• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
30 minutes
4.47 from 60 votes
68 Comments

One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo

Jump to RecipePrint RecipeJump to Video
  • 901
  • 578
by: Joanna Cismaru
09.06.19
Updated: 10.03.20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo – picture the yumminess with this quick and delicious pot of perfect comfort food, ready in 30 minutes! Enjoy a big bowl of cheesy gooey goodness!

a spoon lifting a big cheesy scoop of taco orzo out of a pot

At the very least, I think you should bookmark this recipe for a busy weeknight or when you’re in a pinch because you couldn’t get off any easier with making dinner. Another thing I love about this dish is how pretty and colorful it is, because as you all know we first eat with our eyes, and I’m all about colorful and pretty dishes. One last thing to mention here is the more cheese the better, although I only list one cup of shredded cheese in the ingredients list, go big or go home.

The thing is, I really dig this dish (do people still say dig?) because I’m a sucker for anything cheesy, especially cheesy pasta. And I even like to fool myself into thinking this dish is healthy because I did add some veggies to it, like the bell pepper and all those toppings like the tomatoes, green onions and olives.

What Is Orzo?

Orzo is a small cut pasta that tastes heavenly in big entrees just like the one I’m writing out for you all today. It packs some good protein and pairs well with a good variety of veggies, I’ll be sure to give you some good recommendations below. This dish is absolutely divine and I can’t wait to show it to you all today!

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Onion – We want something that cooks down well like white or yellow.
  • Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
  • Orzo – We want this small shaped pasta for our dish, but you could also substitute it with couscous.
  • Broth – Low sodium chicken broth to cook our orzo in.
  • Hot sauce – Feel free to use whatever brand you’d like, I prefer sriracha so I incorporated some of that in my dish today.
  • Cheese – Mozzarella and cheddar shredded up fresh.
  • Veggies – Bell pepper diced up small.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
  • Taco sauce – We want to incorporate some taco skillet sauce into our dish. This sauce is one of my favorites and if you can find it, I recommend buying loads of it. However, feel free to replace this with taco sauce or enchilada sauce.
  • Toppings – Tomatoes, green onions and olives.
6 steps to make cheesy taco orzo

How To Make Cheesy Taco Orzo

  1. Saute the sauteables: Add the ground beef to a large skillet and brown it over medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up as you go along. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and let it cook for about a minute, then add the chopped bell pepper. Stir everything together and cook for about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent and the pepper is tender.
  2. Incorporate the orzo: Add the dry orzo to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium low. Stir in the taco skillet sauce and the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper then add the hot sauce. Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
  3. Finish the dish: Stir in the cheese and remove from heat. Top with tomatoes, olives, green onions and fresh cilantro before serving.

What Else Can I Add To My One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo?

Another great thing about this recipe, besides it being, quick, one pot and delicious, is the fact that it’s quite versatile. Although I give you a basic recipe here, feel free to add what you’d like to bulk it up a bit!

Veggies

  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Asparagus
  • Peas
  • Mushrooms

Meat

This dish would taste amazing with a bit of chicken, bacon, or pancetta.

Starches

You don’t just have just use orzo, you can use some other starches if you’d like! I’m just obsessed with orzo lately, because you know what, it only takes about 6 minutes to cook!

  • Rice, long grain like Basmati to prevent stickiness
  • Couscous
  • Any small small shaped pasta
overhead of a pot full of cheesy taco orzo

Leftovers

Fridge

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in for 3 to 5 days.

Freezer

Freeze in an airtight container for 1 to 2 months.

More Delicious Orzo Recipes To Try:

  • One Pot Spicy Pork Ragu with Orzo
  • One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo
  • Mediterranean Orzo Salad
  • Lemon Orzo with Asparagus
  • One Pot Greek Chicken Orzo
  • Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

side view shot of a serving spoon taking a scoop of cheesy taco orzo from a pot

One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo

4.47 from 60 votes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 6
Print Pin Rate
One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo – picture the yumminess with this quick and delicious pot of perfect comfort food, ready in 30 minutes! Enjoy a big bowl of cheesy gooey goodness!

Equipment

  • 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 2 cups orzo uncooked
  • 2 cups taco skillet sauce
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce such as Sriracha
  • 1 cup cheese shredded, I used a blend of Mozzarella and Cheddar

Toppings (optional)

  • tomatoes chopped
  • olives chopped
  • green onions chopped
  • fresh cilantro chopped
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Add the ground beef to a large skillet and brown it over medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up as you go along.
  • Add the chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and let it cook for about a minute, then add the chopped bell pepper. Stir everything together and cook for about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent and the pepper is tender.
  • Add the dry orzo to the skillet and turn the heat down to medium low. Stir in the taco skillet sauce and the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper then add the hot sauce. Cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in the cheese and remove from heat.
  • Top with tomatoes, olives, green onions and fresh cilantro before serving.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. If you cannot find taco skillet sauce, regular taco sauce or enchilada sauce can be used.
  2. You can use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.
  3. If you can’t find orzo, small pastas such as shells or farfalle will work as well.
  4. If you use rice as a substitute, make sure to adjust the amount of chicken broth to suit the cooking instructions for the rice you’re using.
  5. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 456kcal (23%)Carbohydrates: 48g (16%)Protein: 30g (60%)Fat: 15g (23%)Saturated Fat: 7g (44%)Cholesterol: 69mg (23%)Sodium: 1146mg (50%)Potassium: 522mg (15%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 8g (9%)Vitamin A: 1343IU (27%)Vitamin C: 30mg (36%)Calcium: 165mg (17%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
Course:Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keyword:cheese, orzo, taco
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

a slice of peach pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a plate
Previous Post
Perfect Peach Pie
side view stack of a shot of pecan pie cheesecake bars
Next Post
Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Laura Boal says

    February 16, 2021 at 6:01 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent flavors and easy!! I used the taco sauce recipe another reader shared from Allrecipes and it was wonderful and easy! Will definitely have this in the rotation!! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Nikki Bass says

    October 14, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    5 stars
    I made tons of changes, and didn’t feel like it would be right to rate it less than a 5. The basis of this recipe is amazing and easily customizable.

