Taco Spaghetti Recipe – THE BEST! We ate this three days in a row! Ready in 30 minutes!! Taco meat, Velveeta, diced tomatoes with green chilies, spaghetti noodles, cream of chicken soup and cheddar cheese. CRAZY good! Kids and adults gobbled this up – even our picky eaters! This is our favorite Mexican casserole!
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Pin This RecipeRotel Taco Spaghetti
Stop what you are doing and make this Taco Spaghetti for dinner! It is THE BEST! I could not stop eating this casserole. I loved every single thing about it!! Taco meat, Velveeta, diced tomatoes and green chilies, spaghetti, and cheddar cheese. Seriously delicious! We served this with some black beans for an easy weeknight dinner!
How to Make Taco Spaghetti
This casserole is easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti noodles and cook to al dente. Drain.
In a large skillet cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain excess grease. Return the meat to the skillet. Add a packet of taco seasoning and water. Stir to combine. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Stir in cream of chicken soup, Velveeta, and Rotel tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, and simmer until the cheese melts, stirring constantly. Stir in cooked spaghetti and pour into a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated oven until bubbly. Garnish with your favorite taco toppings.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Taco Spaghetti spicy? If you are worried about the heat, make sure to buy the Mild can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies.
- Substitutions/Additions
- onions
- bell peppers
- corn
- green chiles
- cilantro
- black beans
- red pepper flakes
- I use cheddar cheese in this recipe. You can substitute Mexican cheese blend.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
- Can Taco Spaghetti be made in advance? Yes. This spaghetti casserole can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight or even frozen for later.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator,
- Reheat in the microwave.
What to Serve with Taco Spaghetti Casserole
When it comes to serving up this scrumptious spaghetti, there are some fantastic side options to complete your meal. A zesty side salad with fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, and a tangy cilantro-lime dressing is a perfect choice. You can also whip up some classic Mexican rice or refried beans for an extra hearty touch. Don’t forget to set out some tortilla chips with a bowl of homemade guacamole and salsa – they’ll add a delightful crunch and a burst of flavor to your taco-inspired feast. And of course, a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkling of chopped green onions as garnish for your spaghetti can take it to the next level. So, get ready to enjoy a delightful Mexican-inspired meal with these great accompaniments!
Looking for more side dish options? Here are some popular recipes from the website:
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Taco Spaghetti
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 8 oz spaghetti
- 1¼ pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 (1-oz) package taco seasoning
- ⅔ cup water
- 1 (10.5-oz) can Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 (10-oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies undrained
- 1 (8-oz) package Velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×9-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Set aside.
- In a large skillet cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain fat. Return meat to skillet. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in soup, Velveeta and Rotel tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, and cook until the cheese melts, stirring constantly.
- Stir in cooked spaghetti and pour into prepared dish. Top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Notes:
- Is Taco Spaghetti spicy? If you are worried about the heat, make sure to buy the Mild can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies.
- Substitutions/Additions
-
- onions
-
- bell peppers
-
- corn
-
- green chiles
-
- cilantro
-
- black beans
-
- red pepper flakes
-
- I use cheddar cheese in this recipe. You can substitute Mexican cheese blend.
- I suggest using Unsalted Cream of Chicken Soup in this dish to control the sodium.
- You can buy it by the case at Amazon: https://amzn.to/49n4uZE
- Need Gluten-free Cream of Chicken Soup? You can buy it here: https://amzn.to/3MtqQ1s
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup/
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
- Can Taco Spaghetti be made in advance? Yes. This spaghetti casserole can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight or even frozen for later.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator,
-
- Reheat in the microwave.
-
Steph
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Very good and really easy!!
I made this tonight and we loved it! I used the original Rotel and followed all directions as listed except that I put in more spaghetti. I was concerned 8oz wasn’t enough so I put in about 9oz of spaghetti and used a 9×12 pan. 30 minutes and it was perfect.
I was concerned that the Velveeta taste might be too strong but the tastes meld together perfectly. This recipe is easy and quick not to mention delicious! Thank you for the recipe, it’s a keeper!
Made this for Sunday dinner and it was very good!
I used a 16 oz box of spaghetti, since this makes so much meat sauce
One thing I would do next time is leave out the cream of chicken soup
For the Velveeta, I used the Queso Blanco flavor and added a couple of dashes of Lawry’s seasoned salt
Thank you for another delicious recipe!
It’s cooking right now, as we speak! What are some serving suggestions? I was thinking on a tortilla or in a bowl but with lettuce, sour cream, & taco sauce?
I just want you to know that every time I see a recipe from you I can’t post it fast enough! Everything you post is good, fir for a family and something I know I can make. Thank you for ALL your recipes! I will try this one over the week end. I know we will love it!
Keep posting! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Just made this. It was a little spicy. I need to make it for 12 ladies. Thinking maybe double it but put 1 can of tomatoes and 1 can of Rotel. Perhaps add a chopped onion. Think that would work? Enjoyed it. Thanks.
sounds like that would work great
How about cream of celery or mushroom? Not being a vegetarian, I am not sure if canned soups are made with chicken stock. However there are lots of vegetarian/vegan recipes for homemade cream soups you can “Google.”
Any condensed cream of soup is fine.
Love this recipe. I have used this recipe for years for home, potlucks, guests.
This recipe makes a large amount. I do feel like the pasta amount is off for this recipe. With 8 oz. of pasta there is way too much sauce. I double the pasta to 1 lb. of cooked spaghetti. That still leaves lots of sauce. Many times I have doubled the sauce recipe, added 2 lbs. of cooked spaghetti, mixed the cheese in, put in an crockpot and brought to basketball potlucks, served with crusty bread. It was always eaten.
Thanks for the fabulous recipe! We enjoy it so much.
Anyone ever try substituting spaghetti with zoodles?
I added half block of cream cheese & diced jalpenos… you will not be disappointed DELICIOUS!
I made this for my family. It was a HUGE hit. Definitely will be making it again (and again). I made it with ground chicken, because that’s what I had in the freezer.
First time trying it, my husband & I love it.
It was oh so good 😊 thanks
I just loooove this stuff! Have been making it at least monthly for a while now. It’s just my adult daughter and myself so we have it 2 nights in a row. It’s just as good reheated on the 2nd night!
What are the freezing directions? Make it completely like recipe says, then just freeze instead of bake? My daughter is due in a few weeks and I was going to stock her freezer with some meals. I think they would love this! Thank you~
yes – assemble it, cool, and freeze
Would you thaw it before baking or put it in the oven frozen?
I’d thaw it
This was delicious. I used cream of mushroom and a can of regular diced tomatoes because that’s what I had. I also used elbow noodles. My picky son and hubby devoured this meal.
My family and I LOVED this. It’s amazing!!! Will be in my regular rotation from now on!
Do you bake it covered or uncovered
uncovered
This has become one of our normal rotations! It is SOOOO good! the only thing I do different, is I add some green onions INTO the meat mixture and more on top of the cheese after baking! Its delish!
I added green onions, as well. After plating, I
added sour cream! Oh WOW!!! YUMMY!!
I just made this tonight! It smells as good as it tastes I followed this recipe as given it was not a 9×9 lol it must have morphed big while cooking.. no worries left overs in hubby’s future I do hope it freezes well and the defrost won’t make it mushy! I need to get use to cooking for two! I could only have a few bites because I’m on a carb restriction diet I did add some fresh chopped peppers so it would add color and a little more punch of HOT! Perfect … Thanks Love for sharing this. If you have any Keto gems hiding don’t be selfish share share please.
Love & Light From the Pacific Northwest
Here is a link to all of our low-carb recipes: https://www.plainchicken.com/category/recipes/low-carb/
What would you have for a side dish with this?
Green beans, black beans, a salad?
https://www.plainchicken.com/mexican-chopped-salad/
https://www.plainchicken.com/southwestern-black-beans/
https://www.plainchicken.com/southwestern-green-beans/
Can I make this and freeze before baking?
We love this recipe. But tonight I am going to make it different & use rotisserie chicken in place of the ground beef. Thank you for all your wonderful tasting recipes!
I doubled the recipe and ended up with two 9×13 pans of this amazing recipe!
This is soooo good!! My hubby was kinda eh about a “taco spaghetti” but is now a hardcore fan! This is in our Taco Tuesday rotation!!
Love this recipe! But, when adjusting the serving size, for ingredients, the baking dish size doesn’t change accordingly. I know, I know, I know…but there are always going to be newbies and when you’re making this for 12 people, it isn’t gonna fit in a 9 x 9 pan. Peace and Love Y’all! ♥
I dont have any cream of chicken soup. Just. Chicken. Broth. Could I just leave soup out or use broth
Sometimes I leave the soup completely out. Just add extra seasonings. It’s good either way.
I just made this tonight. Everyone loved it. Thank you so much for creating a simple and fast dinner. I will definitely be adding this to my rotation. We have plenty for left-overs tomorrow which means that I won’t have to cook. Extra brownie points for you!! I love you for making my life easier.
I made this last night and it was amazing! Definitely going in to my dinner rotation! It came together fast and easy and was sooooo yummy! Thanks!
The first time I made Taco Spaghetti it was a hit. I’m about to make it again for my mom’s birthday dinner.
Made this and the whole family loved it. I modified it a bit, topped it with Fritos and added black beans!
Sounds yummy!
Could you use a tomatoe sauce or could you just leave them out. My fiance doesn’t do tomatoes
I purée the rotel because my husband doesn’t like tomatoes but tomato sauce is ok with him.
I make this often and it’s amazing. Today I didn’t have everything I needed, so I made a few substitutions (cream of mushroom soup, 24oz jar of mild salsa ( instead of rotel) and a small can of tomato paste). Turned out really good.
Sounds delicious! Glad you are enjoying it, Cheryl
Omg this is so good! A hit with the whole family!! Only thing I had to do differently was make my own cream of chicken soup because our family has several stock allergies and canned cream of chicken is made with stock. Delicious all the same!!!
Is the velveta cheese one 8oz. or 18 oz?
I made this exactly as the recipe stated and it was so good. Even better as leftovers.
This recipe is the best, I used to just make traditional spaghetti and meat sauce and put it in taco shells but this takes it to the next level. The only thing I did different is added shredded cheese to the meat mixture before baking then cheese on top. I also served it inside nacho cheese hard shell tacos. Amazing this way and this recipe makes a lot of food so always leftovers.
Sounds wonderful trying it to night!
Could you substitute elbow macaroni?
You can try it. I am sure it would be fine.
Any ideas on how to make this vegetarian?
I was wondering the same thing. Is there a substitute for cream of chicken? It’s just something we don’t keep in the pantry. I do have half and half. Not going to the grocery store much anymore. Thank you for asking. Sounds delicious. Can’t wait to try.
Is an 8oz package of velveeta the little bitty box?
It is small – just check the box to see the size when purchasing.
Looks like one 8oz to me.
can you use cream cheese instead of velveeta?
I haven’t made this with cream cheese, so I don’t know how it would work. You are certainly welcome to try it. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
In the oven baking now! Can’t wait to taste it!
This was really good! I would make it again!
Thanks a million for this recipe! It has been a family favorite for a over a year. Whenever I am making my meal plans, I ask my children for requests, and they always say, ‘taco spaghetti!’ I usually double the recipe to ensure there are leftovers 😉
Made this last night and it truly was very very good! I for sure will make it again but I thought it was a bit too cheesy. Will cut down to maybe 4 or 5 oz of Velveeta. Other than that not changing a thing!
I can't wait to try this! I plan to try it lower carb style with spaghetti squash since coming off the Mardi Gras King Cake Earthquake Cake that was the BOMB! I'll follow up with the results. Thanks for all the great meals Steph!
Did the spaghetti squash work out?
Will the spaghettis get mushy if you assemble the night before and bake the next morning? Or should you wait until the next morning to combine the cooked ingredients and bake? Thx in advance!!
It will be fine refrigerated overnight
Great, thank you!!
My husband and father in-law love this recipe. If like to send it to deer camp with them, but it would need to be in a Crock-Pot. I've seen a couple comments questioning if this recipe could be done in a crock pot, has anyone tried it and if so how did it turn out? Please share your tid-bits!
It should be fine in the slow cooker. Cook it on low for a few hours – just until it is warm.
Can you add cream of mushrooms instead of chicken
Sure. Any Cream Of Soup will work fine. Enjoy!
I PUT 8 CLOVES OF GARLIC AND SOME DICED UP RED .AND GREEN CAPSICUM CANT WAIT TO DEVOUR IT THANKS
SO DELICIOUS! I make this all the time, and its so easy!
This sounds so yummy…has anyone tried making you in the crock pot?
Hi Stephanie I really need your help. I was wondering if you need the cream of chicken soup for the taco spaghetti or can you make it without the soup.
I have never made this without the cream of chicken soup, so I cannot say with certainty how it will taste without it.
GURL! I made this for supper and my family DEVOURED IT! I added a little more pasta, velveeta and spices to make it stretch into a 13×9 since I had 4 teenagers at the table and it was perfect! I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that I would be up at 2AM eating the tiny potion of leftovers standing in the middle of a dark kitchen like some junkie. Ha! This is a keeper! I can't wait to make it again!
LOL! It is definitely delicious! Glad y'all enjoyed it!!
Definitely going to try this this week. One question though – ny girlfriend hates tomatoes. What would you suggest using in their place? Thank you for the recipe!
A cup of salsa
There really is no sub for tomatoes…but you could try pesto, more cheese, other veggies chopped fine, etc. Good luck
Im not a fan of chuncks of tomatoes(texture thing) i always put my rotel in yhe blender but will have to reduce your chicken broth some or it will be too runny.
She has several spaghetti alfredo type recipes that don’t use tomatoes.
Great meal to prepare in minutes.
Looks delicious and I got to try it!!
Made this tonight and it was very good! Even my 19 month old devoured it. Only change I made was to cook stew meat down until it was shredding and use that in place of the ground beef as I don't care so much for ground beef. Next time I'm definitely going to double the recipe though because there weren't enough leftovers to eat tomorrow, LOL. Thanks for a great new meal!
