Easy Cheesy Crockpot Taco Pasta

​Crockpot Taco Pasta is a comforting, family-friendly dinner that practically cooks itself in a slow cooker. Packed with bold taco flavors, tender medium shell pasta, seasoned ground beef, and plenty of melty cheese – this cheesy pasta dish is the perfect mash-up of Tex-Mex and classic comfort food the whole family will love. 

For more delicious twists to traditional taco recipes – try these other family favorites such as Cheesy Taco Soup, Taco Potatoes, and Sheet Pan Taco Pizza.

Slow Cooker Taco Pasta Recipe (Cheesy Taco Pasta)

This crockpot cheesy taco pasta is everything you want in a weeknight meal – easy, hearty, and packed with flavor. Cook up the ground beef in a skillet and then everything gets added into the slow cooker – even the uncooked pasta cooks right in the crockpot! An easy, effortless slow cooker dinner win, and a great way to switch up taco night 🌮❤︎

This is great for busy weeknights because it does really well on the warm setting, just make sure to give it a good stir before serving after it has sat. My kids love to scoop up the taco pasta with tortilla chips! 

How To Make Crock Pot Taco Pasta

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef until its no longer pink. Drain the excess grease from the skillet. 

Add the cooked ground beef, taco seasoning, and minced garlic to the crockpot and stir well. 

Add in the diced red bell pepper, pinto beans, Mexican-style corn, salsa, beef broth, salt & pepper. Stir until everything is well combined. 

Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook on LOW heat for 3 hours. 

After 3 hours, stir in the uncooked pasta, making sure all the shells are fully submerged in the liquid. Cover and continue cooking on LOW heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the pasta is tender or soft to your liking. 

Stir in the cubed Velveeta cheese and shredded cheddar cheese until the cheese melts into the pasta creating a creamy taco-style sauce. About 5 minutes.

Scoop into bowls and serve warm. Enjoy!

Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen

• The pasta should be tender, of soft to your liking, before you stir in the cheese. Once the cheese is stirred it’s time to serve it, so there is not additional cook time. My family prefers the pasta softer so I cook it closer to 25 minutes. If your crockpot runs hot, or you know you want the pasta more al dente, I suggest checking the pasta at the 18 minute mark to ensure it’s not overcooking. The longer the pasta cooks – the softer and possibly mushier it will become, so watch it closely. 
• I don’t recommend substituting the Velveeta cheese with shredded cheese. Velveeta is the only thing that will give you that creamy, cheesy, and smooth taco style sauce. 
• If the pasta thickens too much after sitting (like if its on the warm setting or sits there for a bit before dinnertime) stir in a splash of beef broth or milk to loosen the sauce before serving. 
• The taco pasta will thicken up once the is off and the cheese is stirred in. If you want it thicker, leave the lid off for several minutes before serving it. If you want it thinner for serving, then stir in a splash of broth or milk. When you add the cheese the taco pasta will look really liquid-y but don’t worry, as you stir in the cheese and keep the lid of the crockpot it will thicken up into a creamy sauce.
• Black beans can used instead of pinto beans.
• If you can’t find the Mexican-style corn or southwestern-style corn, just use a can of sweet yellow or white corn instead. Mexican-style corn comes in a smaller can so you may need to buy 2 cans to equal 15 ounces. I use a 15.25 ounce of southwestern-style corn; but they are both basically the same thing. 
• It’s easy to make this dish as spicy as your family wants – use hot or medium salsa, use spicy taco seasoning packet, use shredded Pepper Jack cheese, and you could even add in a can of jalapeños or diced green chilies if wanted. Or choose spicier toppings for serving such as hot sauce, sliced fresh jalapenos, etc.
• Once you add the cubed cheese and shredded cheese, give everything a good stir for at least 3-4 minutes so that cheese can melt into the pasta mixture and create a smooth and creamy sauce.  

Substitutions & Ingredient Notes

• Ground Beef : Ground turkey or ground chicken is another option.
• Red Bell Pepper : Any sweet bell pepper will work such as orange or yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper can be used but it’s not as sweet.
• Taco Seasoning : I use a packet of mild taco seasoning but use your favorite; such as hot & spicy, cheesy, regular taco seasoning, or reduced-sodium taco seasoning. 
• Pinto Beans : Black beans are another option.
• Southwestern-Style Corn : This is canned sweet corn with bell peppers mixed in and it has a mild spice. Use a can of regular sweet corn for no spice if wanted. I love the southwestern-style corn and it’s not too spicy for my kids at all – it has a mild spice from the peppers. Sometimes it’s also labeled as Mexican-style corn but the can is smaller so you will need two cans of it. Either one works as they are very similar. 
• Salsa : Use your favorite salsa here! Spicy, medium, mild, black bean salsa, whatever you love. 
• Beef Broth : I suggest using the full salt beef broth but reduced-sodium can be used if that’s what you prefer. I love the flavor of beef bone broth, but other options are beef stock, beef broth, or water + beef bouillon. 
• Medium Pasta Shells : Stick with pasta that is a similar size such as rotini, penne, or ziti pasta. I think the medium shells are the best to use because the cheesy taco sauce nestles into the shell and holds everything nicely. 
• Velveeta : Unfortunately no substitutes for this one! Velveeta cheese is the ONLY way you will get that creamy, silky smooth cheese sauce – there are other variations of Velveeta cheese such as reduced-fat and queso blanco which is spicier. 
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese : Use your favorite cheese! Any flavor variety of shredded cheese works.

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes For A Tasty Dinner

• Slow Cooker Creamy Fiesta Chicken
• Slow Cooker Sweet Garlic Chicken
• Slow Cooker Cowboy Casserole Recipe
• Slow Cooker Mississippi Steak Bites
• Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken
• Slow Cooker Cheesy Enchilada Meatballs
• Crock Pot Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops
• Crockpot Chicken Mexican Haystacks
• Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu (Easy Slow Cooker Recipe)