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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Instant Pot Taco Pasta

    Published: Sep 27, 2021 · Modified: Jun 29, 2022 by Kelsey Smith

    173 shares
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    Instant Pot Taco Pasta is made with ground beef, black beans, corn, green chiles, and taco seasoning for Southwestern-inspired flavor.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Three bowls of taco pasta topped with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro leaves, and a wedge of lime.

    You can use your favorite taco seasoning (McCormick is a classic) or I included a homemade taco seasoning recipe in the Notes section of the recipe card using chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder.

    If you're looking for more easy Instant Pot recipes for the family, try my Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni, a Hamburger Helper copycat recipe.

    For more hamburger recipes, see these Instant Pot ground beef recipes.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitution Ideas
    • Equipment
    • Tips for a burn error
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Food safety
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    Do not be scared off by the (seemingly) long list of ingredients. Most of the items in this Instant Pot Taco Pasta recipe are canned or jarred pantry staples.

    Taco pasta ingredients grouped together: ground beef, taco seasoning, black beans, sweet golden corn, diced green chiles, tomato sauce, salsa, rotini, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and lime.
    Ingredients
    • ground beef
    • taco seasoning
    • black beans
    • sweet golden corn
    • diced green chiles
    • tomato sauce (NOT pasta sauce)
    • salsa
    • beef broth
    • rotini (see my notes below on alternative pasta shapes)
    • shredded cheddar
    • sour cream
    • lime
    • cilantro (optional)

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Using the saute setting on the Instant Pot, brown the ground beef. When the ground beef is done cooking, scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot liner to make sure there are no burned bits on the bottom. Drain fat if desired or leave for added flavor.

    Cooked ground beef in an Instant Pot liner.
    For reference, my ground beef was only 80% lean and I did not drain it.

    Cancel the saute setting. Add the taco seasoning, stirring to coat the ground beef.

    Cooked ground beef coated in seasoning in an Instant Pot liner.
    Coat with seasoning.

    Add the black beans, sweet golden corn, diced green chiles, beef broth, and tomato sauce, stirring together.

    Cooked ground beef, black beans, corn, green chiles, tomato sauce, salsa, and beef broth stirred together in an Instant Pot liner.
    Stir to combine.

    Add the rotini lightly submerging in the liquid but DO NOT stir. Stirring at this point can lead to a burn error. I have some helpful tips below on what to do in the event of a burn error. Layer the salsa on top of the pasta.

    Rotini lightly submerged in liquid in an pressure cooker liner.
    Lightly submerge pasta in liquid.

    Close the Instant Pot lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins. When the cooking time is complete, follow by a quick release.

    Cooked rotini after a quick release in the pressure cooker.
    Cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes followed by a quick release.

    Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and lime juice until the cheese is melted.

    Cooked rotini with cheese, sour cream, and lime mixed in.

    Optional: garnish with cilantro and serve with a dollop of sour cream, a fresh sprinkle of cheddar cheese, and a wedge of lime.

    Close up of Instant Pot Taco Pasta topped with sour cream, cilantro, and a lime wedge.
    Garnish with cilantro.

    Hint: I like to use a manual citrus squeezer to juice the limes.

    Substitution Ideas

    I tested this recipe multiple times before landing on this recipe. Here are a few notes on the substitutions I tried and my thoughts on each.

    • Ground beef - ground turkey works great in this recipe. I have also tested boneless, skinless chicken thighs (three thighs, diced), and it was great! Just saute like you would the ground beef.
    • Taco seasoning - you can replace taco seasoning with a homemade blend of taco spices (see my notes on the recipe card below)
    • Salsa - I tried this recipe with a can of diced tomatoes instead of salsa and it just did not have the same zing, ya know? I recommend sticking to the recipe on this one.
    • Broth - This works great with beef broth, bone broth, chicken broth or even water.
    • Pasta - I tried this with macaroni elbows, cellentani, and rotini, using the same cook time, and the recipe turned out great every single time.

    Additionally, this recipe calls for mild ingredients, but you can easily kick up the heat by using hot taco seasoning or hot/spicy salsa.

