One Skillet Taco Spaghetti – A Simple & Quick Weeknight Meal

Looking for a simple weeknight meal that is ready in under 30 minutes, then this skillet taco spaghetti meal is for you! It has all of the delicious and classic flavors of homemade tacos but uses spaghetti as opposed to shells.

Have you ever had a night when the family gets home from school or work and the first thing asked is “What’s for dinner?” (Please tell me I’m not the only one who doesn’t have each weeknight’s meals planned out?) Well, this recipe has saved the night on many occasions!

This simple recipe is all cooked in one skillet for a quick weeknight meal that comes together quickly. (It also means there are a lot fewer dishes to clean up after dinner is over!) Even the people in our family who aren’t big fans of traditional spaghetti swarm to the stovetop for seconds of this meal!

You can serve the taco spaghetti as is or top it off with some of your typical favorite taco toppings. Ingredients like shredded cheddar, sour cream, fresh cilantro, parsley, or hot sauce are all great options. It’s definitely a family pleaser that can be customized for each person.

How To Make One Skillet Taco Spaghetti

*Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe, including exact measurements and amounts. You can also print out the instructions. I go into a bit more detail about the recipe here first, just in case you need it.

Ingredients

• Ground Beef – Most recipes only require one pound of ground beef. However, when I make anything with ground beef for our family, we usually use two pounds. You can definitely drop this down to just one pound, but make sure to cut the amount of taco seasoning in half as well.
• Diced Onions – You can use either white onion (what we usually use) or yellow onion.
• Garlic – Use freshly minced garlic or jarred.

• Taco Seasoning – We use our homemade taco seasoning, but you can use packets as well. Use one packet for each pound of beef you add. (You can find my simple taco seasoning recipe here: Homemade Taco Seasoning – Say Goodbye To Store Packets!)
• Diced Tomatoes – Use either a pint or one can of diced tomatoes, including the juice. Do not drain that off when adding it to the skillet.
• Water – To help speed up the cooking process, use warm water. You may need to add a bit more water if the pasta isn’t quite done cooking and the liquid is all evaporated.
• Spaghetti – We typically use thin spaghetti for this recipe because regular spaghetti can feel a bit too pasta-heavy for our liking. However, you can honestly use whatever pasta you have on hand. Just be sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly.
• Shredded Cheddar – You can also use shredded taco cheese or Mexican cheese. Pretty much whatever shredded cheese you use when making tacos works well here.

Instructions For One Skillet Taco Spaghetti

You are going to need either a large 10 to 12-inch skillet or a medium-sized Dutch Oven to fit all of these ingredients. Otherwise, it can’t be a one-pot dish!

I like to use a large, well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Contrary to what some people will tell you, you can use cast iron cookware to cook tomato-based dishes like this one. Just reseason it well after you get it cleaned up and it will be back to normal. (Product Link: Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet)

Add the ground beef to your skillet. Cook the beef over medium heat, breaking it up into pieces. Once the meat is about halfway cooked through, add the diced onions. (As a shortcut, we always have frozen diced onions on hand in 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup increments that I can just pull from the freezer and add to meals.)

Continue to cook until the beef is browned and the onions are softened. Drain off any excess grease. Stir in the minced garlic and cook it for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Season It Up

Now it’s time to add in your taco seasoning. Stir until it is well combined with the beef and there is no dry seasoning left. Add in the diced tomatoes (including the juice) and water and mix. (*See the Note below on cooking the pasta separately as an alternative.)

Add the thin spaghetti. If needed, break the noodles in half so they fit better. I prefer to cook it this way, but I know some people frown on breaking spaghetti in half! The goal is to make sure the pasta is covered by the liquid or else it won’t cook properly. Allow the mixture to come to a boil over medium heat.

Reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer the mixture on low heat for about 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. The time varies depending on what type of pasta you use, how well the pasta stays under the liquid, and how much liquid you are working with.

If it seems like your pasta is still not cooked through but the liquid is almost all gone, add 1/4 cup of water and stir well. You want the pasta to cook all the way through.

Note: As an alternative, you can cook the pasta separately in a different pot. If you want to go this route, start to heat up a stock pot with water when you start to brown the ground beef. When it boils, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Do not add the 2 cups of water to the ground beef when adding the diced tomatoes. Simply add the tomatoes and keep warm until you add the pasta.

Add Cheese & Serve

Remove the lid once the pasta is cooked through. Continue to cook the mixture uncovered for a few minutes until most of the excess liquid is cooked off. Stir constantly to avoid the bottom burning.

Once the liquid is mostly gone, add the shredded cheese. Stir until it is nice and melted and the mixture is all creamy.

Serve the skillet taco spaghetti as is or top it off with traditional taco toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, parsley, or hot sauce. Enjoy!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by!
– Chelsea

*This post may contain affiliate links. These are products I have used personally and highly recommend. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases if you purchase items through my links. These links and the ads on this page help to support my family and our semi homestead, so Thank You!