Spaghetti Tacos
Crispy taco shells stuffed with saucy spaghetti, Spaghetti Tacos are a fun, kid-approved mash-up that’s quick to make and perfect for theme nights or sleepovers. Pile in pasta, add your favorite toppings, and serve immediately for an easy weeknight win.
Looking for ways to make dinner extra fun for the kids? Then you’ve gotta try spaghetti tacos! This super cool recipe was created from a kids show on Nickelodeon called iCarly. It brought lots of laughs and giggles when it was created, but I have come to find out it’s actually pretty darn tasty. Crispy taco shells loaded to the brim with yummy, meat sauce covered spaghetti and ooey gooey cheese, it’s the best of both worlds!
Once I had my kids try Taco Spaghetti — which, by the way, they LOVED — I just knew I needed to make spaghetti tacos, too. This recipe for spaghetti tacos is officially a new family favorite, even I love them too. They’re a fabulous weeknight meal since I can throw it together in just 30 minutes. Not to mention, the flavor is so tasty. You’re going to love learning how to make spaghetti tacos.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This spaghetti tacos recipe is super easy and quick. Perfect for a family dinner, especially on bust weeknights when you just need to get food on the table!
- Spaghetti tacos are fun and exciting! If you have little protestors around dinner time, try mixing it up with food that is extra special.
- If you’re on a budget, then you’ll love this spaghetti taco recipe. It’s affordable, easy and makes so much food.
Ingredients For Spaghetti Tacos
- Lean ground beef – Either use lean ground beef or another lean meat, like ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Spaghetti noodles – Your favorite spaghetti noodles at the grocery store are all you need to make these delicious spaghetti tacos.
- Mild taco seasoning – A store-bought packet of taco seasoning will work great — or even homemade taco seasoning. Choose your favorite!
- Shredded Mexican cheese – Feel free to use a different type of cheese if you want! Some shredded cheddar cheese or Colby jack would be tasty.
- Spaghetti sauce – Jarred spaghetti sauce and homemade spaghetti sauce both work in this yummy recipe.
- Diced tomatoes and green chiles – This is the perfect touch to add a little extra kick and more of that amazing tomato flavor.
- Water – Add some water to help incorporate the taco seasoning into the ground beef.
- Stand and stuff taco shells – The stand and stuff taco shells have a flat bottom so that it’s easier to fill them with the spaghetti goodness. However, feel free to use regular taco shells if that is all that you can find!
Toppings Ideas for Spaghetti Tacos
You gotta have toppings on tacos, am I right?! Here are some of our most favorite spaghetti taco toppings:
- Diced onion
- Jalapeño
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh cilantro
- Parsley
- Fresh basil
- Pico de gallo
- Shredded lettuce
- Fresh guacamole
How to Make Spaghetti Tacos
Cook spaghetti noodles according to the instructions on the package to al dente and drain.
Cook ground beef and carefully drain the grease from the pan.
Add water and taco seasoning to the pan and stir until all of the ground beef is coated.
Reduce, add spaghetti sauce and Rotel to the pan. Stir to combine.
Add cooked spaghetti to the meat sauce and stir well. Remove from heat and add 1 ½ cups of cheese to the pan and stir.
Stand taco shells in 9 x 13 inch baking dish and scoop the spaghetti mixture into each shell.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top and place the dish in the preheated oven and bake the tacos until the cheese melts.
Remove the dish from the oven and serve the tacos immediately.
Pro Tips
- Use lean ground beef to ensure that your spaghetti tacos aren’t greasy. It is also important to drain the meat well after cooking.
- Just cook to al dente so that they’re the perfect texture once the tacos are done. Mushy noodles are just not appetizing.
- The best way to stuff the tacos with spaghetti is by using tongs.
- Feel free to kick up the spice level with spicy taco seasoning, spicy spaghetti sauce, or just adding some red pepper flakes into the mix.
Make these spaghetti filled tacos for dinner tonight, you won’t be disappointed! Kids and adults alike will love this fun and tasty dinner idea.
Spaghetti Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces uncooked spaghetti uncooked, broken in half
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup water
- 1 ounce mild taco seasoning (1 package)
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce (1 jar)
- 10 ounces Rotel (1 can) drained
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend shredded, divided
- 10 Stand And Stuff taco shells
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook spaghetti to al dente according to the directions on the package and then drain.
- Put the ground beef into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground beef while it cooks. Once the ground beef is fully cooked, drain the grease from the pan.
- Add water and taco seasoning to the pan and stir until all of the ground beef is coated.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the spaghetti sauce and Rotel to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Add cooked spaghetti noodles to the pan and stir well again.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese to the pan, stir to combine.
- Stand the taco shells in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Scoop the spaghetti mixture into the taco shells.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top of the filled tacos.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake the tacos until the cheese on top is completely melted, about 4-6 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and serve tacos immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Storage And Reheating
Fridge: I recommend storing the spaghetti separately from the taco shells. However, if you have leftover tacos that are already built, you can still store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Just keep in mind that the taco shell will likely be soggy once reheated.
Freezer: Store leftover spaghetti tacos in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat leftover tacos in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes or until hot throughout. If you have an air fryer, this is a good way to get the taco shells to crisp up a bit when reheating, too.
How To Serve Spaghetti Tacos
Whether you choose to go the Italian route for you side dishes, or serve up your favorite Mexican-inspired sides, there are tons of different options. Some Cheesy Garlic Cread or fresh Breadsticks are yummy, as well as chips and Salsa or Spanish Rice.
You could also simply serve it with some quick Roasted Vegetables or Roasted Broccoli. Don’t forget some Churros or Buttermilk Brownies to finish up your meal!
More Kid-Friendly Meals
- This tasty Chicken and Noodles recipe is a go-to when I don’t know what to make and need the kids to have some protein. Easy peasy!
- English Muffins Pizzas are the best easy and quick lunch, snack or dinner. You can add whatever toppings you want, too.
- I love to make a giant batch of Homemade Uncrustables instead of buying them at the grocery store. They’re great to freeze and pull out to add to lunch boxes in the morning!
- Make some gooey and cheesy Pizza Crescent Rolls as a tasty kid-friendly meal too. Store-bought crescent dough is stuffed with melty mozzarella and pepperoni, perfect for after an after school snack.
Sounds Yummy! Reminds me of the spaghetti sandwiches I used to make with leftover spaghetti.
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
I never thought of spaghetti tacos but this sounds like something the kids would find fun and yummy and would eat right up and that’s what I want. Win – win all around!,
Glad you enjoyed this recipe!