    Equipment

    I use an older version of the 6-quart Instant Pot duo for this recipe. This taco pasta recipe has not been tested on the stovetop.

    Close up of three bowls of taco pasta with a lime wedge and cilantro.
    Serve and enjoy.

    Tips for a burn error

    I have not encountered a burn error on this recipe, but it can happen when the pot gets overcrowded or when ingredients aren't added in the correct order.

    If your Instant Pot beeps and says "Burn," do a quick release and test your noodles. The beef is cooked before the rest of the ingredients are added, so the only real goal here is to cook that macaroni. There may be excess liquid in this case, which will thicken as the pasta cools.

    📖 Recipe

    Instant Pot Beef Taco Pasta topped with a dollop of sour cream and a lime wedge.
    Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Email Print

    Instant Pot Taco Pasta

    Instant Pot Taco Pasta is made with ground beef, black beans, corn, green chiles, and your favorite taco seasoning for Southwestern-inspired flavor.
    5 from 4 votes
    Recipe by: Kelsey Smith
    Prep time: 10 minutes
    Cook time: 15 minutes
    Total time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 8

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 1 packet taco seasoning*
    • 1 15.25 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
    • ½ 15.25 oz can sweet golden corn
    • 1 4 oz can diced green chiles mild
    • 3 cups beef broth
    • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
    • 16 oz rotini pasta uncooked
    • 1 16 oz jar salsa mild
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • 1 lime juiced
    • cilantro optional, to garnish

    Instructions
     

    • Using the saute setting on the Instant Pot, brown the ground beef. When the ground beef is done cooking, scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot liner to make sure there are no burned bits on the bottom. Drain fat if desired or leave in for added flavor.
    • Cancel the saute setting. Add the taco seasoning, stirring to coat the ground beef.
    • Add the black beans, sweet golden corn, diced green chiles, beef broth and tomato sauce, stirring together.
    • Add the rotini lightly submerging in the liquid but DO NOT stir. Layer salsa on top.
    • Close the Instant Pot lid and cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins. When the cooking time is complete, follow by a quick release.
    • Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and lime juice until the cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro (optional). See notes for more topping ideas.

    Notes

    *Homemade taco seasoning: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1-½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder
    Topping ideas include salsa, avocado, cilantro, and a lime wedge
    Nutrition was estimated using MyFitnessPal. 18g fat, 64g carbs, 27g protein

    Nutrition

    Calories: 523kcal
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: ground beef, Instant Pot
    Tried this recipe?Rate it to let me know how it was!

    Food safety

    When cooking with raw meat, remember a few important safety tips:

    • Cook ground beef to a minimum temperature of 160 °F and cook poultry to a minimum temperature of 165 °F.
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat.
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
    • Follow your pressure cooker's user manual.

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    Instant Pot Taco Pasta with Ground BeefInstant Pot Taco Pasta with Ground Beef

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    About Kelsey Smith

    I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working on college textbooks, you might find me here, sharing recipes, social media tutorials, and more.

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    1. C says

      June 28, 2022 at 11:48 pm

      you mentioned in the pictorial directions that you'll note below in case of burn notice. I am looking for that, since it's happening now lol.

      Reply
      • Kelsey Smith says

        June 29, 2022 at 10:24 am

        If your Instant Pot beeps and says "Burn," do a quick release and test your noodles. The beef is cooked before the rest of the ingredients are added, so the only real goal here is to cook that macaroni. There may be excess liquid in this case, which will thicken as the pasta cools.

        Reply
        • C says

          July 01, 2022 at 9:19 pm

          yes! mahalo!! was 'ono!

          Reply
    2. Christine says

      November 23, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      5 stars
      Family approved... this fast and easy recipe was delicious!!!!

      Reply
    3. Elizabeth Swoish says

      September 29, 2021 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Super delicious and perfect for these colder days! Highly recommend.

      Reply
    4. Bobbie says

      September 29, 2021 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      Love quick meals I can make in the Instant Pot! This is delicious

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Kelsey! I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working, you might find me here, sharing easy comfort food recipes.

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