5-Ingredient Cheesy Turkey Taco Pasta
This 5-ingredient cheesy turkey taco pasta is the ultimate lazy weeknight dinner — delicious, high-protein, kid approved, and ready in just 30 minutes. Perfect when you’re craving a cozy bowl of pasta!
⏰ TIME: 30 mins
🤑 TOTAL COST: $10.72 ($2.68/serving)
🍝 5 INGREDIENTS
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This cheesy turkey taco pasta has got to be my favorite pasta recipe of all time. And that’s saying a lot because I absolutely love pasta!
It’s healthy, high protein, and takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
You don’t need a ton of stuff to make this cheesy taco pasta either! Just 5 ingredients and boom you’re done.
🍝 Looking for more easy pasta recipes? Here are 35 pasta recipes made with 5 ingredients or less!
It’s one of my favorite comfort foods that you can whip up even after a long day at work. It’s a lighter version of the classic taco pasta since it’s made with ground turkey instead of ground beef.
💪🏽 More 5-Ingredient High Protein Recipes
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
🌮 This cheesy taco pasta is:
- Made with just 5 ingredients
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- High protein
- Made with turkey instead of beef
- Great for leftovers!
- Freezer-friendly
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground turkey: I like to use 93% lean ground turkey for this recipe. You can swap ground turkey for ground beef or ground chicken if you prefer.
- Short-cut pasta: I used elbow macaroni for this taco pasta, but you can use any pasta shape you prefer! I’ve made this recipe with rigatoni and spaghetti noodles before and they both turned out delicious.
- Mild salsa: Infuses the pasta with tons of flavor and makes it more saucy. I used fresh mild salsa, but you can use medium or hot, depending on your spice tolerance. You can also use jarred salsa, but I prefer getting the little tubs in the refrigerated section of the grocery store since they tend to be more fresh.
- Taco seasoning: Adds a ton of flavor to the pasta! Make sure to get low-sodium seasoning when you can.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: You can use either mild or sharp cheddar cheese.
📌 OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS: I love adding chopped red bell peppers or diced red onions for a veggie boost! To make this pasta creamy, you can add in a few tablespoons of sour cream at the end.
Equipment You’ll Need
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- Large pot – for boiling the pasta. This large pasta pot with a built-in strainer makes cooking pasta super easy!
- Large deep skillet – for cooking the turkey and making the sauce. You want to make sure your skillet is deep since you’ll add the pasta to the turkey mixture at the end! I love my T-fal saute pan for recipes like this
- Wooden spoon, spatula, or meat masher – For breaking up the turkey and mixing in the ingredients. I like to use either a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, but you can also use a meat masher if you have one!
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How to Make the Cheesy Taco Turkey Pasta
Storage Instructions
- Meal Prep: Place individual-sized portions in airtight meal prep containers. Save in the fridge or freezer, then reheat & eat as quick lunch or dinner!
- Fridge: Keep leftovers in an airtight container or meal prep containers for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: Freeze individual portions for up to 1 month.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave with a splash of water for 2-3 minutes. You can also reheat on the stovetop over low heat.
The Printable Recipe Card
5-Ingredient Cheesy Turkey Taco Pasta
Equipment
- Large saucepan or pot for boiling pasta
- Large deep skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 8 oz dry pasta
- 3 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup salsa
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Pantry staples
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta:In a large pot of salted water, boil pasta according to package directions. Reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the ground turkey: In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add ground turkey and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Add taco seasoning and salsa: When turkey is cooked about halfway through (still pink in some parts – see picture), add the taco seasoning, salsa, and 1 tbsp water. Mix well to coat the turkey. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until ground turkey is cooked through.
- Combine with pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine all ingredients. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. If dish seems too dry, add 1-2 tbsp of reserved pasta water.
- Add cheese and melt: Turn off the heat. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top and stir until melted and creamy.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Add the taco seasoning and salsa when the turkey is cooked halfway through so that it can absorb the yummy flavors as it cooks
- Want your turkey taco pasta extra creamy? Add in a tablespoon or two of sour cream!
- For extra spice, use hot salsa or add chili flakes while cooking
- Double the batch for meal prep—it reheats beautifully!
🥘 More 5-Ingredient Dinner Recipes
- Creamy Soup Recipes
- Crockpot Dinners
- Fall Dinner Recipes
- Pasta Dinner Recipes
- Rotisserie Chicken Recipes
- Sheet Pan Dinners
- Spring Dinner Recipes
- Summer Dinner Recipes
