In these Taco Stuffed Shells, tacos and pasta collide to make a delicious, family-friendly dinner!

taco stuffed shells in pan just out of the oven

In a traditional stuffed shells recipe, cooked pasta shells are stuffed with beef and ricotta and topped with marinara and mozzarella cheese. Taco stuffed shells are much different than that. These are shells stuffed with taco meat, then topped with salsa and cheese and baked until piping hot with plenty of melted cheese!

ingredients displayed for making taco stuffed shells

Ingredients needed:

  • jumbo pasta shells
  • 90% lean ground beef
  • onion
  • bell pepper
  • garlic
  • canned diced tomatoes
  • packet of taco seasoning
  • salsa
  • cheddar cheese
  • Monterey Jack cheese

four photos showing how to make stuffed shells

How to make Taco Stuffed Shells:

Cook the pasta shells until they are an al dente texture (a little bit of a firmness to the pasta). 

Make the taco meat. Sauté the beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic until the beef has browned and the veggies are soft. Add tomatoes, taco seasoning and water. Simmer until thickened.

Spread 1/2 cup of salsa in the bottom of a casserole dish. Spoon taco meat into the shells, and place them into the casserole dish. Spoon the remaining salsa on the taco stuffed shells. Sprinkle cheese on top. 

close up of cheesy taco stuffed shells

Cover and bake for about 30 minutes (until it looks like this). It will be hot and cheesy!

tacos stuffed shells in pyrex with fixings in bowls on side

You can certainly eat these on their own with no adornments at all, but I wholeheartedly believe that these taco stuffed shells are not complete until you add your favorite fixings! I recommend shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, chopped onion, sour cream and maybe even a little guacamole. Add what you usually like best when you make traditional tacos.

serving of taco stuffed shells on a plate topped with fixings

What’s not to love?  You get two favorite meals (tacos and pasta) in the same dinner. Sign me up!  This is one dinner recipe that your family is sure to ask you to make again and again. Enjoy!

taco stuffed shells in pan just out of the oven
3.73 from 11 votes

Taco Stuffed Shells

Tacos and pasta meet to create an awesome dinner!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
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Ingredients

SHELLS:

  • 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells, cooked to al dente
  • 16 ounces 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juices
  • One 1.25-ounce packet taco seasoning
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup salsa, divided
  • 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

TOPPINGS:

  • shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, diced red onion, sour cream and salsa (as desired)

Instructions 

  • Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain well. 
  • Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray the inside of a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. 
  • Add the beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the meat. 
  • Stir in the diced tomatoes (with juices), taco seasoning, and water. Cook uncovered until the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly until the meat isn’t too hot to touch. 
  • Spread half of the salsa in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. 
  • Spoon the meat mixture into the cooked pasta shells and arrange them in the prepared casserole dish. Spoon on the remaining salsa. Sprinkle the cheese on top.  
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake until the shells are warm throughout and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. If you want to brown the top a little, remove the foil and broil for a couple minutes. 
  • Serve warm with desired toppings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (4 to 5 shells), Calories: 538kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 1154mg, Potassium: 721mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1251IU, Vitamin C: 27mg, Calcium: 341mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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3.73 from 11 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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12 Comments

  1. Connie Dincher says:

    Our store didn’t have the jumbo shells so I got the small ones and just mixed together with the hamburger mixture, smells wonderful, can’t wait for dinnertime

  2. Michigan Mom says:

    Good but didn’t add the water as I didn’t drain the beef. Good flavor. I used double the salsa and taco seasoning and 2lbs beef.

  3. Jalyn Vaughn says:

    I followed the directions to a t and the shells are just falling apart. There were several already broken in the package but I strained them and they just fell apart. Had to just put it all in the casserole pan and hope for the best I’m guessing they are cooked too long, but they were cooked to the pkg directions. .

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Oh bummer. Yeah, that sounds like pasta was cooked too long.

  4. Amber c. says:

    5 stars
    My whole family loved this! So easy!! Will definitely make again!!

  5. Jeanne Roland says:

    5 stars
    I made this recipe specific to your instructions and it was outstanding- I used a medium heat salsa- will make this again- Great recipe

  6. Jen Wright says:

    We had this last night and it was so delicious! Easy to make and it will last us a few nights!

  7. Lisa E says:

    I’m going to try this soon but wondered, can it be made ahead of time, refrigerated then baked when we want to have it for a meal?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      That should probably work out okay!

  8. Annette says:

    I made this for dinner tonight for Father’s Day. It was a huge hit. Everyone asked for it to be added into our regular rotation of meals! Thanks for a great recipe.

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Happy to hear, thanks!

  9. Ms.Rene says:

    I will be trying this very soon