Overhead view of a skillet filled with cowboy spaghetti, melted cheese in the center, surrounded by saucy spaghetti noodles, ground beef, and diced tomatoes, garnished with green onions.

Cowboy spaghetti is a hearty, one-skillet pasta dish loaded with crispy bacon, ground beef, and a rich tomato-based sauce with just the right amount of spice. Quick to make and packed with bold flavors, it’s an easy dinner option that brings a smoky, cheesy twist to traditional spaghetti.

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Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Servings

Cowboy Spaghetti is what happens when chili crashes into pasta night—in the best possible way. This bold, cheesy mashup loads up on crispy bacon, ground beef, Rotel, fire-roasted tomatoes and a splash of hot sauce. It’s hearty, saucy, and downright irresistible. Pile it high, shower it with cheddar and green onion, and watch it disappear in record time.

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Cowboy Spaghetti Ingredients

cowboy spaghetti raw ingredients that are labeled

Ingredient Substitutions

Bacon – The bacon grease helps brown the beef for extra richness. If you prefer a leaner option, you can substitute turkey bacon, though it won’t have quite the same depth of flavor.
Ground Beef – Ground beef (85/15) keeps the sauce hearty without being greasy. You can swap it for ground turkey or ground pork.
Tomatoes – If you don’t want the smoky element, regular diced tomatoes work in place of fire-roasted tomatoes.
Cheddar Cheese – If you want extra spice, pepper jack cheese is a great alternative, or you can use Monterey jack for a milder option.
Pasta – While spaghetti noodles hold up well in the sauce, you can use penne, rotini, or even angel hair for a different texture..

Helpful Tips for Making This Cowboy Spaghetti Recipe

Drain Excess Grease – After browning the ground beef, drain excess grease so the sauce doesn’t turn out too oily. Leaving just a little behind helps keep the flavor.

spaghetti sauce being cooked in a skillet

Simmer the Sauce Long Enough – Let the tomato-based sauce cook for at least 15-20 minutes to thicken and allow the flavors to blend. Skipping this step can leave the sauce too thin.

spaghetti topped with cheese in a skillet

Stir in Cheese for Creaminess – Mixing shredded cheddar cheese directly into the sauce makes it rich and creamy. Adding the remaining cheese on top before serving gives the dish a melty, cheesy finish.

The sauce should be thick enough to coat the spaghetti noodles without being too runny. Simmering it for at least 15-20 minutes helps it reduce and develop flavor.

Serving Suggestions

A slice of garlic bread is perfect for scooping up every bit of that rich tomato-based sauce, while cornbread adds a little sweetness.

If you’re looking for something lighter to go with this cowboy pasta, a garden salad or Caesar salad are great options.

How To Store A Cowboy Pasta

MAKE AHEAD: The sauce can be made ahead and stored separately from the pasta. Cook the sauce, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. When ready to serve, reheat the sauce and toss it with freshly cooked spaghetti and cheddar cheese.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. For the best texture, let it cool completely before refrigerating.

IN THE FREEZER: For longer storage, freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.

REHEATING: To reheat on the stovetop, warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. In the microwave, heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through. If the sauce has thickened, add a splash of water.

Cowboy spaghetti is a hearty, no-fuss meal with smoky bacon, bold seasonings, and a rich tomato-based sauce that comes together in one skillet. It’s easy to make, packed with flavor, and perfect for a simple weeknight dinner or feeding a hungry crowd.

Cowboy Spaghetti

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

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Ingredients

½ pound bacon, cut into ½ inch diced pieces (yield approximately ¾ cup cooked bacon)
1 pound ground beef, 85%-15% fat content
1 cup yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
15 ounces tomato sauce
14.5 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies, Rotel original brand
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
½ pound spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained according to package directions
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (1 cup mixed into the sauce and ½ cup to garnish)
2 tablespoons finely sliced green onions, scallions

Instructions

To a large skillet, over medium heat, add the diced bacon and cook for 12-14 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon pieces to a paper towel lined plate. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the skillet and return the skillet to the stove top.
Turn the heat to the skillet up to medium-high and add the ground beef, diced yellow onion, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until no pink remains in the ground beef. If excess fat in the skillet, you will need to drain most of it before adding the remaining ingredients.
To the skillet of cooked ground beef, add the tomato sauce, fire roasted diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chilies, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Stir to combine.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti noodles in a large pot of boiling water, according to package directions, until al dente. This should take 9-11 minutes. Drain the noodles.
Add the drained noodles, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and bacon to the skillet of cowboy spaghetti sauce. Toss to fully combine all the ingredients.
Top the skillet of cowboy spaghetti with the remaining ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese and sliced green onions as garnish. You can cover the skillet with the lid for 1-2 minutes or just until the cheese melts if desired before serving.

Notes

The fire roasted diced tomatoes add a nice smoky flavor to the sauce for this cowboy pasta however, you can certainly substitute a can of plain diced tomatoes if desired.
If you prefer more heat, or spice, in your cowboy spaghetti sauce, you can substitute a can of the HOT Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies.
For additional heat, or spice, you can increase the amount of hot sauce added to the spaghetti sauce.
It is best to shred your cheddar cheese by hand, from an 8 ounce block, as I find that it melts much nicer than the bagged pre-shredded cheeses that contain added ingredients to prevent clumping.
You can substitute the shredded cheddar cheese for a cheddar-jack blend or pepper-jack cheese as both these options are smooth melting cheeses that will pair well with the other flavors of this cowboy pasta.

Nutrition

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