Instant Pot Creamy Taco Pasta is a creamy, cheesy, delicious dinner ready in about 30 minutes. It’s like a beefy Mexican Mac and Cheese.
If you’re looking for an easy dinner recipe made with ground beef and pasta with a little south-of-the-border flavor, you’re going to love this delicious Instant Pot Creamy Taco Pasta. It’s one of my family’s favorite Instant Pot recipes, and it’s also a reader favorite and popular on Pinterest!
Taco pasta is like homemade Hamburger Helper, only better! It’s super kid friendly. And since it’s a one pot dinner made entirely in the pressure cooker, there’s hardly any clean-up!
I don’t think you can ever have too many easy ground beef recipes, especially Instant Pot ground beef recipes. I probably make ground beef in the Instant Pot for dinner once a week, so I try to prepare it a different way each time.
How to Make Creamy Taco Pasta in the Instant Pot
This easy taco pasta is based on one of our favorites — one pot taco pasta. It’s basically a combination of taco meat and pasta, and it’s perfect for those days when you can’t decided between Italian and Mexican food for dinner.
To make taco pasta in the Instant Pot, you start out by browning a little ground beef. When the meat is no longer pink, you add your seasonings. I like to make my own homemade taco seasoning mix, but you can easily use a packet if that’s what you prefer.
Then, you layer a box of uncooked pasta shells, water or beef broth and some salsa over the beef. Next, pressure cook it all for only 4 minutes. You can add a minute if you like your pasta softer.
After the pressure cooking is done, you stir it all up and add a little sour cream and cheese. The sour cream adds a creamier texture and a tangy flavor to the pasta, and it’s what we would normally add to our tacos. And of course, you have to have cheese!
I use a combo of cheddar and Monterey jack, or just Colby Jack. But, you could use all cheddar if you prefer.
Grating your own cheese works best since many packaged shredded cheese varieties contain cellulose to prevent caking. Some people find this makes melted cheese a little gritty, although I’ve used Kirkland’s shredded cheese without any problems.
Beef it Up
For extra beefy taco pasta, you can use 2 pounds of beef but keep the amount of pasta the same. You can add a little more taco seasoning for extra flavor if you want and maybe more sour cream and cheese if needed.
By the way, you can use frozen beef if you forget to thaw some out! Just cook a pound of frozen beef for 10 minutes or 2 pounds for about 20, and it should be thawed enough to crumble up.
If you want to make taco pasta with corn or canned black beans, go for it! Just throw them in before pressure cooking, and you’ll have a hearty, one pot meal!
Add Toppings
You can add as many of your favorite taco toppings over the pasta. Try:
- Homemade guacamole
- Spicy Pico de Gallo You can never have too many taco toppings, right?!
- Chopped jalapeño peppers
- Sliced radishes
- Diced tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Crushed corn chips or tortilla chips
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Instant Pot Taco Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or use taco seasoning instead of spices
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onions
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1-pound box medium pasta shells, uncooked
- 4 cups water or beef broth
- 1 ½ cups chunky tomato salsa
- ¼ cup sour cream use 1/2 cup for extra creaminess
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
Instructions
- Hit SAUTE on the Instant Pot, and when it reads hot, add the olive oil. When it reads hot again, add the ground beef, and break up meat with a flat spatula
- When meat is no longer pink, add the sea salt, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onions and pepper, and stir until well coated.
- Hit CANCEL, then add the pasta shells, water and salsa. Do not stir. Cover, then turn valve to sealing position
- Hit PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes, and when pot beeps, hit CANCEL, and do a gradual quick release
- When pin drops, carefully remove lid, and gently stir pasta. Stir in sour cream and cheeses until well combined and serve immediately
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for more Instant Pot ground beef recipes?
- Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef
- Easy Instant Pot Hamburgers
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Instant Pot Mom’s Best Chili
If you like this recipe as much as we do, leave a comment or give me a shout-out on social media! Sign up to receive weekly recipes by email!
Recipe was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2020
My family loved this easy Instant Pot creamy taco pasta. I hope you enjoy this easy dinner as much as we do!
James says
Made this for dinner last night. Yummy! Was hoping for leftovers but the kids ate everything up! This is going to be a new family favorite.
