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This Mexican Spaghetti is a one-pot Tex-Mex pasta, made with seasoned ground beef, tomatoes with green chiles, spaghetti, and cheddar cheese. Think taco night meets spaghetti night, with everything cooking together in one pot for an easy 30-minute dinner.
Looking for more creative spins on taco night? Try out Taco Casserole, Taco Soup, and Mexican Lasagna after enjoying this Mexican Spaghetti recipe.
Mexican Spaghetti at a Glance
- Yield: 4 generous main-dish servings or up to 6 smaller servings.
- One-Pot Dinner: The pasta cooks directly in the sauce, eliminating the need for a separate pot.
- Simple Ingredients: Pantry staples do most of the heavy lifting.
- Family-Friendly Flavor: Mild tomatoes with green chiles provide flavor without a lot of heat.
- What to Expect: Also called taco spaghetti, this Tex-Mex pasta combines taco meat, spaghetti, and a mildly spiced tomato sauce flavored with taco seasoning.
Kristen's Keys for One-Pot Mexican Spaghetti
A reader first introduced me to Mexican Spaghetti through a casserole his late wife used to make. I loved the idea, but wanted to eliminate cooking the pasta and taco meat separately before baking. After testing it as a one-pot meal, I nailed a recipe that delivers the same flavors with a lot less prep.
Here are the key things to keep in mind that will help ensure your pasta is perfectly cooked and well-seasoned.
- Blend the tomatoes. It creates a smooth, rich sauce that coats the noodles evenly and, as a bonus, eliminates tomato chunks for picky eaters.
- Use a roomy, heavy-bottomed pot. A wider pan can cause the liquid to evaporate too quickly, while a smaller pot does not give the spaghetti enough room to simmer evenly in the sauce.
- Start with less water upfront. Begin with 2½ cups of water, and add more as needed. As the spaghetti cooks, evaporation will vary depending on your pan and heat level.
- Simmer covered first, then uncover to thicken. Cooking covered allows the noodles to begin to soften before the liquid evaporates, while uncovering the pan allows the sauce to thicken and reduce, leaving you with a saucy rather than soupy finished dish.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
5-Star Reader Review
I have made Kristen's new recipe twice, and it is an absolute 5-star 🏆 winner. It's an easy recipe and the flavor is delightful. Your family will likely leave no leftovers for tomorrow night. Kristen has several great suggestions for toppings, but I make her Mexican Corn Salad and use it as a topping. Give this new recipe a try and you will be delighted with a great tasting dinner. -David
Notes on Ingredients
- Pasta: Regular dried spaghetti works best for the tested water ratio and cook time. Break the noodles in half so they fit into the pan and cook more evenly in the sauce.
- Ground Meat: I have made this with ground beef, ground turkey, and ground chicken, and all work equally well. I tend to opt for lean ground meat, but you can use a fattier option and simply drain off the excess grease before proceeding.
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (AKA Rotel tomatoes). I use a 10-ounce can of mild Rotel for tomato flavor plus mild chile flavor. Blending it first creates a smoother sauce; salsa (such as blender salsa) can be substituted for a similar consistency.
- Taco Seasoning: Store-bought or homemade taco seasoning.
- Tomato Sauce: Adds enough tomato base and moisture to create a sauce for the spaghetti to cook directly in.
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar, Colby, or Monterey Jack, shredded. Pro-tip: Grate the cheese yourself for the smoothest melt.
How to Make One-Pot Mexican Spaghetti
- Puree tomatoes. Place the diced tomatoes (or salsa) in a small food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set aside to use for the spaghetti.
- Brown meat. Add the ground beef (or turkey or chicken) and diced onion to the pan, and brown over medium-high heat, until cooked through, crumbling the meat into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Once fully cooked through, remove the pan from the heat and drain off any grease, if needed.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Add taco seasoning, pureed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water to the meat mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer spaghetti covered. Add the broken spaghetti, lower the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring periodically so the noodles cook evenly and do not stick together.
- Uncover and finish cooking. Remove the lid and continue simmering until the spaghetti is tender and the sauce has thickened. If the liquid evaporates before the noodles are tender, add water ¼ cup at a time.
