One Pot Beef Enchilada Pasta
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Make my Enchilada Pasta for an easy weeknight dinner! Lean ground beef is browned to perfection before adding pasta, enchilada sauce, and flavorful taco seasoning. It’s all made in one pot, comes together in under 30 minutes, and doesn’t involve any fancy ingredients. It’s the perfect easy recipe for busy people!
Enchilada Pasta
I’m all about making easy, one pot meals… especially on busy weeknights! Between
Munchkin’s activities, organizing things at home, and plain old life getting the best of me, I don’t always have time to make something super elaborate during the week.
That’s where dishes like one pot fajita pasta, one pot chili, one pot chicken tortellini, and now, this one pot enchilada pasta come in.
Not only are one pot dishes inherently simple to make, but they also involve a lot fewer dishes. Easy to make and clean up?! Consider me sold!!
My enchilada pasta recipe is full of rich, savory, and spicy flavors and is incredibly hearty and satisfying.
Keep it a true one pot meal and serve as is, or pair it with your favorite vegetable to round everything out.
No matter what you choose, it’s bound to be a hit in your house!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Lean Ground Beef – I’m using 85% to 88% lean for my enchilada pasta, and I recommend that you use at least 85% to avoid a lot of excess grease.
You can also use ground turkey or chicken instead if you’d like!
- Onion & Garlic – These aromatics are so simple yet add so much savory flavor. I cook them along with the ground beef and the taco seasoning to kick everything off!
- Pasta – I like rotini pasta, but you can use your favorite! I recommend one that has a lot of curves or ridges so the sauce has something to cling to.
Fusilli, cavatappi, or even penne are great alternatives.
- Red Enchilada Sauce – Here’s where all of the spicy, fiery flavor in my enchilada pasta recipe comes from! It’s also where you can control the spice levels.
Use a mild sauce if you don’t want it to be too hot, or a hot sauce for super spicy results!
And if you really want to bring the heat, you can add some cayenne pepper to the taco seasoning!
- Cheese – I’m using Cheddar Jack cheese — it’s rich, creamy, and a little bit tangy.
You can feel free to switch it up and use Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or just a medium cheddar cheese instead. As always, no matter which one you choose, shred it yourself!
- Taco Seasoning – Make your life easier and use a pre-made taco seasoning! Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, mix up a batch of my homemade blend.
You’ll need 2 tablespoons for this recipe.
Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect One Pot Enchilada Pasta
- Layer the flavors.
My enchilada pasta recipe may be simple and easy to make, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in flavor!
To add more depth to the dish, I sauté the onion along with the ground beef first until the onion is soft and the beef is perfectly browned.
Then, I add the garlic and taco seasoning and allow it to cook until the whole thing becomes super fragrant.
Only then do I add the pasta, water, and enchilada sauce. Follow the same order and you’ll get the same flavorful results!
- Drain the grease from the pan.
Once the beef is browned, remove any excess grease from the skillet before you add the pasta, water, and enchilada sauce.
You don’t want your pasta to soak it all up and become greasy and soggy!
- Cook the pasta in the enchilada sauce.
This is a true one pot enchilada pasta! That means I’m cooking the pasta in the same pan as I sautéed the ground beef, onion, garlic, and seasonings.
It may seem strange to add uncooked pasta to the pan with the browned beef, but it’s important to trust the process.
Cooking it along with the yummy juices plus the flavorful red sauce will help infuse all of that flavor directly into the noodles!
- Keep an eye on the pasta as it cooks.
Depending on your own personal preference, you can cook the pasta to al dente or slightly softer.
If you want the sauce to be thicker, cook it for a shorter time so it retains more liquid. Or, if you don’t want it to be too saucy, cook it for a little longer.
Prep Ahead
- Shred the cheese
- Heat the oil
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- A Large Skillet with a Lid – To help the beef enchilada pasta cook evenly, a wide skillet works best. Ideally, it should be more than 12 inches in diameter.
- Box Grater – As much as I love buying bagged shreds because it’s easier, freshly grated cheese melts down so much smoother and tastes better too.
Serving Suggestions
This one pot enchilada pasta is a full meal on its own! Well, almost a full meal. I like to pair mine with a side of Mexican Street Corn Salad to get those veggies in too.
An avocado salad or vegetables roasted in Mexican spices would also be tasty!
Start your meal off with some fresh tortilla chips and guac or cornbread, and you could also make some taco salad if you have extra ground beef.
There are tons of possibilities. You can also always keep things super simple for weeknight dinner and make an easy garden salad!
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
Store any leftover beef enchilada pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Use your microwave to reheat single servings, or your stovetop for larger portions.
5-10 minutes over medium should do the trick.
You can also freeze enchilada pasta if you want to get ahead on future meal prep.
Make sure it’s cooled completely to room temperature before placing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
Enchilada Pasta FAQ
This is one of those dishes that is best served fresh, so I recommend making it just before serving. It only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for a quick, weeknight dinner!
That said, if you’re set on getting ahead, you can always brown the ground beef and store it in the fridge for about 24 hours. Add it back to your large skillet and reheat, then add the pasta, water, and enchilada sauce and continue to cook as instructed on the recipe card.
Yes, you can use plant-based protein like black beans, lentils, tofu, or a meat substitute instead of ground beef.
Keep in mind that this will change the overall taste and texture of the final results… but I love the idea of making it with black beans in particular!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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One Pot Beef Enchilada Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef, I use 85-88%
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1 ounce packet of taco seasoning
- 2 1/4 cups dry rotini pasta, 8 ounces
- 2 cups water
- 20 ounces red enchilada sauce, 2 10 ounce cans
- 2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese, (about 8 ounces)
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the beef and onion and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink and the onion has softened. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the garlic and taco seasoning and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the pasta, water, and enchilada sauce and bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the cheese, and serve.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published June 2024
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Donna and Chad never disappoint! This enchilada pasta was a hit in our house.
Hi Brooklyn!
We’re so glad you enjoyed.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn