High Protein Taco Spaghetti
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and purchase, we may earn a small commission. Read our full disclosure.
Never choose between pasta night and taco night again. This taco spaghetti has all the delicious flavors of tacos in one hearty bowl of pasta. It’s the collab you never knew you needed and one my kids ask for in their lunches.
Taco spaghetti is easy to make and fun to play with. You can add cheese, sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, etc. I thought about wrapping it in a hard taco shell but thought that was doing too much. But hey, if you try it, please report back.
I’m no stranger to unique twists on classics. Try my chili Mac and cheese, pancake tacos and Big Mac sloppy joes for fun meals for the whole family.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- 43 grams of protein.
- Simple ingredients.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for this taco spaghetti recipe. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list and instructions:
- Uncooked Spaghetti Noodles: I use Barilla protein Plus to make this high protein. You can use traditional spaghetti.
- Lean Ground Beef: ground turkey or ground chicken are great too.
- Yellow Onion
- Taco Seasoning: I use Siete Mild Seasoning and I HIGLY recommend you do too so it’s not too spicy or too salty.
- Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies: I like Rotel tomatoes. If you don’t have Rotel or diced tomatoes you can sub this out for a 10oz can of red enchilada sauce. Do not use taco seasoning if you go with the enchilada sauce as it will be way too salty.
- Fire Roasted Corn: adds a little kick you can use unseasoned corn.
- Beef Broth: or beef bone broth.
- Tomato Paste
- Low-Fat Cottage Cheese: this adds richness and protein to the spaghetti sauce. Room temperature cream cheese or greek yogurt will do the trick too.
- Fresh Cilantro
- Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend: mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese.
Variations
- Add your favorite taco toppings: bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, black beans and a dollop of sour cream.
- Adjust the spice level by adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper or green chilies. Or by only using one packet of seasoning to keep it very mild.
- To lower the heat, omit the taco seasoning and Rotel tomatoes and add in one 10oz can of red enchilada sauce in its place.
Dietary Modifications
- For gluten-free, use a gluten-free pasta.
- For dairy-free, omit the cottage cheese and pre-shredded cheese. You can use enchilada sauce to thicken the sauce a little.
How to make this easy taco spaghetti (a step-by-step visual guide):
Step 1: cook pasta and start the sauce
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. While the pasta cooks, brown the meat in a large skillet over medium heat with chopped onion (image 1). Cook until fully browned and onions are soft (image 2). Drain excess grease if needed. Stir in one packet of taco seasoning (image 3) to the cooked meat and let it simmer for a couple minutes (image 4).
Step 2: make your spaghetti
Stir in the diced tomatoes with chiles, corn, tomato paste, second packet of taco seasoning and beef broth (image 5). Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors come together. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cottage cheese (image 6). If you’re not a fan of the texture, blend it first in a food processor or blender until smooth, it’ll give the sauce a creamy, cheesy vibe without the fat. Toss the cooked spaghetti into the skillet (image 7) and stir until evenly coated. Let it simmer for a couple minutes to warm through (image 8). Sprinkle with shredded cheese if using, and cover until melted. Serve hot, topped with fresh cilantro and a dollop of Greek yogurt or fresh salsa.
Expert Tip
Only use one packet or one and a half packets of taco seasoning to keep the spice down.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use whatever noodle you love.
Yes. Ground beef is my go-to when it comes to tacos but this is great with any ground meat.
Store leftovers in the fridge fro up to three days. If it gets dry, add a little more beef broth.
Yes and NO! This is tested with Siete and it creates the perfect amount of heat and saltiness. Other brands may be much saltier or spicier per packet. I really suggest using the recommended brand.
Check out our other easy recipes!
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!
Taco Spaghetti
📱 MyFitnessPal & MacrosFirst App Users
You can find this recipe and many others on MyFitnessPal and MacrosFirst by searching: Ohsnapmacros – Taco Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 8 oz. uncooked Barilla Protein Plus Pasta
- 1 lb. lean ground beef, 96/4
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 packets Siete Mild taco Seasoning, separated PLEASE use this brand
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Rotel) 10 oz can
- 1 can fire roasted corn
- 1 cup low sodium beef bone broth (or water)
- 1 can tomato paste 6 oz.
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (blended smooth, if preferred)
- fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- shredded Mexican cheese (on top, optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While the noodles cook brown the meat in a large skillet over medium heat with diced onion. Cook until fully browned and onions are soft. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Stir in one packet of taco seasoning to the cooked meat and let it simmer for a couple minutes. Stir in the diced tomatoes with chiles, corn, tomato paste, second packet of taco seasoning and beef broth. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors come together.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the cottage cheese. If you’re not a fan of the texture, blend it first in a food processor or blender until smooth, it’ll give the sauce a creamy, cheesy vibe without the fat.
- Toss cooked spaghetti into the skillet and stir until evenly coated. Let it simmer for a couple minutes to warm through.Â
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese if using, and cover until melted. Serve hot, topped with fresh cilantro and a dollop of Greek yogurt or even salsa.
Notes
- Blend your cottage cheese prior to adding to the recipe if you want a super smooth sauce.Â
- Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions.
- If you use a different brand of taco seasoning you will risk this dish being too salt or spicy!Â
