The Daily Plate

Crockpot Taco Pasta

When the day runs you over, this is the dinner that runs itself. Brown the beef, dump everything into the slow cooker, and walk away — hours later you've got taco-spiced beef, salsa, and perfectly tender pasta in one cheesy, scoopable pot. Kids demolish it, adults ask for seconds, and the slow cooker does nearly all the work.

Bowl of creamy crockpot taco pasta with seasoned ground beef, melted cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro
Prep time15 min
Cook time4 hrs
Total4 hrs 15 min
Yield6 servings
CuisineAmerican
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🧺Ingredients

  • 1½ lbs ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning (1 packet)
  • 1 (16 oz) jar salsa
  • 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 12 oz short pasta (rotini or penne), uncooked
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese, divided
  • Sour cream and chopped cilantro, for serving

👩‍🍳Instructions

  1. Brown the beef. Cook the ground beef with the diced onion in a skillet over medium-high heat for 6–7 minutes, breaking it up. Drain off the fat. (This one quick step keeps the texture from going greasy.)
  2. Load the slow cooker. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker. Add the taco seasoning, salsa, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and beef broth; stir to combine.
  3. Let it cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours (or on HIGH for 1½–2 hours).
  4. Add the pasta. Stir in the uncooked pasta. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30–45 minutes, stirring halfway through so nothing sticks, until the pasta is tender.
  5. Make it cheesy. Turn off the heat. Stir in 1½ cups of the cheese until melted, then scatter the remaining cheese on top and cover for 5 minutes to melt.
  6. Serve. Scoop into bowls and finish with sour cream and chopped cilantro.

💡 Slow cooker pasta tips

Timing is everything with the pasta: add it only in the last 30–45 minutes or it will go mushy. Every slow cooker runs a little different, so check at 30 minutes. Swap in ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version. Leftovers reheat beautifully and keep 4 days in the fridge.

Cheesy taco pasta with ground beef, sour cream, and cilantro
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