Cheesy Instant Pot Taco Pasta

Instant Pot Taco Pasta is creamy, hearty and extra cheesy, easily made in the Instant Pot without pre-cooking the pasta. Serve it with you favorite toppings.

Instant Pot Pasta recipes are a staple around here. Among our most popular Instant Pot pasta dishes are  Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta, Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Pasta and the cheesy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni.

Cheesy Instant Pot Taco Pasta

Instant Pot Taco Pasta is one of those amazing dinners that once you try it will quickly become a favorite. After I made this for my husband, he asked me to add it to our rotation menu. The recipe is so delightfully easy, you add all the ingredients to the pot and cook them together. You read that right, you don’t have to pre-cook the pasta. The Instant Pot Taco Pasta recipe also requires minimum prep work. A delicious combination beef cooked with chunky and spicy salsa, taco seasoning, pasta and lots of cheese.

The pasta shells end up covered in the most amazing, cheesy sauce, you will basically lick your plate clean. Serve this amazing meal with your favorite toppings, I love mine with lots of sour cream, avocado, salsa and fresh cilantro. You can also add crushed tortilla chips and some chopped fresh jalapenos for a spicy kick.

Tips & Tricks on how to make the perfect Instant Pot Taco Pasta Recipe:

• I always say this, but a good meat centered meal starts with quality meat, preferably use organic beef for this meal.
• Look for fresh meat, that has a bright color, and that has a 15-20% fat content to get great flavor and tenderness.
• Browning the beef is essential, it will lock in the flavor and the beef juices and also elevate the meat flavor.
• You don’t have to pre-cook the pasta for this recipe, you add the uncooked pasta to the pot and 5 minutes on HP will give you al-dente pasta, and 6 minutes will result in more well cooked pasta.
• This dish can be made with any ground meat: chicken, turkey or pork, the cooking time will still be the same if you use the same amount of ingredients.
• Red pepper flakes can be added for the dish to be spicier and well as freshly chopped jalapeño peppers.
• I added cheddar cheese, you can also use a Mexican blend cheese mix.
• You can use your favorite salsa in this recipe. I like to use medium chunky salsa as it adds more texture and a spicy kick.
• Serve the delicious meal topped with your favorite toppings.

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How long do you cook pasta in the Instant Pot?

Pasta is cooked in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, usually between 4-6 minutes, depending on the recipe and type of pasta. Most of the time followed by a Quick Pressure Release.

Tools/ingredients that I used to make the Best Instant Pot Taco Pasta Recipe:

• Instant Pot – I use it all the time, I have the 6 quarts one. It makes weeknight meals so much easier.

Here is a step-by-step video of how to make the Instant Pot Taco Pasta Recipe:

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5 from 2 votes

Servings: 6 servings

Instant Pot Taco Pasta

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

30 mins

Instant Pot Taco Pasta is creamy, hearty and extra cheesy, easily made in the Instant Pot without pre-cooking the pasta. Serve it with you favorite toppings.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 tablespoon Taco seasoning depends how you like it
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 cup chunky salsa medium spice
• 2 cups beef broth
• 8 oz shell pasta I used medium shells
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese

Instructions

1. Set Instant Pot to Saute.
2. Once the IP is hot add the oil and wait for it to start simmering.
3. Add the ground beef, let it cook without moving for about 1 minute, to get a nice sear on it. After that, break it up using a wooden spoon as it cooks.
4. Once the ground beef has browned, add chopped onion and minced garlic, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add Worcestershire sauce, taco seasoning and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the salsa and stir, add beef broth and stir to combine. Scraping the bottom of the pot to remove any bits that stuck to it to avoid burning.
7. Add pasta and stir to combine.
8. Cover and seal the lid. Make sure the valve points to Sealed. Change setting to manual and adjust time to 5 minutes on High Pressure.
9. Once Instant Pot beeps to show that it's done, do a quick release, by changing the position of the valve to Vent. Carefully remove cover and stir.
10. Turn off the Instant Pot.
11. Top with shredded cheese, put the lid back on but don't seal. Allow a minute or two for cheese to start to melt. Stir to combine.
12. Serve with favorite toppings: sour cream, fresh salsa, jalapeños, avocado and fresh cilantro.

Calories: 524, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 1097mg, Potassium: 511mg, Carbohydrates: 43g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Protein: 21g, Vitamin A: 6.9%, Vitamin C: 3.8%, Calcium: 7.6%, Iron: 16.7%

Author: Catalina Castravet

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

All images and text © for Peas and Peonies, LLC.

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