These taco-stuffed shells are a quick, easy, and completely delicious meal that even kids will love to eat! There are only 5 ingredients needed for this cheesy, beefy, and pasta-packed recipe! Since it is ready to go in only 30 minutes, it's a perfect dinner for even a busy weeknight!
Serve your taco stuffed shells with a drizzle of sour cream or creamy avocado ranch sauce! Throw on your favorite taco toppings as well.
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My taco pasta is one of my favorite easy one-pot family dinners! I just had to try out altering it to make it into this tasty jumbo version!
The beefy taco flavors are still there, but it is all packed into these huge pasta shells! It's definitely up for debate on which version I like better. What do you think?
🥘 Ingredients
This simple recipe uses ingredients that I almost always have on hand! You can adjust the heat by using mild, medium, or hot taco seasoning and salsa.
- Jumbo Pasta Shells - 12 ounces (or one box) of jumbo pasta shells. Make sure you are getting the ones that are labeled as 'jumbo', or they will be too small to stuff!
- Ground Beef - 1 pound of ground beef.
- Taco Seasoning - 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Use homemade seasoning (check out my recipe) or use store-bought packets.
- Water - ⅔ cup of water.
- Salsa - 1½ cups of salsa, divided into 1 cup and ½ cup portions.
- Cheese - 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Corn (optional) - 1 cup of corn. You can use fresh, canned, or thawed from frozen.
- Black Beans (optional) - 1 cup of black beans, drained and rinsed.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Taco Stuffed Shells
Cook your pasta, make the meat mixture, stuff the shells, and then bake! This dish will be ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes! You will need a baking dish, a large skillet, a pot for the pasta, and a wooden spoon.
This recipe is for 6 servings of taco stuffed shells.
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- Cook the pasta. Cook 12 ounces of jumbo shells according to the directions on the packaging. Then, drain the water and set the shells aside.
- Brown the beef. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 pound of ground beef. Cook until brown, and then drain off the fat.
- Season. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning over the cooked beef and then pour ⅔ cup of water over the top. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the water is gone.
- Add. Add 1 cup of salsa, ¾ cup of shredded cheese, and the optional 1 cup each of corn and/or black beans if using. Stir well.
- Fill the shells. Place the pasta shells into the prepared baking sheet and scoop the beef mixture into the shells. Top with the remaining salsa and shredded cheese.
- Bake. Cover the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning are the same as one packet. However, you can use homemade taco seasoning if you like!
- I love adding beans and corn to my taco stuffed shells, but you can leave them out if you have some extra picky eaters!
- This dish can be as cheesy as you like! Go ahead and add more to top off the shells, if desired. Alternatively, you can just serve the shells with extra cheese!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep any leftover taco stuffed shells in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Reheat small portions in the microwave or larger portions in a covered baking dish in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until hot.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
This number may vary slightly. However, you should find approximately 46 jumbo pasta shells in one 12-ounce box.
It's always best to check the instructions on the packaging for the pasta. However, they should be boiled for approximately 11 minutes to be al dente. If you cook them for too long, they will tear when you try to stuff them and could become mushy.
Yep! Simply prepare the dish completely, stopping right before you put it into the oven. Instead, store it in the fridge. Then, when dinner time rolls around, you can just pop it in the oven to finish it off!
🌮 Tasty Taco-Based Recipes
- Taco Bar - This fun taco bar setup is perfect for throwing a party!
- Shredded Chicken Tacos - Tasty chicken tacos that have just the right amount of spice!
- Doritos Taco Salad - Enjoy the flavor of a taco on this yummy salad!
- Taco Meatloaf - Hearty meatloaf that has been tweaked with some zesty taco seasoning!
- Ground Beef Taco Meat - A staple protein that can be used in so many recipes!
- Taco Bell Creamy Baja Sauce - This spicy and creamy sauce is the perfect addition to any taco dish!
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📖 Recipe Card
Taco Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 12 oz jumbo pasta shells
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- ⅔ cup water
- 1½ cup salsa (divided, store-bought or homemade)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (divided, shredded)
- 1 cup corn (canned, fresh, or frozen, optional)
- 1 cup black beans (optional)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- Cook your jumbo shells according to the directions on the packaging. Then, drain the water and set the shells aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef. Cook until brown and then drain off the fat.
- Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the cooked beef and then pour the water over top. Cook, stirring occasionally until all of the water is gone.
- Add 1 cup of salsa, ¾ cup of shredded cheese, and the optional corn and/or black beans if using. Stir well.
- Place the pasta shells into the prepared baking sheet and scoop the beef mixture into the shells. Top with the remaining salsa and shredded cheese.
- Cover the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning are the same as one packet. However, you can use homemade taco seasoning if you like!
- I love adding beans and corn to my taco stuffed shells, but you can leave them out if you have some extra picky eaters!
- This dish can be as cheesy as you like! Go ahead and add more to top off the shells, if desired. Alternatively, you can just serve the shells with extra cheese!
- To store: Keep any leftover taco stuffed shells in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- To reheat: Reheat small portions in the microwave or larger portions in a covered baking dish in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until hot.
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