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Tacos and pasta collide in this easy Instant Pot Taco Pasta! Made with inexpensive ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, this easy, cheesy, Tex-Mex pasta is sure to become a family favorite.
Looking for more easy all-in-one Instant Pot recipes? Don’t miss Instant Pot Hamburger Helper, Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff, and Instant Pot Ham and Cheese Pasta.
After many requests, I took my recipe for Taco Pasta which combines the flavors of classic beef tacos with perfectly cooked pasta, and converted it to an easy Instant Pot recipe!
And let me just say, I am SO happy you asked me to create this recipe, because it is a keeper! Boldy flavored with taco seasoning and salsa, and finished with cheese and sour cream, Instant Pot Taco Pasta is downright delicious.
Put this Instant Pot Taco Pasta on your menu STAT! It will quickly become an easy weeknight family-favorite dinner.
A Few Helpful Tips Before You Get Started
- Be Sure to Deglaze the Inner Pot. Any time you sauté ANYTHING in the Instant Pot, you want to add a bit of liquid and scrape up the browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot to prevent a burn notice.
- Use Exact Timing. Pressure cook the 3 minutes, allow pressure to release for exactly 5 minutes, then do a quick release of remaining pressure. This is key to perfectly cooked elbow noodles.
- Grate the Cheese Yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents, and will not melt as smoothly as freshly grated cheese.
- Make it Your Way. Feel free to add beans, corn, or follow my recipe modifications to make Instant Pot Taco Pasta dairy-free, vegetarian, or gluten-free.
How to Make Instant Pot Taco Pasta
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Brown Beef. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, add in a bit of oil, and let heat briefly. Once heated, add in the ground beef and fully brown the meat, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Once fully cooked, hit cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Deglaze Inner Pot. Add in a bit of broth and use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. This will prevent a burn notice and those little bits also add flavor to your final dish.
- Layer Ingredients. Add the remaining broth and seasonings to the inner pot and stir to combine. Add in the elbow noodles and gently push down the noodles into the liquid to submerge. Then top noodles with both the salsa and tomato sauce. You don’t want to stir the tomato sauce or salsa into the noodles, just leave it right on the top of the noodles–that will also help prevent a burn notice.
- Pressure Cook. Seal the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Let Pressure Release Naturally. Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for exactly 5 minutes. This will ensure your noodles are PERFECTLY cooked. After 5 minutes, you want to release the pressure by using a long wooden spoon, or a pot holder, and knock the vent knob from the sealed to the venting position. And stand back, so you don’t get burned.
- Add Cheese and Sour Cream. Open up the Instant Pot and add in the cheese and sour cream. Give everything a good stir to incorporate and then place the lid back on the Instant Pot, just to allow everything to warm through.
- Serve. Serve this cheesy Instant Pot taco pasta plain or top as you would tacos, with tomato, avocado, additional cheese, cilantro, olives, sour cream, etc.
Instant Pot Taco Pasta Video
Learn better watching someone cook? Join me in the video below and follow along with me as I make Instant Pot Taco Pasta.
Recipe Modifications
- Swap out Ground Beef: Use ground turkey or ground chicken in place of beef.
- Add Corn and/or Beans: Add up to 2 (15-ounce) cans of drained, rinsed beans and/or 2 cups defrosted corn kernels to the pasta along with sour cream and cheese.
- Make it Meatless: Omit the meat from this recipe and use vegetable broth in place of the beef broth. Layer the broth, water, taco seasoning, and noodles in the inner pot. Top with salsa and tomato sauce and pressure cook as directed. After the pressure has been released add 2 (15-ounce) cans of drained, rinsed beans along with the cheese and sour cream.
- Dairy-Free Modification: Simply omit the cheese and sour cream from the recipe, or use dairy-free alternatives. To add a creamy, rich element to the dish, I would suggest topping with guacamole or diced avocado.
- Gluten-Free Modification: Use Barilla gluten-free elbow noodles and ensure your taco seasoning and broth are gluten-free.
- Use Leftovers. If you happen to have leftover taco meat, use it in place of the browned meat and omit the taco seasoning from this recipe. You will save time making this recipe AND reinvent your leftovers into something delicious.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this dish due to the added sour cream. While safe to eat, the sour cream can separate once defrosted.
- Reheat: Place the leftovers into a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 1-minute intervals until warmed through, adding 1-2 tablespoons broth or water if needed to add moisture to the pasta.
More Favorite Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
If you tried this Instant Pot Taco Pasta, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below, letting everyone know how much you enjoyed this simple recipe.
Instant Pot Taco Pasta
Made with inexpensive ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, this easy, cheesy, Instant Pot Taco pasta is sure to become a family favorite.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 592kcal
Instructions
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Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, add 1 teaspoon of oil to the inner pot, and let heat briefly ~60 seconds. Once heated, add in one pound of ground beef and cook until fully browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once the meat is cooked, turn off the pressure cooker. If needed, remove the inner pot, drain off any fat from meat, and return the inner pot to the Instant Pot.
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Add in 2 cups of beef broth and scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add in 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning and stir to combine. Add 16 ounces of elbow noodles and gently push down into the liquid to submerge. Top with 1 cup salsa and 8 ounces tomato sauce.
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Place the lid on the Instant Pot. Set to cook on high pressure for 3 minutes by hitting manual/pressure cook and using +/- buttons to adjust until timer reads 3.
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Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for exactly 5 minutes. Then do a quick release of any remaining pressure, being sure to stand away from the vent knob when releasing pressure.
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Remove the lid and stir in 2 cups of cheese and ½ cup of sour cream. Place the lid back on the inner pot and let sit for 5 minutes to warm through.
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Serve with diced tomato, avocado, additional cheese, cilantro, and sour cream as desired.
Notes
Storage: Leftover taco pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may want to add a splash of water or broth to the pasta before reheating, as pasta can dry out as it sits.
Vegetarian Modification: Omit the meat from this recipe and use vegetable broth in place of the beef broth. Layer the broth, water, taco seasoning, and noodles in the inner pot. Top with salsa and tomato sauce and pressure cook as directed. After the pressure has been released add 2 (15-ounce) cans of rinsed and drained beans, along with the cheese and sour cream.
Dairy-Free Modification: Simply omit the cheese and sour cream from the recipe, or use dairy-free alternatives.
Gluten-Free Modification: Use Barilla gluten-free elbow noodles and ensure your taco seasoning and broth are gluten-free.
Nutrition
Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 731mg | Potassium: 884mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 890IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 336mg | Iron: 3mg
