About One Pan Cheesy Taco Skillet
It’s been a hectic week over here at our house, and I can’t tell you how ready I am for 1) the weekend and 2) another helping of this ultra cheesy taco skillet.
I’m hoping I’ll be able to relax a little bit over the next few days. But, knowing me, I’ll wake up from a daze and catch myself doing more work, perpetually caught up in the “I’ll just finish this one last thing…” cycle.
I guess that’s the cost of loving what you do for a living.
But there are parts of my “job” that can be easy, too. A busy week for me means that I’m pressed for time to make dinner, and when I’m pressed for time it means I start brainstorming the best way to whip up a recipe that can be cooked from start to finish in one pan.
And who doesn’t love that?
There’s nothing easier (or better after a long day) than a full flavored dish that doesn’t create a mess or leave you feeling like you just finished running a marathon. After how this week has been, no matter how much I secretly love what I do, I just wanted something simple that I could enjoy without having to overthink it too much.
And with this taco skillet, I totally nailed it.

This is a very basic recipe at its core – beef, elbow macaroni, cheese, plus all the tasty taco flavors you can handle – but sometimes (okay, most of the time) simple recipes are the best kind.
Perfection doesn’t need to be an elaborate exercise in culinary excellence. Some ingredients just work together because they work together.
End of story.
It’s hard to improve perfection.
Sort of like beef and macaroni – they were made to go together. As were taco seasoning and sour cream.
Oh, and cheese.
Lots and lots of cheese.
Because cheese plays well with everything.
This is the type of dinner I’d look forward to ending my day with.

notes & tips for this taco skillet recipe
- This recipe makes a nice full pot of pasta, and I can personally guarantee that the left overs will taste amazing the next day for lunch.
- To make this dish fast and easy, jarred sauces and spice packets are used. If you’d rather make everything from scratch, check out these recipes: Homemade Taco Seasoning, 5 Minute Salsa, and 5 Minute Taco Sauce.
- Looking for more on pan meals? Be sure to check out One Pan Smoky Ranch Pork Chops and Veggies, One Pan BBQ Chicken, One Skillet Cheesy Sausage Gnocchi, and Creamy Dijon Chicken.
Recipe Details

One Pan Cheesy Taco Skillet
An easy taco skillet that’s like a gourmet version of Hamburger Helper. Perfect to make on busy weeknights. Plus, you can make it as spicy (or not) as you want!
Ingredients
Instructions
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In a large
skillet , heat vegetable oil. Add ground beef to skillet, then cook and crumble ground beef over medium high heat. Drain grease and return ground beef to pan. -
Reduce heat to medium and add chopped onion and garlic to skillet, plus salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
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Pour in 1 cup water, corn, salsa, taco sauce, taco seasoning, and elbow macaroni. Mix ingredients together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer. For the amount of time to simmer, check your box of macaroni for the recommended cooking time and divide that number by half.Â
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Remove lid and add in final 1 cup of water, then stir. Return cover and allow to simmer for the remaining recommended cook time of the macaroni.
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Remove skillet from heat. Quickly add in 1 cup of Mexican cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of Mexican cheese on top, then replace lid. Let sit for 1-3 minutes or until cheese has melted.
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Serve immediately with sour cream and chopped cilantro as garnish (optional).
Chrisy….this looks delicious! I’m pretty sure my kids would gobble this down fast. I would have to maybe double this recipe. Perfect for a busy weeknight.
Thank you Ali! 😀
I LOVE this kind of food! Quicker than a baked casserole but still so comforting. Simple recipes are the best kind. Don’t think there’s a person alive that wouldn’t love this (except I suppose if you’re a vegetarian)
Thanks Judy! 😀
this looks absolutely amazing and delicious! Perfect for a weeknight meal!
Thank you Kaitie!
My Hubby would LOVE this! Perhaps for dinner tonight! Thanks, also pinning it!
Thanks Cynthia! If you made it, I hope you liked it!
sounds like a delicious and easy addition to our taco Tuesday menu plan
Awesome idea 😀 We might do the same tonight (again!) at our house!
This looks so yummy and has now made me hungry! I will be adding this recipe to my menu planning rotation. Thanks.
Thanks Mary!
This looks ah-mazing! Love it. Great pics!
Thanks Olivia! That’s a big compliment coming from you 😀
Nailed it for sure! This looks SOOOO good! I can’t have dairy anymore but there are some non-dairy alternatives I could use. Pinning so I can remember to make this soon!
Awesome Marlynn! I’d love to hear how the non-dairy version turns out.
What is great about this recipe is that I can make a vegetarian version too with quorn mince. Thank you for sharing I will be looking forward to trying this out. http://www.fadedspring.co.uk
Interesting! I hadn’t heard of quorn mince before – I’d love to hear how it turns out with it 😀
I am all about easy 1 pot meals! Great recipe!
Thanks Leah!
You had me at one pan! This looks amazing and I’ll have to try it!
Thank you Britney 😀
My mouth is now all watery. Pinned. 🙂 keepitsimplediy.blogspot.com
Thanks Kari!
This looks amazing!!! I am putting on my menu this week! Thanks!!
Thanks Katie!
Wow, so easy and looks soooo bomb!
Thanks Chelsea! I’m probably a little biased, but I think it tastes as good as it looks 😀
This looks amazing! What better way to unwind at the end of the day than with a savory meal? I’m going to try this on Taco Tuesday for something new. 🙂
Thanks Heather!
This is something my whole family will love! Skillet meals are my fav for busy nights! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Ashleigh! If you make it, I hope everyone likes it 😀
mmm! Now that looks delicious! My boyfriend would love this. I think I will substitute the beef with ground Turkey and see how that goes. All your recipes look so good. Keep up the great work!
This would be awesome with ground Turkey 😀 Hope you guys like it!
One-pan meals are the best! That sauce drizzled over the top looks divine!
I love making this for my family! Especially on days where I have zero time to get a big meal going. Thanks for sharing this on Our Mini Family Link Party. I made sure to pin it and share it on stumble upon! Thanks again. 🙂
Oh, goodness! That looks yummy! Thanks for linking up at the Weekend Blog Hop at My Flagstaff Home!
Jennifer
This is my kind od dinner! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
YUM – loving this one-pot meal – gorgeous pics too! Hey, thanks for stopping by and sharing with us at #TryaBiteTuesday – hope to see you back this week! Pinned & shared!!
I love how delicious this looks and how easy it is to put together – will definitely be making this! Thanks so much for linking up with us for Fabulous Foodie Fridays, have a great week 🙂
Your Taco Skillet looks fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great day and come back soon!
Miz Helen
I hope you will share this yumminess at my Thursday hop xo
Perfect weeknight meal! We’ll be adding it to the fall lineup! And I’ll be featuring you at #FoodieFriDIY tonight as well! 🙂 Hope you’re having a great week!
This is just the kind of meal my family loves…the comfort of a casserole mixed with Mexican flavors…it’s a winner! Thanks for sharing this with the #OMHGWW linkup!
Shellie
http://www.thefabjourney.com
This has become a favorite in my house! I love that it makes plenty for leftovers and I feel way better about eating this than the boxed stuff flavored with mystery powder.
I agree, the leftovers are the best 😀 Reminds me, I really need to make this again… perfect comfort food for the chilly weather!
I have the hardest time trying to get my 7 year old to eat anything with meat in it. But he DEVOURED this!!! Thank you for this delisious recipe!
I’m so glad he liked it! I’m not the biggest fan of meat being mixed with other foods, so I understand how your son feels 😀
I just made this tonight, my family & I really enjoyed it! I added black beans as well!