Every kids' two favorite dinners just collided, and it's shockingly delicious! Mexican Spaghetti combines taco night and spaghetti with meat sauce in one delicious bowl.
In this twist of a dish, spaghetti noodles are topped off with a hearty sauce made extra savory with ground beef, crushed tomatoes, and a mix of classic Mexican spices.
Think Sopa de Fideo, only heartier!
The entire dinner is made from scratch, yet only takes 30 minutes and the sauce comes together in just one pot! It's the perfect busy weeknight dinner and a crowd-pleaser of a dish you can feel proud bringing to the table.
Looking for more delicious ways to serve Mexican flavors at home? Bookmark these kid-friendly Chicken Flautas for next time!
HOW TO MAKE MEXICAN SPAGHETTI
Before you begin making the sauce for your Mexican Spaghetti, be sure to get a big pot of generously salted water going on the stovetop. By the time your water comes to a boil, and those spaghetti noodles finish cooking, your sauce should be about ready!
- Soften the Veggies
- Brown the Ground Beef
- Add Crushed Tomatoes and Spices
- Simmer
- Serve and Garnish (optional)
This sauce for this spaghetti is similar to a ranchero and comes together entirely from scratch in about 30 minutes!
1. SOFTEN THE VEGGIES
You'll start by adding a drizzle of oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then, you'll add in chopped jalapeno and onion and cook until softened.
2. BROWN THE GROUND BEEF
Once those veggies are ready, it's time to add the meat for the Mexican Spaghetti Sauce. Add in the ground beef (or you could use turkey if you'd like), along with a packet of taco seasoning. Stir the mix around until the beef is broken up and mixed up well with the vegetables. Continue to cook until there is no more pink showing, giving the pot a stir every now and again. This should take about 7 to 10 minutes.
3. ADD CRUSHED TOMATOES AND SPICES
After your meat is fully cooked through, it's time to bring this sauce home! Add in the crushed tomatoes, along with the spices, sugar (more on that ingredient below), the bay leaf, and water.
4. SIMMER
Reduce the heat, and simmer the mix for about 15 to 20 minutes, giving those flavors time to mingle and build.
5. SERVE AND GARNISH
If you started your water for the noodles around the same time you started the sauce, everything should be crossing the finish line right around that 30-minute mark! Then, drain your spaghetti noodles and top them off with your Mexican Spaghetti Sauce.
Garnish with a heaping handful of freshly grated Cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of cilantro for an extra special touch!
MORE KID-FRIENDLY SPAGHETTI DINNERS:
- Chicken Spaghetti
- Meatball Casserole
- Baked Spaghetti Casserole
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Swamp Monster Spaghetti (perfect for Halloween!)
NOTEWORTHY INGREDIENTS
Veggies | Fresh vegetables are always a win for adding both flavor and a little extra nutritional value to any dish! Diced onion and jalapeno does wonders for Mexican Spaghetti sauce! Because the jalapeño is seeded before it goes into the sauce, you won't have to worry about it being to spicy for the kids!
Meat | As far as the meat goes, you have options! The recipe calls for lean (90/10) ground beef. This is so you don't have to worry about skimming any extra fat from the pan before adding in the crushed tomatoes and spices. If you don't want to use ground beef, you could easily sub in ground turkey or ground chicken in its place.
Spices | You may have noticed in addition to the taco seasoning, there are quite a few spices to add to the sauce. The taco seasoning makes it very quick and simple to season your ground meat in one fail swoop, but when it comes to flavoring this Mexican Spaghetti sauce, to achieve maximum deliciousness, we needed to get a little more specific than a packet of pre-made seasoning!
Luckily, you more than likely already have most of these ingredients in your spice cabinet! They are as follows: Paprika, salt, garlic powder, cumin, pepper, and a bay leaf!
Sugar | Sugar may seem like a strange ingredient in a savory sauce, but when it comes to a tomato-based sauce, it's actually more than common. The sugar doesn't necessarily add sweetness to the recipe, but rather balance, mellowing out the acidity of the tomatoes.
Garnish | I highly recommend garnishing your Mexican Spaghetti with a handful of freshly grated Cheddar cheese and a pinch of cilantro. Fresh sliced jalapeños would be a delicious addition as well!
HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER MEXICAN SPAGHETTI
Store leftover Mexican Spaghetti refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. This dish would also freeze particularly well!
If you'd like to freeze it, wait for it to cool to room temperature and then transfer it to a snug, freezer-safe, airtight container. You don't want to allow for too much headspace in the container, as it will promote freezer burn. Then, seal and transfer to the freezer to store for up to 2 months.
You could also store leftover Mexican Spaghetti bound for the freezer in a freezer-safe, gallon-sized zip-top bag.
5 FUN MEXICAN DISHES YOU’LL LOVE!
This easy Mexican Spaghetti recipe features spaghetti noodles topped off with a hearty sauce and made extra savory with ground beef, crushed tomatoes, and a mix of classic Mexican spices.
- 2 tablespoons avocado or canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ cup water
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles (cooked according to package directions)
- Shredded Cheddar cheese and chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired
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Add the oil to an enameled cast iron dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat and allow to come to temperature. Add the onion and jalapeño and stir to coat in the oil.
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Sauté the vegetables until softened, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Add the ground beef and taco seasoning, and break apart the ground beef, mixing it in with the vegetables and evenly distributing the seasoning as you work.
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Cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until the ground beef is completely cooked through.
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Add the crushed tomatoes, cumin, sugar, paprika, salt, garlic powder, pepper, bay leaf, and water to the pot and stir to combine.
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Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for 15-20 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf.
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Serve over cooked spaghetti noodles with a garnish of Cheddar cheese and cilantro, if desired.
