Crockpot Taco Spaghetti

3.67 from 15 votes

Crockpot Taco Spaghetti is a delicious mashup of Southwestern flavor meets an Italian style meal.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2

Total Time2 15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mexican

Servings: servings (approximately 1 cup per serving)

Calories: 487kcal

1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds ground beef
¾ cups diced yellow onion
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 ounce packet of taco seasoning
20 ounces (2 10-ounce) cans Rotel Original diced tomatoes with green chilis
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro divided into 2 tablespoons and 1 tablespoon
1 pound dried spaghetti noodles broken in half to fit inside the crockpot
2 cups beef broth
3 cups water
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded

In a skillet on medium-high heat, add the olive oil, ground beef, diced yellow onion, salt, and black pepper. Cook and brown the meat for 5-6 minutes or until no pink remains in the ground beef and the onions are translucent. Drain off all the excess fat from the skillet.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1½ pounds ground beef, ¾ cups diced yellow onion, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Transfer the cooked ground beef mixture to the insert of a 6-quart crockpot. Add the taco seasoning, Rotel diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro, spaghetti noodles, beef broth, and water. Give all the ingredients a stir, and be sure that all the spaghetti noodles are submerged in the liquid.
1 ounce packet of taco seasoning, 20 ounces (2 10-ounce) cans Rotel Original diced tomatoes with green chilis, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 pound dried spaghetti noodles, 2 cups beef broth, 3 cups water
Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 2 hours (3½-4 hours on LOW). You can check for doneness at 1 ½ hours to be sure that you do not overcook your noodles.
Once the noodles are cooked, turn the crock pot off and remove the lid. Using a pair of tongs or a pasta spoon, give the spaghetti a stir to combine all the ingredients evenly. Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the spaghetti and stir again to combine. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro and serve.
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Storage:

To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
To Freeze: You can freeze the taco spaghetti once it has cooled completely for up to 2 months in an airtight container.
To Reheat: Thaw completely before reheating in the crockpot or microwave. You may need to add a splash of water or beef broth, to loosen up the spaghetti mixture when reheating.

Tips:

If you use thin spaghetti, you may want to check your spaghetti for doneness at the 1½-hour mark to ensure that you do not overcook your pasta.
I used the original Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilis for this recipe, but you can certainly substitute the mild, or the hot, according to your preference of spice level.
If you have an aversion to cilantro, you can substitute fresh chopped parsley in its place.