Description
Hearty crockpot taco spaghetti delivers Mexican-inspired comfort with minimal effort. Cheesy noodles and seasoned ground beef create a crowd-pleasing meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 8 oz (226 g) spaghetti, uncooked
- 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
- 1 can (10 oz / 280 g) diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
- 1 cup (240 ml) salsa
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Sour cream (optional)
- Diced avocado (optional)
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, then drain excess fat and incorporate taco seasoning thoroughly.
- Transfer seasoned beef to crockpot and pour in diced tomatoes, salsa, and beef broth, mixing ingredients evenly.
- Carefully snap spaghetti into halves and layer over the liquid mixture, gently pressing pasta beneath the surface without stirring.
- Cover and cook on high temperature for 2 hours or low temperature for 4 hours, occasionally rotating pasta to prevent clumping.
- When pasta reaches al dente consistency, sprinkle shredded cheese varieties across the surface and allow them to melt completely.
- Immediately transfer to serving dishes and customize with optional garnishes like fresh cilantro, creamy sour cream, or sliced avocado.
Notes
- Prevent pasta sticking by using a non-stick crockpot liner or generously spraying the pot with cooking spray before adding ingredients.
- Choose lean ground beef (90/10) to reduce excess grease and make the dish healthier without compromising flavor.
- For gluten-free adaptation, substitute regular spaghetti with gluten-free pasta varieties like chickpea or rice noodles to accommodate dietary restrictions.
- Enhance protein content by adding black beans or swapping ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based meat alternatives for versatile meal options.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 530 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg