We tested this for a quick weeknight dinner and started eating it with a fork straight out of the skillet. Cheddar on top, a squeeze of lime, a little cilantro. Everyone in our family went for seconds and our kiddo had the leftovers for lunch most of the week.

A white pot filled with cheesy rotini pasta bake topped with black beans, lime slices, and fresh herbs. A serving spoon rests in the pot; bowls of herbs are nearby. this recipe

What makes this recipe work

The pasta cooks in the sauce: That’s the whole point of a one-pan ground chicken dinner recipe like this. Instead of boiling noodles in a separate pot and draining off the water, the dry pasta goes right into the broth, tomato sauce, and chiles with the browned chicken. Everything absorbs as it cooks. The flavor absorbs into the noodles instead of coating on the outside.

Ground chicken is easy for families: We default a lot to ground beef, but our daughter prefers ground chicken. Kid-friendly chicken dinner for the win.

The taco flavor comes from the spice rack, not a packet: We’ve made our own homemade taco seasoning for years. Mix the spices in a ramekin while the chicken browns and dump the whole thing in at once. Black beans and diced green chiles add a little spice and texture.

The cheese melts quickly at the end: Pull the pan off simmer, toss the cheddar (and Monterey Jack if you’re using it) on top, cover, walk away for two minutes. Done.

Related -> Try some easy ground chicken tacos

How to make this one pan ground chicken pasta

Chopped white onion and minced garlic on a wooden cutting board placed on a white marble surface.
Prep onion and garlic as noted.
Cooked ground turkey and chopped onions in a white Dutch oven, being stirred with a gray spoon on a white marble surface.
Brown the ground chicken and onion for 6-7 minutes.
A white bowl filled with a finely ground brown spice mixture sits on a white marble surface.
While the chicken cooks, mix up the taco seasoning.
A hand stirs browned ground meat with a gray spatula in a white enameled pot on a marble countertop.
When chicken is cooked, stir in the garlic and seasonings.
A hand pours broth from a glass measuring cup into a pot containing black beans, diced green chilies, tomato sauce, and browned ground meat on a white countertop.
Add the green chiles, black beans, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and dry pasta.
A hand holding a spoon over a pot filled with rotini pasta, ground meat, black beans, and sauce on a white countertop.
Push the pasta down into the liquid until it is covered completely.
A hand stirs cooked rotini pasta with beans and sauce in a large white pot on a marble surface.
Bring to a quick boil, then cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Stir to scrape up bits from the bottom of the pan.
A hand sprinkles shredded cheese over a pan of cooked rotini pasta mixed with ground meat on a white countertop.
Scatter cheese over the top of the pasta.
A person wearing a wristwatch lifts the lid off a round, white Dutch oven filled with pasta on a white marble surface.
Cover and let the cheese melt for 2 minutes.
A skillet filled with rotini pasta, black beans, melted cheese, and ground meat, garnished with cilantro and lime wedges, with a serving spoon in the pan.
Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

What we learned testing this

  • Scrape up the good bits. Before the cheese goes on, take the wooden spoon and pull any stuck residue off the bottom of the skillet, then mix it back in. Don’t skip this. Without that step, some of the good stuff you cooked stays stuck to the pan and ends up in the sink.
  • Any short pasta works. Rotini is our usual pick. Penne, shells, corkscrew, and elbows are all good. Whatever you use, keep the 12 oz pasta to 2.5 cups broth ratio and adjust the simmer time to match the pasta box (some shapes need 10 minutes, some want 14).
  • Notes for ground chicken. For a little more flavor, look for an 85/15 label or a “dark meat” call-out on the front of the package. Leaner versions work just fine too if that’s your preference.
  • Toppings are honestly optional. We’ve tried it all the ways. Straight from the skillet, with a little lime, with a little cilantro, and with some avocado slices. Choose your own adventure on this one.
A skillet with cooked rotini pasta, black beans, cheese, ground meat, and fresh cilantro, garnished with lime wedges, on a white surface.
A skillet filled with rotini pasta, black beans, melted cheese, and ground meat, garnished with cilantro and lime wedges, with a serving spoon in the pan.
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Ground Chicken Taco Pasta (Cheesy, One Pan)

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
One skillet, dinner ready in about 35 minutes. Ground chicken simmers with black beans, diced green chiles, and pasta in a tomato and broth base. Topped with melted cheddar, fresh cilantro, and lime. Real taco flavor, no seasoning packet.
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Ingredients

  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced, (or 1.5 tsp jarred minced garlic)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground chicken, 85/15 or higher fat dark meat blend recommended, 93/7 or 99 work too.
  • 1 can 4 oz can diced green chiles
  • 1 can 15 oz can black beans, drained,
  • 1 can 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 2.5 cups chicken broth
  • 12 oz short pasta, rotini, penne, or shells
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, optional, for extra melting
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
  • Lime wedges, for serving
  • Sliced avocado, for serving

For the seasoning:

  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Prepare onion and garlic as noted.
    1 small yellow onion, diced, 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch deep skillet or 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and diced onion. Cook, breaking the chicken apart with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 7 minutes until the chicken loses its pink color. If the pan has a lot of rendered fat, drain off all but about a tablespoon.
    1 tbsp olive oil, 1 lb ground chicken, 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • While the chicken cooks, mix up the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin and gather the remaining ingredients.
    2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Stir in the minced garlic and seasonings. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring, until the spices smell fragrant.
    3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Add the green chiles, black beans, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and dry pasta. Stir to push the pasta down into the liquid so it submerges.
    1 can 4 oz can diced green chiles, 1 can 15 oz can black beans, drained, 2.5 cups chicken broth, 12 oz short pasta, 1 can 8 oz tomato sauce
  • Bring the pan to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust cooking time as needed based on the cooking directions for the pasta you use.
  • Remove the pan from the heat. Mix up the contents of the pan, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate. Scatter the shredded cheddar (and Monterey Jack if using) evenly over the top. Cover and let sit for 2 minutes until the cheese melts.
    1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • Top with chopped cilantro. Serve from the skillet with lime wedges and any of the optional toppings on the side.
    2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, Lime wedges, Sliced avocado

Last Step:

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Notes

  • Nutrition estimates are per serving and an estimate provided for reader benefit. Estimates do not include any optional or serving ingredients for this recipe. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.  
Calories: 522kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 17g, Fiber: 8g
Course: Main Course
Author: Justin Winn
Cuisine: Mexican
Did you make this recipe?Tag @realsimplegood with hashtag #realsimplegood on Instagram. We love to see what you make!
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