Mexican Stuffed Shells Recipe

overhead shot of Taco Stuffed Shells with spoon in a baking dish

5 from 4 votes

Put a Mexican twist on your pasta with this taco stuffed shells recipe which takes tender noodles and packs them full of all the tasty flavors of seasoned tacos.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Taco Stuffed Shells Recipe

Servings: jumbo shells

Calories: 178kcal

Ingredients

24 jumbo shells, cooked according to package directions
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup finely diced sweet yellow onion
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
2 ounces mild taco seasoning
¾ cup water
16 ounces mild salsa, (your favorite brand)
2½ cups shredded Colby jack cheese
Taco sauce, optional garnish

Instructions

Cook your pasta shells per the package directoins and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
Add the ground beef, onion and garlic to a 3 to 4 quart saucepan. Cook uncovered, over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the ground beef is browned and not longer pink. If there is an excess of grease, drain it off.
Lower the heat to medium-low, add the taco seasoning packets, water and the container of salsa. Stir until well combined. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
Carefully spoon 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture into the cooked shells and place in the prepared baking dish. Line the filled shells 5 across and 4 down. You will have a couple of extra empty shells leftover.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and evenly sprinkle the shredded cheese over the stuffed shells. Return the pan, uncovered, to the oven and continue to bake for 10 minutes. Allow the pan to rest for 5 minutes before garnishing with the taco sauce before serving.

Notes

You can stuff these easy taco stuffed shells the night before you are ready to serve them.
Make sure to break up the beef into small pieces so that you don’t have any large chunks in your filling.
Use a pastry bag without a tip or a Ziploc bag with the end cut off to fill your stuffed shells easily.

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