- Add cheese. Once the pasta is tender, remove from heat and top with shredded cheese. Stir into the pasta, and cover briefly to let the pasta absorb any remaining liquid and allow the cheese to fully melt.
- Serve. This Mexican Spaghetti is fantastic as-is, but I rarely say no to toppings. Pile on your favorites, like sliced avocado, minced cilantro, sour cream, diced tomatoes, etc. Even toppings like black bean and corn salsa or street corn salad work surprisingly well.
Recipe Modifications
- Meatless: Omit the ground meat from the recipe. Begin the recipe by sautéing the onion in a bit of oil to soften. Then, add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and water, and bring to a boil. Stir 1-2 (15-oz) cans of drained and rinsed black beans or pinto beans into the spaghetti before adding cheese.
- Optional Additions: Stir in frozen corn kernels or canned beans (drained and rinsed) before topping with cheese. Add diced bell peppers or minced jalapeños to the beef mixture along with the onion.
Notes on Yield & Storage
- Note on Serving Size: My family of 4 adults demolished this pot of Mexican Spaghetti. But if you are feeding younger children or teens with smaller appetites, you are likely to get closer to 6 servings.
- Refrigerate Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in a heat-safe dish, covered with a damp paper towel to prevent drying out.
- Note on Freezing Leftovers: You can technically freeze Mexican spaghetti, but in my testing, the noodles become a bit mushy when defrosted and reheated. If you choose to freeze it, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and use within 1 month. Defrost in the fridge before reheating for best results.
More Easy One-Pot Dinner Recipes
When it comes to busy nights, I love turning to one-pan dinner recipes, like this Mexican Spaghetti. Below are a few more favorites.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Mexican Spaghetti
With perfectly seasoned taco meat, tender noodles, and melty cheese, this One-Pot Mexican Spaghetti is a flavor-packed recipe that comes together with minimal effort.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef, or ground turkey or chicken
- 1 small white or yellow onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 ½ cups water, + more as needed
- 8 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated by hand
- chopped cilantro, sour cream, avocado, tomato, green onion, jalapeño peppers, black olives, etc., for serving
Instructions
- Begin this recipe by blending the diced tomatoes with green chiles in a small food processor fitted with an s-blade or a small blender. Set to the side.
- Heat oil in a 6-quart heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stock pan. Once heated, add the ground meat of choice, along with the minced onion. Saute the mixture, breaking the meat up into bite-sized pieces, until fully browned and cooked through. Drain off any grease if needed.
- Return the pan to the heat, add in the taco seasoning, blended tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 2 ½ cups of water. Stir together and then bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the broken spaghetti noodles to the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Uncover the pan, and continue to simmer for 3-6 minutes, stirring often until the pasta is al dente. If you feel the liquid is evaporating too quickly, add up to an additional ¼ cup of water at a time, as needed. I find I typically need 3 cups of water.
- Once the noodles are tender, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheddar. Cover again and let sit for 3-5 minutes to allow the pasta to finish absorbing excess liquid and the cheese to melt.
- Serve garnished with cilantro, sliced avocado, or any desired toppings of choice.
Notes
Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies (Rotel tomatoes). Opt for mild to keep this dish family-friendly. Your favorite salsa would work as a substitute (I would still recommend blending the salsa, as you do the diced tomatoes).
Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, transfer to a heat-safe dish, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
Taco Seasoning: In place of a prepared blend, use: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon oregano, and ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 505kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 39gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 99mgSodium: 276mgPotassium: 582mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 408IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 235mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I have made Kristen’s new recipe twice and it is an absolute 5 star 🏆 winner. It’s an easy recipe and the flavor is delightful. Your family will likely leave no leftovers for tomorrow night. Kristen has several great suggestions for toppings but I make her Mexican Corn Salad and use it as a topping. Give this new recipe a try and you will be delighted with a great tasting dinner.
Thank you for sharing, David! I am so happy to hear this recipe is now a favorite and will be on repeat. And what a great idea topping it with the Street Corn Salad.