Jim M says
Dee:
Second time making this. Rock solid and tastes great! So easy! Thanks for sharing!
Dee says
You made my day! Thanks so much for the compliment!
Jim Morales says
And now making it time #3! So good!
Thanks again Dee!
Dee says
That’s awesome, Jim! Thank you so much!
Annie says
Don’t have shells can I sub another type of pasta?
Annie says
or can I use chickpea pasta – I have that in shells!
Dee says
I’ve never used that, so I can’t say for sure, but I think I’ve heard people say you just cook it for half the time recommended on the box.
Dee says
You can use another pasta — just cook it for half the time it says on the box. I’ve used penne before, and 4 to 5 minutes works.
LINDA says
Can this recipe be made as is in a 6 quart IP Duo?
Dee says
Yes! You can make it in the 6 quart without changing anything.
Stacy Rolph says
This stays in rotation for my hard to please family. I can almost make it without looking at the recipe. Thank you!
Dee says
That’s so good to know, Stacy! Thank you so much!
Betty Schneider says
I have a 3 quart Instant Pot. How do I modify this receipe for that size of Instant Pot?
Dee says
I’m not that familiar with the 3 quart, but I’m guessing you’ll need to cut the recipe in half to fit and keep the same cook time.
KricketK says
Hi Dee!
I know it says 10 servings are 189 calories. What size servings are they? Is it for 1 cup, 1/2, etc?
Kricket
Dee says
Serving size is roughly a cup.
Haley says
Our family loves this delicious Instant Pot Taco Pasta! It’s super easy to prepare when we are on the go with soccer nights. While it cooks I prepare my fresh salsa and guacamole. Delish and 5 stars in our home.
Dee says
Thank you so much, Haley! You made my day! š
Patty says
Do you have any idea how much sodium is in this recipe? My husband is in heart failure and I have him on low sodium diet, I know I can modify this.
Thanks
Dee says
Hi Patty. I just updated the nutrition info, but you might want to use your own program to verify.
Michelle says
Hi, I’m going to try this tonight but am confused as to what “gradual quick release” means. When I google it I either get natural or quick release. Thank you!
Dee says
Gradual release just means you do a quick release but use then end of a spoon to control the venting knob if liquid starts spraying out. It might not be necessary, but it just helps keep your kitchen clean. š
Laura says
Great flavor! Thanks for the recipe!
Dee says
You’re welcome, Laura! I’m glad you liked it! š
Sheila says
I would like to double this recipe. Should I also double the liquid ( water)
Dee says
Yes, double the water so that it covers the pasta, but keep the cook time the same. š
Shasta says
Received an instant pot for Christmas and was super excited to try this receipe. It did not disappoint everyone enjoyed. Thank you!
Dee says
That’s wonderful! Thanks for letting me know — enjoy your new Instant Pot! š
Kathie says
We tried it today for lunch, first time I had tried pasta in my Instant Pot. It was really good and so easy! Thanks for the great recipe!
Dee says
So happy to hear this! Thanks for letting me know. š
Cassandra says
REALLY tasty and insanely quick. Great recipe!!
Dee says
Thank you so much, Cassandra. Glad you liked it! š
Leigh Ann says
This was AMAZING!!! I wouldnāt have changed a thing about this recipe! The meat and the pasta were perfectly tender and the smoked paprika really made it! Thanks for recipe that I will be making again.
Dee says
Thanks, Leigh Ann. So happy that you enjoyed this!
Angie says
My second meal out of my new Instant Pot. So yummy. I did have to cook on saute for another 3 minutes as the pasta was a bit too hard. I added parmesan and a chunk of cream cheese as I had no sour cream. Topped with sprinkle of dried hot chili peppers. Was so good!
Dee says
So glad you liked it, Angie. Thanks! š
Nancy says
Absolutely wonderful and so easy! I used Hot salsa and topped it with chopped avocado and green onions. This will be a family favorite.
Dee says
Thank you so much, Nancy. So happy you liked it! š
Regina says
I fixed it according to the recipe. It was tasty, but next time I’ll use pepper jack cheese or add Chipotle in Adobo since we like a bit more spice. We’ll make this again
Nicole says
What fat/lean % of hamburger do you use? I was just curious about the grease thatās left in the pan after cooking.
