Southwestern Pasta & Ground Beef Skillet — 😍🧀🙌 EASY, family-friendly, ready in 30 minutes, and COMFORT FOOD at its best! Ground beef, PASTA, black beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and CHEESE for a Southwestern flair!
Table of Contents
Southwest Pasta Shells with Ground Beef Skillet
This easy, family-friendly, ground beef skillet dinner is ready in 30 minutes and is comfort food at its best.
Ground beef is mixed with small pasta shells, black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, green onions, taco seasoning, and topped with melted cheese and cilantro for a Southwestern-inspired dish.
I melted the cheese by way of the broiler because there is nothing like the texture and flavor of baked or broiled cheese.
The Southwestern skillet reminds me of One Skillet Beef Taco Pasta and Easy 30-Minute Taco Macaroni and Cheese because it uses many of the same ingredients and has a similar flavor profile.
And of course, there’s that cheese. A lifesaver on busy weeknights, this beef pasta skillet is one dinner recipe that always leaves the whole family eager to dig in!
Pasta & Ground Beef Skillet Ingredients
For this Tex-Mex-inspired ground beef pasta recipe skillet, you’ll need the following basic ingredients:
- Small pasta shells – Medium shells, small elbow, rotini, bowtie, etc. may be substituted. Or, use gluten-free pasta if needed
- Ground beef – I use 85% lean ground beef, but you can use even leaner varieties if preferred. Or, substitute ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken. If using ground turkey or chicken, you’ll want to add a little extra olive oil to the skillet since both proteins are very lean
- Onion
- Garlic
- Black beans – Feel free to substitute with pinto or kidney beans
- Diced tomatoes – I use no-salt tomatoes and keep all the juices
- Diced green chiles
- Green onions
- Taco seasoning – I imagine chili powder (i.e. chili seasoning, not ground chilis!) would work as well, noting that the Southwest flavor wouldn’t be as strong in the dish
- Shredded cheddar cheese – For the best results, buy a block of cheddar and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that impact its flavor and prevent it from melting
- Jalapeño (optional)
- Cilantro (optional)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Pasta & Ground Beef Skillet
This ground beef and pasta skillet recipe with ground beef comes together in just 30 minutes!
Follow these basic steps:
- Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
- Add the ground beef and diced onion to a very large oven-safe skillet with oil, and cook over medium-high heat to brown the beef. Add the garlic, and continue to cook for another minute before adding the black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, green onions, taco seasoning, and pepper.
- Add the pasta, and stir to combine.
- Evenly sprinkle with the cheese, optionally add jalapeno slices, and place the skillet under the broiler until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
- Evenly sprinkle with the reserved 2 tablespoons green onions, and cilantro, and serve immediately.
Topping Ideas
I topped my pasta skillet with jalapeño slices and cilantro, but you can add any toppings you like such as diced tomatoes, red bell peppers, shredded cheese, etc.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe is best served right away, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes! If you have leftovers, you can freeze them for up to 4 months for an easy meal prep option.
Thaw frozen pasta and ground beef skillet leftovers in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat in the microwave or in a skillet over medium heat.
We thought the heat level of the dish as a whole was on the mild side, and I used medium-heat taco seasoning and fire-roasted green chiles. If you’re very sensitive to heat or serving this to little ones, you may want to use mild versions of those ingredients and omit the sliced jalapeño.
Feel free to add more bulk and nutrients to this ground beef skillet by sautéeing extra veggies like chopped bell peppers, corn, etc., and including them in the skillet.
Yes, feel free to use cooked white rice such as Basmati rice or Jasmine rice instead. Just be sure to boil it in water or broth according to the package instructions.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Easy 30-Minute Southwestern Beef Skillet
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Large Oven-Safe Skillet
Ingredients
- ½ pound small-sized pasta shells, cooked according to package directions (medium shells, small elbow, rotini, bowtie, etc. may be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef, I used 85% lean
- 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia onion, diced small
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely pressed or minced
- one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used no-salt added)
- one 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, do not drain (I use no-salt added)
- one 4-ounce can diced green chiles, do not drain (I used fire-roasted)
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions, with 2 tablespoons reserved for garnishing
- one 1-ounce packet taco seasoning, I used medium heat, reduced sodium
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 8 ounces about 2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (grate your own because pre-grated cheese in bags doesn’t melt as well)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced into thin rounds for garnishing, optional
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely minced for garnishing
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and set pasta aside.
