Jumbo shells are stuffed with seasoned ground beef and topped with queso, taco sauce, and shredded cheese to make these Taco Stuffed Shells. They’re a guaranteed family favorite and great for meal prep!
My family loves taco-everything. Regular ground beef tacos, taco pasta, taco mac and cheese, taco bowls…if you can name it and it has “taco” in the name, chances are my family loves it. We also really love unique stuffed shells, like Philly cheesesteak stuffed shells and crack chicken stuffed shells.
It’s no surprise, then, that these taco stuffed shells are an all-time family favorite and have been for years. I’ve adapted the recipe over the years, adding more taco sauce and queso to make them a bit saucier and green onions and peppers to the ground beef for added flavor, but the heart of the recipe has stayed the same. I’ll often double the recipe and pop one casserole in the freezer for later, since it’s one of the few dishes I never hear complaints about!
Why We Love These Taco Stuffed Shells
- Fun twist on Taco Tuesday. We make some variation of tacos almost weekly, and these taco stuffed shells are a fun alternative to classic tacos, with all the usual fillings and flavors in a new format.
- Great for make-ahead. This is actually a fantastic recipe to assemble a day in advance and pop in the oven on a busy night. It can also be assembled and frozen for those days you just don’t have time to plan anything.
- Super cheesy & flavorful. The filling is made with both taco seasoning and taco sauce, which gives it lots of classic taco flavor, and then everything is drizzled with queso. Shredded cheese is sprinkled on top for that final finish. So good!
Ingredient Notes
These stuffed shells are made with your usual taco meat ingredients, plus a few extra. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Ground beef – Note the measurement of 1.3 pounds for this recipe. A single pound doesn’t give quite enough meat, while 1.5 pounds is a bit too much.
- Pepper & onion – Chopped green bell pepper and yellow onion add flavor to the ground beef.
- Taco seasoning – I like to use homemade taco seasoning, but any packet from the store works, too.
- Taco sauce – We like to use mild taco sauce, such as the Taco Bell brand available at the stores. It makes the filling a bit saucier and more flavorful than just using taco seasoning.
- Pasta shells – You definitely want jumbo shells for this recipe. Even the large ones are much harder to fill.
- Queso – Adds some creamy, cheesiness to the stuffed shells. If we have leftover white queso dip on hand I’ll use that, but a jar from the store makes things quick and easy.
- Shredded cheese – I just grab a bag of the taco blend shredded cheese for ease.
How To Make Taco Stuffed Shells
Let’s take a look at just how easy these are to make. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Cook the beef. Cook the beef, peppers, and onion over medium/high heat until no pink remains. Break it up with a spatula as it cooks.
- Simmer with the sauce. Add the taco seasoning, water, and ¼ cup of the taco sauce to the skillet. Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer.
- Cook the pasta. Boil a large pot of water. Add the jumbo shells and boil for 12 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Assemble. Spread ½ cup of taco sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Place 20 pasta shells on top. Divide the meat evenly into the shells with a spoon. Drizzle the queso and remaining taco sauce evenly on top, then finish with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
- Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 6 minutes.
- Enjoy. Top with any desired garnishes and enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Variations
Here are a few general tips for making this taco stuffed shells recipe, as well as a couple of ways to customize the recipe.
- Make extra shells. Though only 20 shells are needed for this recipe, I like to boil at least 25 to have extra in case any tear apart in the process.
- Cook just to al dente. Do not overcook the jumbo shells. If they become mushy, they won’t hold their shape in the pan and it will be difficult to stuff them.
- Drain the ground beef. If you used ground beef with a higher fat percentage, be sure to drain any excess grease from the pan before adding the taco seasoning and water.
- Use different meat. Ground chicken and turkey are great alternatives to ground beef in this recipe.
- Make it spicy. I use mild taco seasoning and sauce for these taco stuffed shells to keep them family-friendly. But if you want to kick things up a notch, use spicy seasoning or sauce, add some jalapenos with the bell peppers, or even a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
Serving Suggestions
It’s fun to load these taco stuffed shells with your favorite taco toppings. Some shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes add some freshness to lighten them up a bit. Pico de gallo, guacamole or diced avocado, salsa, sour cream, and green onions are also good options. You can also just drizzle some more queso on top.
If you want a heartier meal, you can also serve these over Mexican rice.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge: Store leftover taco stuffed shells in an airtight container in the fridge. They’re best enjoyed within 3 days. Reheat individual servings in the fridge or the entire pan in the oven.
- Freezer: These can be frozen before or after baking. If you plan to freeze the entire pan, I recommend preparing it in an aluminum baking dish that you can easily wrap in plastic wrap and foil. Otherwise, place leftovers in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen (be sure to remove any plastic!) until hot and cheesy.
Taco Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1.3 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- ½ cup water
- 1 ¼ cup taco sauce divided
- 20-25 jumbo pasta shells uncooked
- ½ cup queso jarred
- 3 cups taco blend shredded cheese
- Fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the ground beef, chopped pepper, and onion to a large skillet and cook on stovetop over medium/high heat until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.
- Add the taco seasoning, water, and ¼ cup taco sauce to the skillet and stir until all ingredients are fully combined. Reduce the heat to low and allow the meat mixture to simmer while you prepare the pasta.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stovetop over medium/high heat. Add the pasta to the pot and allow it to boil for about 12 minutes or until al dente. Strain the water from the pasta and set the pasta aside.
- Spread ½ cup taco sauce into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish and arrange 20 of the pasta shells on top of the sauce.
- Divide the meat mixture evenly into each of the pasta shells, using a spoon to stuff the shells.
- Drizzle the queso and the remaining ½ cup of taco sauce evenly over the top of the stuffed shells.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the stuffed shells.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 6 minutes.
- Serve topped with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, or extra queso sauce.
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1 thought on “Taco Stuffed Shells”
Delicious!!! I followed the recipe to the letter. I used a little more cheese for garnish (we LOVE cheese) and put the drained Rotel on top. Definitely make this again!