Dee says
I try to get as lean as possible — usually 90% lean. If necessary, I just try to remove the extra grease before pressure cooking.
Rob says
I made this recipe using Borilla Gluten Free elbow macaroni and it was delicious. The pasta was cooked perfectly. Sometimes when cooking Gf pasta it turns to mush, not this time. Thank you for sharing.
Dee says
That’s wonderful, Rob. Some people have asked about using GF pasta, so thanks so much for sharing the info with me!
Ally Callanan says
Any ideas on what to substitute instead of salsa? Or can I just eliminate all together? Picky eaters, here š
Dee says
You could use a can of diced tomatoes if you want to keep the spice level down. Or, you could omit it and let people add salsa later. The idea is to make a taco-flavored pasta, so go with whatever works for your family. š
Shannon says
Have you ever halved the pasta by chance? Would you just use half the water as well? It looks so good, but a pound of pasta means we have leftovers for days. š
Dee says
We have a big family, so I’ve never halved the pasta, but you definitely can. Just use enough liquid to cover the pasta — 2 cups should be fine. š
Diane says
Super yummy, loves by my 11yo twin boys!
Dee says
That’s wonderful, Diane! So glad your family liked it! š
Lynn says
Iāve never used Gluten Free pasta in my instant pot.
Unfortunately thatās how I have to eat now. Has anyone used it???
This recipe sounds so good!
Dee says
I haven’t used gluten free pasta in the Instant Pot, but I’ve heard people say that Barilla brand works well.
Angela says
I know this was posted awhile back now, but my son has celiac disease, so we use all GF pasta. I’ve had success with Barilla, but we really like Tinkyada. In my experience it gets less mushy than other brands we’ve tried.
Mindy says
I used a brown rice & cauli pasta and it turned out great!
Patricia Abram says
This is so wonderful! Will make again and again!
Thank you!
Dee says
Thanks, Patricia! It’s one of our favorites, too! š
Liz says
About how long will it take for my instapot to come up to pressure?
Dee says
It really depends on what size Instant Pot you have, but usually it’s around 10 minutes. My 6-quart pressurizes faster than my 8-quart.
Nikki says
I want to make this really soon, I just got a 6 quart instant pot. Would the liquid ratio be the same? Thanks.
Dee says
Yes, the amounts stay the same for both the 6 and 8 quart. š
Jennifer says
What does a gradual quick release mean? I am pretty new with the instapot.āŗ
Dee says
Instead of turning the release valve all the way, use kitchen tongs or a wooden spoon to turn it in short bursts. Sometimes, the pasta water sprays when you do a quick release and makes a mess, so a gradual release helps with that. š
Leah says
If I was going to use 3 lbs of ground beef to make this for a party how would you increase the other ingredients? If I did everything times 3 I think the liquid would overpower it.
Dee says
Right now, there is more pasta than beef, so I don’t know if you want to triple everything. I think I would try adding maybe a box and a half of pasta and add enough water to cover the pasta. You can always add more salsa and cheese at the end. Let me know how it goes. š
Carolyn says
Making this tonight. Sounds delish.
Dee says
It’s one of our favorite dinners. Let me know how you like it! š
Tanya says
What if I have no crock pot or instant pot?
Dee says
I have a one pot version you can make on the stove linked in the post. š
Destiny says
Do you think you could do this in a crockpot?
Dee says
Yes you could, but you would need to brown the meat first and then add it with the pasta.
Tracy Haney says
Suppose I could use macaroni noodles?
Dee says
Yes — Macaroni would be fine here. š
Sandra | A Dash of Sanity says
I will definitely eat this for dinner any night of the week!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This needs to happen at my house very soon!!
Allyson Zea says
Do you think this would still be good without the meat?
Dee says
Definitely — more like a kicked-up mac and cheese!
Anna says
IP pasta is my favorite! This taco version is going to be a hit here!
Dee says
My family loved it, Anna. It’s super kid friendly!
Abeer says
Omgosh! I am so trying this!
Kimberly says
Such great comfort food, yummy!
Dorothy at Shockinglydelish says
My Instant Pot has been a weeknight dinner game changer! My family will love this!