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Instant Pot Taco Spaghetti is a delicious one-pot pasta meal. What we love about this recipe is that it is very tasty and done in under an hour. This pressure cooker Taco Spaghetti recipe is a perfect quick weeknight dinner recipe.
I show you step-by-step how to make Taco Spaghetti in the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Taco Spaghetti
I’m a big fan of recipes that seem like they should be one thing, but turn out to be something deliciously unexpected!
This recipe looks like an innocent spaghetti, but is really a spicy, cheesy, taco flavored pasta! Why not?!
I love the one-pot aspect of it, and not having to boil a separate pot of water for the noodles is pretty awesome!
What’s Great About This Taco Spaghetti Recipe
• It is a one-pot meal.
• Lots of flavor.
• Make it as spicy as you want.
• Ready in under an hour.
Making This Taco Spaghetti Recipe is Easy
Here are the steps to make this pressure cooker taco spaghetti recipe:
How Spicy is Taco Spaghetti?
This taco spaghetti is as spicy as the ingredients you choose to use in it.
What I mean is, if your taco seasoning is spicy, and you use a spicy version of the tomatoes and green chiles (The Ro*Tel® brand has different varieties), it will have a nice kick to it.
If you use plain diced tomatoes or the less spicy version of the tomatoes with green chiles, it will have much less of a kick.
It’s nice to be able to dial in your level of spiciness! You can add more spice by using some chopped jalapeños!
Which Cheese is Best for Taco Spaghetti?
- I like to use a mix of Mexican cheese blend and Mozzarella.
- You can omit the cheese if you don’t want any. It does add a creaminess to the sauce, but it’s not absolutely necessary (well, for ME it is, haha!).
- If you want to experiment with some other options, you can try cream cheese, or just a little heavy cream at the end.
Taco Seasoning Recipe
I use my own recipe for Easy Taco Seasoning. It has less salt and no weird ingredients. Feel free to use a store-bought taco seasoning packet, they are a great convenience.
Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Instant Pot Cajun Pasta
If you make this yummy pressure cooker Taco Spaghetti recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. I’d love to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Taco Spaghetti
Equipment
- 6 qt or 8 qt Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef (or ground turkey)
- 1 (1.25 oz) packet Taco Seasoning (or 3 Tablespoons homemade)
- 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (or beef broth, or water)
- 8 oz Spaghetti Noodles**, dry (broken in half)
- 1 (10 oz) can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles such as Ro*Tel® (or plain diced tomatoes for less spicy)
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- ¾ cup Mexican Cheese Blend, shredded
- ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (or use more of the Mexican blend)
Instructions
- Turn on the Sauté setting. When hot, add the oil.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn translucent.
- Add the ground beef or turkey, and cook, breaking up the meat, until no pink remains.
- Stir in the taco seasoning. Stir well.
- Pour in the broth or water. Stir.
- Add the spaghetti noodles, fanning them out in a random pattern (this helps prevent them sticking together). Do not stir.
- Pour the can of diced tomatoes and chiles evenly over the pasta, covering as much of it as you can. Do not stir.
- Add the tomato paste on the top. Do not stir.
- Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 7 minutes. High Pressure. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
- When the cook cycle has finished, immediately turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to Quick Release the steam/pressure. The pin in the lid will drop back down when all pressure is released.
- Let sit for 2 minutes, then open the lid.
- Stir the spaghetti well, breaking up any noodles that may have stuck together. Then let it sit for 2 or 3 more minutes while you get the cheese ready (Pasta recipes made in the Instant Pot benefit from sitting just a few minutes before adding cheese so they can absorb any leftover liquid and thicken up just a bit).
- Add the cheese, if using, and stir.
- When the cheese has melted, serve.
- Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, or with any of your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Resources to Make this Instant Pot Taco Spaghetti Recipe
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Pin This Instant Pot Taco Spaghetti Recipe
My wife found this recipe and since I do most of the cooking I would like to thank you for sharing this amazing meal. I found it super easy and quick to make. It is also one that none of my kids complain about unlike most others we have tried. I look forward to trying more recipes that you may have to offer.
I have made this recipe on the stove top. It is so good. I am going to try it in the instant pot. Thank your for sharing it. I am new to the instant pot cooking. So every bit of information is welcomed!
Would the recipe need to be adjusted for the instant pot mini 3qt. model?
Nope.
Can you double the recipe? I have the 6 Qt IP and we have a large family.
Yes, but keep the cook time the same.
very tasty very yummy. new family favorite . planing on making a double batch next time
This was quick and easy. The pasta was perfect. I did weigh it to make sure I had 8 oz of noodles. I didn’t have taco seasoning so I used the easy taco seasoning recipe. This is one meal I’ll make again.
OMG this was sooooo yummy and easy to make. I really wasn’t sure how I’d like it but it was super good and full of flavor. The pasta was cooked perfectly
Very tasty but 3 cups of liquid was way too much. This was more of a taco spaghetti soup. Think 2 cups, like most insta pot recipes, would have been perfect.
Interesting, it always comes out thick for me. The main reason it would come out soupy is not using the correct amount of pasta. It must be the full amount, weighing helps a lot. Also, most IP pasta recipes are as I do mine, 4 oz of pasta to 1 cup of thin liquid.
The recipe does not call for 3 cups of broth, it calls for 2 cups of broth. Reread the recipe. Good Luck.
Hi Sandy,
Delicious!! Made with Rotel tomatoes and your taco seasoning. Perfect amount of heat for me. I usually don’t like leftovers but ate this dish 3 days in a row.
We do not own a pressure cooker & during this time of pandemic, must make do with our slow cooker! Can this be made in a slow cooker please?
I haven’t tested it. You can make it on the stovetop.
Can you use gluten free noodles for this recipe?
I would think so. Since the meat is cooked, the pressure cook time is about cooking the noodles and bringing the sauce together. So look for GF pasta times. A general rule of thumb for regular pasta is to cook for half the time that the package directions say for boiling on the stove top.