Crockpot Taco Spaghetti

close up shot of a bowl of taco spaghetti garnished with parsley

Crockpot taco spaghetti is a delightful fusion of Mexican and Italian flavors, offering flavorful ground beef, zesty taco seasoning, and tender spaghetti, all cooked to perfection in a crockpot.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 40

Total Time1 55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: Crockpot Taco Spaghetti Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 626kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
¾ cup yellow onion, diced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 ounces mild taco seasoning (two 1-ounce packets)
28 ounces Rotel mild diced tomatoes and green chilies, do not drain the juice (if you cannot find the 28 ounce can, use three 10-ounce cans)
12 ounces dry regular spaghetti noodles
2 cups beef broth
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, or your preferred variety
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish (divide 2 tablespoons for filling and 1 tablespoon)

Instructions

In a 4 to 5 quart saucepan, or large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground beef and diced onions until the beef is no longer pink and the onions are opaque. (This should take about 5 to 7 minutes)
Drain excess oil and remove the pan from heat.
Spoon the ground beef and onions into a 6 to 7 quart crockpot.
Stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, Rotel, taco seasoning, beef broth and 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro.
Cook on high for 1 hour 30 minutes.
When the crockpot has about 15 minutes left, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the entire package of spaghetti noodles. Cook according to the package directions, until the noodles are al dente. Drain well, and stir into the ground beef mixture. (You can rinse the noodles with cold water to stop the cooking process before adding to the crockpot)
Turn the heat off and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can add the dry spaghetti directly to the crockpot and cook for an additional 30 minutes, but the texture may become overly soft or mushy.
I do recommend using good quality noodles when making this dish that will hold up to the cooking process.

Nutrition