This ground chicken taco pasta is a delicious way to use your store-bought taco seasoning. It’s assembled on a bed of pasta, topped with garlicky yogurt and chicken taco sauce, then finished with fresh garnishes. A fusion-style, cheese-free recipe that’s easier than it sounds. Feel-good food, anyone?
In many cuisines, I've seen yogurt added to pasta sauce, but had never come across a recipe where pasta is plated with a layer of yogurt. That was before I saw a viral Turkish pasta recipe.
Taking inspiration from that, I wanted to explore how taco-style ground chicken would pair on top of some garlicky yogurt, and you guys, my experiment turned out way better than I expected.
That said, I did amp up the taco seasoning with a few of my own spices and made the chicken a bit saucy. That built-on flavor works perfectly with the cool, creamy tang of yogurt. The flavors don't compete, they complement.
This is quite possibly one of the best ways of using ground chicken (aka chicken mince) in a pasta recipe and will take you by happy surprise. Oh and if you're looking for more ground chicken pasta recipes, here's another nice one I've got.
Quick word about store-bought taco seasoning
I use Old El Paso taco seasoning for this recipe. This is not a sponsored mention, just that it’s very easy to find and probably one of the most commonly sold taco seasonings worldwide.
I can’t speak to its regional variations in taste, if there are any, but what I find here in Canada is a bit flat for my liking. Which is why I add extra spices.
If you’re using another brand of taco seasoning, start with 2 tablespoons per pound of ground chicken.
An even better way to figure out the right amount is to check the label on your packet, container, or jar. They usually mention how much to use in proportion to the meat.
Pre-cooking notes
- Because you need a spoon to enjoy all the layers in a bite, I find farfalle/bow-tie works really well, but any small, spoonable pasta is fine.
- I use regular yogurt, but Greek yogurt or Indian-style yogurt/dahi works too.
- For zest and juice, I use lime, but I’ve made this dish with lemon as well, and it still turned out good.
- You don’t have to stick to red bell pepper. Use green, yellow, orange, whatever you have or can easily find.
- The heat from crushed red pepper flakes gives a nice balance to the cooling effect of the yogurt. Use less if you prefer, but don’t skip entirely.
- I use canned tomato sauce, but have also had good outcomes with jarred sauces, even ones with basil. Since the sodium in these can vary a lot, you might need to add some salt later.
- As for fresh herbs, cilantro and parsley both work great. I imagine basil would too, but I haven’t personally tried.
A visual guide for making ground chicken taco pasta
Here are photos of the key steps to guide you through the recipe. For a printable version with quantities and notes, see the recipe card below.
Cook pasta in salted water per package instructions, drain, toss with 1 teaspoon oil, and set aside. Mix together yogurt, minced garlic, lime zest, lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Heat cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, sauté until it softens. Add garlic and bell pepper, cook 2 minutes. Add ground chicken along with taco seasoning, paprika, pepper, cumin, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, sugar, water and chicken bouillon cube. Gently simmer for 10 to 12 minutes to thicken. Mix in cilantro and lime juice.
Divide everything evenly across 3 plates. Start each plate with pasta, top with yogurt, followed by chicken taco sauce. Finish with toppings such as chopped tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onions, and enjoy!
Top tips
- If using canned tomato sauce, it’s a good idea to check the “best/use before” date. Tomato products tend to pick up a weird metallic taste over time, which can throw off the flavor of your dish. Ask me how I know.
- This is by no stretch an authentic Mexican dish. Just my take, and a fusion one at that. Now, if you want to push the fusion angle a bit more, and you have dried mint or dill weed, feel free to add a small amount to your yogurt. Makes the flavor richer.
- You could make the yogurt-mix while your pasta is boiling or your meat sauce is simmering, but I listed the step earlier because letting that sauce sit a bit helps meld the flavors together. I wouldn’t make it too far ahead, though. The lime can make it overly tangy if left too long.
Topping ideas
I serve this pasta with a bunch of different toppings on the side. I’ve listed three (tomatoes, green onions, and crushed tortilla chips). Those are my favorites. But there are so many more you can try, like avocado, roasted corn kernels, finely chopped jalapeño, chopped lettuce or shredded cabbage, sriracha, and regular or pickled onions.
Alright, that's it for now. If you try this recipe, please drop a review and comment below!
Happy cooking – Nelo
Ground Chicken Taco Pasta
Ingredients
For Cooking Pasta
- 8 ounces (230 g) pasta - uncooked, I prefer farfalle/bow-tie (Note A)
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil - to prevent boiled pasta from sticking together
For Yogurt Mix
- 1.25 cups (300 g) plain yogurt - unsweetened, unflavored
- 2 cloves garlic - finely minced, I use garlic press
- ¼ teaspoon lime zest - measure lightly without pressing into the spoon
- ½ teaspoon lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Chicken Taco Sauce
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 medium (150 g) onion - finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - finely minced, I use garlic press
- 1 medium (150 g) bell pepper - finely chopped, I use red but any color works
- 1 pound (500 g) ground chicken - aka chicken mince
- 1 packet taco seasoning - packets usually weigh 24–28 g (1 oz) each. See Note B – amount of seasoning required may vary
- ½ teaspoon paprika - preferably smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - adjust to taste
- 1 cup (230 ml) tomato sauce - any kind, preferably low-sodium or salt-free (Note C)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ cup (180 ml) water
- ½ chicken bouillon cube - or use granulated bouillon or chicken base
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro - divided – or use parsley
- 1.5 tablespoon lime juice - fresh
Optional toppings
- ¼ cup fresh tomatoes - finely diced
- ¼ cup green onions - finely chopped, aka scallions/spring onions
- crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. Tip: Use the checkboxes next to each ingredient to track your prep.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Follow the package instructions to cook pasta. Drain and carefully toss with 1 teaspoon cooking oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside.
- Mix together yogurt, minced garlic, lime zest, ½ teaspoon lime juice, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, sauté 3 to 6 minutes or until it becomes soft.
- Add minced garlic and chopped red bell pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
- Add ground chicken along with taco seasoning, paprika, ground black pepper, ground cumin, and crushed red pepper flakes. Break up the chicken as it cooks so there are no large clumps. Stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, sugar, water and chicken bouillon cube. Gently simmer for 8 to 12 minutes until it thickens but is still saucy. Then mix in chopped cilantro and 1.5 tablespoons lime juice. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
- As you assemble the dish, aim to divide everything evenly across 3 plates. Start each plate with a layer of pasta, then yogurt, followed by chicken taco sauce.
- Finish with toppings such as chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, crushed tortilla chips, and enjoy! If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. Leave your rating and comment below.
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