This Instant Pot Burrito Pasta has everything you love about taco Tuesday: seasoned beef, black beans, and salsa, combined with creamy, cheesy pasta. And it comes together in one pot, in about 30 minutes! It’s the kind of weeknight dinner that tastes impressive but asks almost nothing of you.
This is one of my favorite weeknight dinners to make when I have zero energy and even less patience. You dump everything in the Instant Pot, walk away, and come back to a dinner the whole family loves. And if you’ve forgotten to thaw the ground beef (again!), that is no problem.
The pasta cooks right in the liquid with all the burrito-spiced ingredients, so it absorbs all that flavor instead of just getting coated in it. When you open that lid, it’s thick and cheesy, and it smells exactly like your favorite burrito bowl.
If you’ve ever convinced yourself that Instant Pot recipes are complicated, this one will prove that they are not. It has one pot, no draining, and no babysitting. Just add the ingredients, seal the lid, and let it do its thing.
Below, I’ll walk you through the exact ingredients, the step-by-step process, and a few easy ways to swap things out based on what’s already in your fridge. Think burrito night, but make it pasta!
Looking for more recipe ideas for taco Tuesday? Try my recipes for slow cooker carnitas, tater tot nachos, or birria chili.
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Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Ground beef: I always reach for ground chuck when I’m making this because it has just enough fat to keep things flavorful without leaving you with a greasy mess at the bottom of your pot.
- Beef broth
- Taco seasoning
- Frozen corn
- Black beans
- Penne pasta
- Salsa
- Shredded cheese
- Garnishes: Garnish the pasta with tomatoes, avocado, and black olives or your favorite taco toppings.
How to Make Instant Pot Burrito Pasta
- Turn your Instant Pot to saute and let it heat up for a minute or two. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks. Once it’s cooked through with no pink remaining, drain off the excess fat. Hit cancel to turn off the saute function.
- Pour in the beef broth, then use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the taco seasoning until everything is well combined.
- Next, add the corn first, then the rinsed and drained black beans, followed by the penne pasta, and finally pour the salsa over the top. Do not stir at this point. Layering prevents the pasta from sticking to the bottom and ensures even cooking.
- Secure the lid on your Instant Pot and set the valve to sealing. Select Manual or Pressure Cook (depending on your model), then set the timer to 5 minutes at high pressure. The pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the actual cooking time begins.
- When the cook cycle is complete and your Instant Pot beeps, carefully turn the valve to venting to release the pressure quickly.
- Take the lid off and stir it all together. Mix in 1 cup of the shredded cheese, and it will melt into the pasta, creating a creamy sauce. Sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheese over the top.
- Place the lid back on the Instant Pot (you don’t need to seal it, rest it on top) and let it sit for a minute or two to melt the top layer of cheese.
- Spoon the burrito pasta into bowls and let everyone top with their own garnishes.
Serving Ideas
Serve this burrito pasta with all your favorite garnishes. I like tomatoes, olives, and avocado, but you can also add guacamole, pickled jalapeños, or whatever your family loves best. I like to set out small bowls of each so everyone can customize their own bowl.
When my family gets tired of the traditional taco format, I pull out this recipe instead. Serve it with tortilla chips on the side for scooping, or let people wrap it in warm flour tortillas if they want. It’s comfort food that feels like you’re doing something different, even though you’re really just putting familiar flavors in a new package.
It is six servings, which sounds great until you realize your teenage son eats three of them! If you’re feeding a crowd or want leftovers, serve this alongside Mexican rice or black beans to round out the meal and make it go further.
How to Store
This pasta keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta won’t dry out like some other pasta dishes because of all that salsa and cheese coating everything.
Don’t add the fresh toppings (tomatoes, avocado, olives) until you are ready to eat. Fresh ingredients don’t hold up well in storage, and adding them right before serving makes the whole thing feel fresher anyway.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Make sure you deglaze the Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up every last bit stuck to the bottom to reduce the chance of getting a burn notice.
- Layer, don’t stir. If you stir everything together, the salsa can settle on the bottom and trigger the burn warning.
- If your ground beef is frozen, it is no problem. Put the frozen beef in the Instant Pot on saute and turn it every few minutes until it thaws and browns.
- I like penne in this recipe because its tube shape holds up beautifully under pressure and catches all that cheesy, beefy goodness. If you need to substitute, stick with sturdy shapes like rigatoni, ziti, or rotini.
- This recipe is incredibly forgiving and loves additions. Got some bell peppers that need using up? Dice them and toss them in with the corn. Want more heat? Add diced jalapeños or a can of green chiles.
- Ground turkey or chicken works great in this recipe, though you should add a tablespoon of oil to the pot before browning since they’re leaner than beef. The cooking time and method stay the same.
- I usually grab a Mexican blend or sharp cheddar cheese because that’s what’s always in my fridge. Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or even a combination works wonderfully.
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Instant Pot Burrito Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 3 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup taco seasoning
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 8 ounces penne pasta half a box
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
- 1 tomato diced, for garnish
- 1 avocado diced, for garnish
- ¼ cup sliced black olives for garnish
Instructions
- Use the sauté mode to heat the Instant Pot. Add the ground beef and cook until browned and crumbled. Drain well. Cancel the saute mode.2 pounds ground chuck
- Add the beef broth, then scrape the bottom to remove the cooked bits.3 cups beef broth
- Return the beef to the pressure cooker, then stir in the taco seasoning. Add the remaining ingredients in this order: corn, black beans, penne pasta, and salsa. Do not stir.¼ cup taco seasoning, 1 cup frozen corn, 1 can black beans, 8 ounces penne pasta, 1 cup salsa
- Place the lid on the electric pressure cooker and set the valve to sealing. Set the pressure cooker to Manual or Pressure Cook for 5 minutes. Quick release the pressure when the cook cycle is complete.
- Stir 1 cup of cheese into the pasta. Top with the remaining cheese, then place the lid on the pressure cooker just until the cheese melts.1 ½ cups shredded cheese
- Serve the burrito pasta garnished with tomatoes, avocados, and black olives if desired.1 tomato, 1 avocado, ¼ cup sliced black olives
Notes
- Make sure you deglaze the Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up every last bit stuck to the bottom to reduce the chance of getting a burn notice.
- Layer, don’t stir. If you stir everything together, the salsa can settle on the bottom and trigger the burn warning.
- If your ground beef is frozen, it is no problem. Put the frozen beef in the Instant Pot on saute and turn it every few minutes until it thaws and browns.
- I like penne in this recipe because its tube shape holds up beautifully under pressure and catches all that cheesy, beefy goodness. If you need to substitute, stick with sturdy shapes like rigatoni, ziti, or rotini.
- This recipe is incredibly forgiving and loves additions. Got some bell peppers that need using up? Dice them and toss them in with the corn. Want more heat? Add diced jalapeños or a can of green chiles.
- Ground turkey or chicken works great in this recipe, though you should add a tablespoon of oil to the pot before browning since they’re leaner than beef. The cooking time and method stay the same.
- I usually grab a Mexican blend or sharp cheddar cheese because that’s what’s always in my fridge. Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, or even a combination works wonderfully.
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