    I used beef broth, frozen corn, and tons of seasoning.

    Absolutely phenomenal and I had all the ingredients on hand.

    Reply
  3. Janet Bradley says

    April 30, 2020 at 7:35 am

    Can the leftover be frozen. There are only two of us, and this makes a lot.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      April 30, 2020 at 9:41 am

      You can! The only issue is that the texture of the orzo will by much softer after thawing, if you don’t mind.

      Reply
  4. Carol says

    April 15, 2020 at 11:47 am

    Sonya, I used a recipe that I found online for Homemade Taco Sauce. You are correct about the tomato sauce and the spices. It was excellent in Jo’s One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo. Here’s the link: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/240291/homemade-taco-sauce/

    Reply
  5. Carol Brogdon says

    April 15, 2020 at 11:39 am

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night. Also made the taco sauce to go in it. This recipe went together in no time and was very good. I love the taco sauce recipe. Much better than the store bought sauce and much more affordable. Since it is just me and my husband, I made half a recipe. Served with a dollop of sour cream, lettuce and tomato.

    Reply
  6. paulette prince says

    April 11, 2020 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe and have made it several times. Every recipe I have made of yours always turns out great!

    Reply
  7. Sonya says

    April 7, 2020 at 7:18 pm

    Trying to figure out how to make this. It calls for 2 cups Taco Skillet Sauce, however if I click on the picture I see a packet, however I can’t tell if it is a liquid or dry. I searched and found a recipe on a website that uses tomato sauce and adds a bunch of spices. I thought it best not to link it here in case it is not what you intended. Can you please clarify. I will note that I do not see Taco Skillet Sauce at the grocery stores here. Hoping for some clarity on what is in Taco Skillet Sauce. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      April 8, 2020 at 9:49 am

      Since it’s a sauce, it’s liquid! You can use enchilada sauce in its place if that’s easier to find. We have a great homemade version as well: https://www.jocooks.com/course/sauces/enchilada-sauce/

      Reply
      • Sonya says

        April 8, 2020 at 10:11 am

        I thought it would be liquid as it is a sauce, however, in the picture from the link, it looked like a packet. I guess I am just used to sauces in a can or jar. I will make the enchilada sauce recipe you listed. That looks perfect for this and other recipes as well. Thanks for the quick reply. I have had all my other ingredients waiting and now I can make this today.

      • Sonya says

        April 20, 2020 at 8:39 am

        5 stars
        I made the cheesy orzo and my family really loved it!! I also made the fabulous enchilada sauce from the recipe you listed. to use in the cheesy orzo. I used a bunch of tomatoes that we had that were getting squishy and wow I love this enchilada sauce also. I will be making more of it today. Thank you so much for both recipes!!

  8. Lynda K says

    February 24, 2020 at 8:58 pm

    5 stars
    It was love at first bite. I don’t remember the last time my guy said he loved a new recipe after the first bite but this was the recipe that he just kept saying how much he loved it and to not change a thing. Just the right amount of heat and lots of flavor.

    I did need to cook the dish about 5 min longer with extra chicken broth as I felt the orzo could be cooked a bit longer. I also used McCormick’s fajita skillet sauce as they didn’t have taco skillet sauce at my grocery store.

    Make sure you add the green onions and cilantro as it really added to the already great flavor.

    Thanks Jo for another dish added to the rotation!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Pre-Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Recipes

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet

Salisbury Steak

closeup of beef stew in a dutch oven with a ladle inside.

Beef Stew

overhead shot of zucchini lasagna in a baking dish

Zucchini Lasagna

a white bowl full with american goulash and a fork inside stacked on top of an empty bowl

American Goulash (Chop Suey)

two plate with sloppy joes and buns next to a greens salad

Sloppy Joes

beef barley soup in a white bowl with a spoon inside.

Beef Barley Soup

overhead shot of chicken broccoli and rice casserole in a pot

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

creamy chicken lazone in a skillet garnished with parsley.

Chicken Lazone

Popular Now

a hand dipping a chicken tender in ranch dressing

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

a fork stabbing a garlic butter steak bite in a skillet full of them

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

side view shot of a cinnamon bun with a bite taken out of it on a plate

Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls

side view shot of a hand dipping a piece of naan bread into the bowl of chicken tikka masala

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

close up of the layers on the homemade croissant

Homemade Croissants

overhead shot of crusty bread loaf

No Knead Bread

side view shot of two halves of a chicken salad sandwich stacked on a plate exposing the centers

The Best Chicken Salad

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
honey soy chicken in a baking dish fresh out of the oven garnished with parsley.

Asian

closeup of italian mac and cheese in a white bowl with a big serving spoon.

Italian

a stack of homemade tortillas

Mexican

chocolate magic cake slices sprinkled with cocoa powder and garnished with garnish.

Romanian

a bunch of naan on a cutting board garnished with parsley.

Indian

red lentil hummus in a big black bowl garnished with a bit of smoked paprika.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

a whole roast chicken surrounded by potatoes

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2021 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!

54087shares
  • 901
  • 3
  • 578