Instant Pot Creamy Taco Pasta is a quick and easy ground beef dinner recipe that you can make in the pressure cooker in less than 30 minutes. This delicious one dish meal is loaded with cheese, salsa, shells and beef and is perfect for busy days!
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 like homemade Hamburger Helper, and it’s super kid friendly. And since it’s a one pot dinner, 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.
I’ve been trying to go through as many of my one pot dinner recipes and possible and convert them to pressure cooker recipes. 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.
How to make Instant Pot Creamy Taco Pasta
I love making pasta in the Instant Pot. The texture is always perfect, and you never have to worry about the pot boiling over or carrying a heavy pot of boiling water over to the sink!
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 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 and some salsa over the beef and 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 used a combo of cheddar and monterey jack, but you could use all cheddar or whatever you want!
You can also add as many of your favorite taco toppings over the pasta. I used extra cheese, sour cream, radishes, tomatoes, sliced peppers and some cilantro.
I also set out some homemade guacamole and extra salsa. You can never have too many taco toppings, right?!
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
Recipe for Instant Pot Creamy Taco Pasta
Instant Pot Creamy Taco Pasta
Instant Pot creamy taco pasta is an easy ground beef dinner that's loaded with shells, beef, cheese and salsa and takes less than 30 minutes to make in the pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onions
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1-pound box medium pasta shells, uncooked
- 4 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups chunky tomato salsa
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 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
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe was made in 8-quart Instant Pot with Barilla pasta and On the Border mild chunky salsa.
Can substitute 1 packet of taco seasoning for the spices
My family loved this easy Instant Pot creamy taco pasta. I hope you enjoy this easy dinner as much as we do!
My Instant Pot has been a weeknight dinner game changer! My family will love this!
Such great comfort food, yummy!
Omgosh! I am so trying this!
IP pasta is my favorite! This taco version is going to be a hit here!
My family loved it, Anna. It’s super kid friendly!
Do you think this would still be good without the meat?
Definitely — more like a kicked-up mac and cheese!
This needs to happen at my house very soon!!
I will definitely eat this for dinner any night of the week!
Suppose I could use macaroni noodles?
Yes — Macaroni would be fine here. 🙂
Do you think you could do this in a crockpot?
Yes you could, but you would need to brown the meat first and then add it with the pasta.
What if I have no crock pot or instant pot?
I have a one pot version you can make on the stove linked in the post. 🙂
Making this tonight. Sounds delish.
It’s one of our favorite dinners. Let me know how you like it! 🙂
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.
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. 🙂
What does a gradual quick release mean? I am pretty new with the instapot.☺
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. 🙂
I want to make this really soon, I just got a 6 quart instant pot. Would the liquid ratio be the same? Thanks.
Yes, the amounts stay the same for both the 6 and 8 quart. 🙂
About how long will it take for my instapot to come up to pressure?
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.
This is so wonderful! Will make again and again!
Thank you!
Thanks, Patricia! It’s one of our favorites, too! 🙂
I’ve never used Gluten Free pasta in my instant pot.
Unfortunately that’s how I have to eat now. Has anyone used it???
This recipe sounds so good!
I haven’t used gluten free pasta in the Instant Pot, but I’ve heard people say that Barilla brand works well.
Super yummy, loves by my 11yo twin boys!
That’s wonderful, Diane! So glad your family liked it! 🙂
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. 🙂
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. 🙂
Any ideas on what to substitute instead of salsa? Or can I just eliminate all together? Picky eaters, here 😉
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. 🙂
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.
That’s wonderful, Rob. Some people have asked about using GF pasta, so thanks so much for sharing the info with me!