Made a gluten free version with gluten free noodles and gluten free cream of chicken and the family loved it… combined my love of tacos with my husbands love of pasta… match made in heaven 🙂
Our new favorite casserole.Quick, easy and very tasty. We pair this with ranch beans and it's soooo good.
Has anyone tried this using chicken instead of beef?
Making it now…will let you know.
I made this thinking taco spaghetti? Doesn't "sound" good to me but I liked the look of the ingredients. So? OMG, this is absolutely the BEST casserole. Told a friend about it, she thought same of name but made it anyway. She called and said OMG! WE LOVE this recipe. Just thought I'd find your site, subscribe and let you know we LOVE this recipe!!
Oh yeah! This looks right down my alley. For our tastes, Tone’s Taco Seasoning is the only choice and I might use a spiced Velveeta or add some jalapeños. Gonna deal this one up soon.
Just made this tonight and super delicious idea! We had cooked spaghetti noodles to use up and this was perfect, except I was missing a few ingredients and had to improvise. I didn’t have cream of chicken, so I used cream of mushroom, and I didn’t have velvetta or enough cheddar cheese, so I used whatever cheddar cheese I had left (1/2 cup, maybe), and then used shredded Parmesan (maybe 1 cup). After it baked, I topped it with diced avocado and it is perfect ☺️ My picky son (1.5 year old) is also loving it!!
my question is that can you make this awesome dish without the cream of chicken soup.
We're a family of 6 and I've only found ONE dish that everyone will eat…now I have TWO! My husband even told me to hold onto the recipe. The only change I made was using regular diced tomatoes because that's what I had. Thank you!!
We're a family of 6 and I've only had ONE dish that everyone likes…now I have TWO! My husband went back for seconds and told me to make sure to hold onto the recipe. Thank you!!
Becky – you made my day!! So glad this was a success for your family!!????
Stephanie, This is delicious! I made it for dinner because I needed something quick. Such an easy dish to make. So much flavor! Like my husband said, no changes need to be made to this recipe. We love it! Thank you!
SO glad you enjoyed it, Penny!
I made this today, it is very delicious, I followed the instructions completely except for adding some sliced mini sweet peppers for color and flavor. My husband will be in heaven for dinner tonight. Spaghetti and taco…PERFECT.
SO glad you enjoyed it!
Oh my, now I want this, too!
I made this for the family tonight and we looooooved it. The only thing we did differently was put 1/2 the amount of velveeta to cut back calories. Excellent! Thanks for the great recipe!
I am wondering why you used cream of chicken soup instead of a beef type soup or broth?
Don’t knock it until you try it!
Might want to actually make it before questioning the recipe. This is in my monthly rotation and I wouldn’t change a thing!
I am planning on making this for a friend & her family. I like the idea of freezing it so they can bake when their ready for it . Do you know if you can bake this from frozen or should it be completely thawed and then baked?
I would thaw it some – it doesn't need to be 100% thawed, but it would take forever if you baked it frozen. If it isn't fully thawed, I would suggest baking it part of the time covered.
Sooo I just made this. Only thing I did was add Louisiana hot sauce. Ohhh my. This was a tasty dish! Thank you for sharing!
Could you use spaghetti squash in place of the pasta?
Could you use Spaghetti Squash in place of the pasta?
I have no idea how that would work. Let us know how it turns out if you try it.
Stephanie – to freeze it do you cook it and then freeze it?
I prefer to freeze it unbaked.
Eating this right now! Sooooo good!!!
How many people does this feed?
Easy to make & my guys love it. Enough said 😉
I just made this for the Super Bowl and all I can say is that I can wait for leftovers tomorrow!!!! So yummy! Thanks for another great recipe Steph!
Do you have to use the velveeta or will just cheddar be okay?
I think it needs the Velveeta, but you can make it anyway you want.
Just made this! So delicious! Definitely going to make this again! Thank you for posting!!
Just made this tonight. Made it on top of the stove. Added everything but the Velveeta. Added some sour cream to the skillet and served it over spaghettii with some cheddar on top. Was no need to bake it. Very yumnmy, and hubs totally loved it. Thanks for a great recipe!
This looks really delicious! Perfect meal for a cold night. Thanks for sharing
Love your recipes and your kitties. Love Meow Mondays!
How could I modify and make this in my casserole slow cooker? Would it be easier to make this ahead of time and put it on low then warm. Thanks for your help!!
I would maybe just add the cooked meat and the sauce ingredients, maybe add some chopped onions and set crockpot on low for a couple or three hours. Probably wouldn't take long, and I would check on it. Then serve over cooked spaghetti. You're basically just heating up a sauce, but you could totally make this ahead of time and even freeze it.
How could I modify and make this in my casserole slow cooker? Would it be easier to make this ahead of time and put it on low then warm. Thanks for your help!!
Can you double it in a 9 x 13 pan for a potluck?
Absolutely! Enjoy!!