One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo
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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!
One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo
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 In Cheesy Taco Orzo
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 – Fresh is always best but if jarred is all you have on hand keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 whole clove.
- 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.
How To Make Cheesy Taco Orzo
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Storing Leftover Cheesy Taco Orzo
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:
Orzo is such an under-appreciated pasta so add it to your weekly dinner rotation, trust me.
- 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
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One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 6
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
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
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
- If you cannot find taco skillet sauce, regular taco sauce or enchilada sauce can be used.
- You can use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.
- If you can't find orzo, small pastas such as shells or farfalle will work as well.
- 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.
- 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%)
Janet Bradley says
Can the leftover be frozen. There are only two of us, and this makes a lot.
Thanks
Jo Cooks Team says
You can! The only issue is that the texture of the orzo will by much softer after thawing, if you don’t mind.
Carol says
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/
Carol Brogdon says
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.
paulette prince says
I love this recipe and have made it several times. Every recipe I have made of yours always turns out great!
Sonya says
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!
Jo Cooks Team says
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/
Sonya says
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
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!!
Lynda K says
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!
Laura Petrie says
Easy and delicious! We left out the orzo to lower the carbs, and it was scrumptious served over a bed of shredded lettuce and topped with sour cream. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you!
Martha Hinkle says
I didn’t have ground beef so I cut 2 small steaks into bite=size cubes; I didn’t have red taco/enchilada sauce so I used green; I didn’t have any fresh garlic so I used a generous teaspoon of garlic powder. It was SOOO good! Can’t wait to try this with chicken or turkey!
AT says
This recipe is amazing!! I made it the first time tonight and it is a huge hit! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe 🤗☺️
Heleen says
Great recipe ! Didn’t have olives but came out great 👍
Natalie says
Very good recipe! I suggest eating it like nachos with tortilla chips!
Mike says
Another recipe we regularly use.
Mary says
I love this recipe, and my partner loves it even more! My only change is the amount of liquid. I usually have to double the amount of chicken stock or add the same amount of water as stock to get the orzo fully cooked. It’s an easy fix!
Jennifer says
Made this tonight for my very picky husband instead of regular tacos and he loveddddd it! (He had three servings!) This recipe makes so much and was delicious and very filling!
I omitted the olives and green peppers and finished it off with a teaspoon of sour cream. Fantastic.
I’m so glad I ran across your site. I have already bookmarked and will be sharing with my friends.
Nicole Beaulieu says
That’s awesome to hear! Thanks so much for sharing our recipes, we’re happy to have a new reader 🙂
Nancy Bryson says
I had hoped to try this recipe but I had never heard of Taco Skillet Sauce. So I then went to Amazon, hoping I could order some. I live on Vancouver Island in Campbell River and apparently they cannot deliver to my address. Do you have a recipe for Taco Skillet Sauce that I can make myself or is there something I can use in place of it?
Nicole Beaulieu says
We live in Calgary, and I’ve bought lots of skillet sauces from Safeway and Superstore if you have either of those nearby! We have a recipe for some homemade enchilada sauce. You can add a bit more cumin to bump up the taco flavor.
Nancy says
Thank you very much! I will look in Superstore that is here but it is nice to have the recipe you also provided.
Nicole Beaulieu says
No problem! Superstore is my go-to for all odds and ends 🙂
Kirami says
i love to replace orzo with a small spiral pasta and its SO GOOD