Cheesy Instant Pot Taco Pasta Easy Dinner Recipe

If you love tacos and you love hamburger helper, then you’re going to love this! This will remind you of the hamburger helper that you used to eat as a child, but it’s even better than that! It’s so flavorful, cheesy, and creamy. Real comfort food served in a bowl! I love it when the entire dinner is made in the instant pot! Try my Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta, or Instant Pot Chicken Pad Thai.

The Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy taco pasta: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Ground meat – beef, turkey, chicken, or pork. I used lean beef for this recipe, but you can use whatever you like.Onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper.Taco seasoning – I always make my own homemade taco seasoning, it’s much cheaper, healthier, and tastes better than store-bought. You can also use fajita seasoning here if you like.Tomato sauce and mild salsa – I like to use a combination of both, but if you only have one of these, then that works too.Stock – use beef, chicken, or vegetable stock or broth or even water.Heavy cream and cheese – I used mild cheddar, but you can use a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella, Monetary Jack, sharp cheddar, etc.Cilantro leaves – fresh and chopped for garnish.

Looking for more satisfying recipes using ground beef? Try my Beef Meatballs, or Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole!

How to Make Instant Pot Taco Pasta

It’s so simple, here’s what you need to do (scroll down for a detailed recipe card):

Saute the beef and aromatics.Add tomato sauce, salsa, and seasoning followed by the stock.Add the pasta on top of everything, and make sure it’s all covered in liquid.Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes + quick release.Stir in cream and cheese!

Top Tips

I don’t add any oil when I saute the ground beef, it sticks to the bottom at the first minute but once it releases its liquids/fats, I scrape off anything that’s stuck to the bottom of the pot. This is important not to get a BURN message (or just use a little bit of oil!).The pasta needs to be fully covered in liquid, with a spatula just push it down a little. I like to keep the ground meat at the bottom so that the pasta sits on top and doesn’t stick to the pot.I like my pasta al dente, so I cook it for 4 minutes. If you want softer pasta, then pressure cook for 5 minutes as I did for my Instant Pot chicken mac and cheese.When you remove the lid after pressure cooking, you may think that you ended up with too much liquid, but once you mix in the cream and cheese you will get the right consistency. Also, keep in mind when it cools down a little, it will thicken up even more.Heavy cream can be substituted with sour cream or plain yogurt.Buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself, it tastes and melts much better than the pre-shredded stuff.

Storing Tips

To store – store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.To freeze – freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months (preferably in individual portions). Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.To reheat – reheat over the stovetop on medium heat until it’s warmed through, or in the microwave. Add a splash of water to loosen the sauce before reheating.