular cookbooks.
Why You’ll Love This Taco Macaroni
This cheesy taco macaroni skillet checks all the boxes:
- Less mess, less stress: One pot = easy cleanup
- Family-friendly: Kids love it, and adults can add toppings to make it spicier or fresher.
- Balanced: Made with lean ground beef and veggies for a lighter twist on classic cheesy pasta.
- High in Protein: One serving contains more than 30 grams of protein!
If you’re looking for more high-protein recipes, my new Skinnytaste High Protein with over 100 recipes with 30 grams of protein or more, was just released!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are all the ingredients you need for this healthy taco pasta recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Ground Beef: Choose 93% lean ground beef for a lighter option that still delivers plenty of rich, savory flavor without too much grease.
- Taco Seasoning: Buy your favorite or make homemade taco seasoning with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and other spices.
- Vegetables: Chopped onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper
- Rotel is canned diced tomatoes with green chiles.
- Beef Broth: The pasta needs liquid to cook, so we’re using beef broth, which provides more flavor than water.
- Milk adds creaminess. Use whichever type of milk you like—2%, whole, or almond./
- Pasta: I made this dish with macaroni (AKA elbows), but baby shells, rotini, or any other small pasta shape would work.
- Cheese: Use a Mexican blend or Monterey Jack. Shredded cheddar works too.
How to Make Taco Mac and Cheese
No need to boil the pasta separately! Everything cooks together in one skillet in this easy taco pasta. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Cook the Beef and Vegetables: Brown the beef with the taco seasoning in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for a few minutes.
- Cook the pasta: Add the tomatoes and broth, then bring to a boil. Add the pasta, ensuring the liquid completely covers it. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and cook until the pasta is nearly tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Don’t forget to stir! Remember to stir halfway through to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. (If the pasta is still boiling when you put the lid on, you may need to stir it more at the beginning until it reaches a simmer.)
- Add the milk, turn the heat to medium-low, and cover the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
- Add the cheese: Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
Tips and Variations
- Protein swap: Use ground turkey or bison for a leaner option.
- Vegetarian taco macaroni: Omit the beef and add a can of black beans.
- No beef broth? Chicken or vegetable broth will work. You can also use water and beef bouillon.
- Don’t like peppers? Swap them for corn or omit.
- Boost the protein: Substitute high-protein pasta and beef bone broth.
- Dairy-free: Use almond milk and vegan cheese.
- Spice level: Add jalapeños if you want some heat.
- Toppings: Take it over the top with cilantro, scallions, or extra cheese.
- What should I do with the extra quarter pound of beef? You can use the whole pound if you wish or use it to make a single hamburger patty for a quick lunch, or brown the meat with taco seasoning and use it in a breakfast quesadilla or egg scramble.
4
15 mins
2
5 mins
8
8 hrs 10 mins
0
1 hr 15 mins
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: This taco macaroni and cheese freezes well. Portion it into freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Thaw the dish in the fridge the day before. Then, heat it in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of broth or milk to thin the sauce. You can also microwave the frozen dish longer if you forgot to thaw it in advance.
More One-Pot Family-Friendly Dinners You’ll Love
For more easy dinner ideas, check out these five delicious one-pot recipes to inspire your next meal!
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
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Heat a large, deep skillet on medium high heat and add the beef and taco seasoning. Cook, breaking the meat up into small pieces until browned, 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and bell peppers; cook until aromatic; 2 to 3 minutes.
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Stir in the canned tomato and beef broth and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and make sure to submerge pasta into the liquid.
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Lower heat to medium-low and cover. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway until the pasta is almost tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
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Uncover, add the milk, and cook, covered stirring periodically medium-low until pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes.
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Remove from heat, uncover and add cheese. Stir to combine
Last Step:
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I found that protein pasta or bronze cut pasta doesn’t work as well for one pot pastas, protein pasta doesn’t have as much starch so the sauce ends up being much thinner. Bronze cut pasta has too much starch and comes out gummy.
Ground bison or ground turkey can also be used.
Serving: 1 ½ cups, Calories: 510 kcal, Carbohydrates: 53.5 g, Protein: 34 g, Fat: 15 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 83 mg, Sodium: 920 mg, Fiber: 4.5 g, Sugar: 7 g