- Preheat broiler to high.
- To a very large oven-safe skillet, add the olive oil, ground beef, onions, and cook over medium-high heat to brown the beef, crumbling it with a spatula as it cooks and stirring frequently to ensure even cooking. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes or as necessary until beef is cooked through and onions are soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
- Add the black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, green onions, taco seasoning, pepper, and stir to combine.
- Add the pasta and stir to combine.
- Evenly sprinkle with the cheese, optionally add jalapeno slices, and place skillet under the broiler until the cheese has melted and is bubbling, about 1 to 2 minutes. If desired, allow cheese to brown slightly, or to taste. Keep a very careful eye on your skillet and the cheese because broilers can burn things in a matter of seconds.
- Evenly sprinkle with the reserved 2 tablespoons green onions, cilantro, and serve immediately.
- Inspired by Easy 30-Minute Taco Macaroni and Cheese and One Skillet Beef Taco Pasta
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Ground Beef Skillet Recipes:
One Skillet Ground Beef Taco Pasta – An easy recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes, made in one skillet, and loaded with Mexican-inspired flavors! A family favorite that’s great for busy weeknights!
Loaded Skillet Nachos with Beef — EASY, ready in 15 minutes, and LOADED with taco-seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, cilantro, and lots of CHEESE!
One-Skillet Tex Mex Mac and Cheese — An EASY recipe that’s made in ONE skillet so you don’t have to cook the pasta separately! Loaded with ground beef, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro!
15-Minute Cowboy Beef and Rice Skillet – An EASY comfort food recipe with just 5 main ingredients made with everyday staples! Juicy beef, tender rice, and just the right amount of kick from the salsa make this an automatic FAMILY FAVORITE!
Healthier 20-Minute Skillet Lasagna — A fast, EASY, healthier way to enjoy lasagna — in skillet form! Warm pasta and beef topped with tomato sauce and Parmesan is IRRESISTIBLE!
Cheesy Beef Ravioli — EASY, ready in 30 minutes, and it’s pure cheesy COMFORT FOOD in every bite! Makes a big batch and it’s perfect for meal prep and planned freezer meals!
great
Actually I will use the gremolata on other dishes too from now on. And last – I used mashed potatoes (as I did not have polenta) it worked perfect. Thank you for the great recipe. Visit us: https://www.beckandbulow.com
Don’t have a kitchen scale. How many cups is half a pound of pasta.
Thanks. Looks good. Want to try it
Generally a half of a box; most pasta is sold in 1 pound increments in the US.
this sounds unbelievably flavorful and so perfect for a weeknight dinner!! i think if i made this with whole wheat or chickpea pasta and cut back a little on the cheese, i might be able to please both my taste buds and my boyfriend’s, so that’s saying a lot! haha thank you for sharing your recipe :)
Sounds like a winner if you’d both enjoy it!
Had everything I needed for this recipe so I made it tonight for a quick easy meal before gymnastics and volleyball practice. So simple and everyone loved it! My kids raved. Thank you for a doable delicious busy weeknight meal.
Thanks for trying the recipe the same day I posted it and glad it was a hit with the kids!
Easy dinner ideas are always welcome!
My cast iron skillet is perfect for stove top to broiler recipes and this looks good–especially with all that golden brown cheese on top! I am keeping this on my to make list a little later this week!
Glad that it looks good to you and that you’re going to try it later this week!
Really good recipe Averie–we definitely enjoyed it! I love everything in this with the taco seasoning and chiles. I have always found your recipes to be just right for us when it comes to spice levels!
Thanks for letting me know this was a win for you and that the heat level is just right for you with regard to the spices!