Spaghetti Tacos
Spaghetti tacos tuck saucy spaghetti and little homemade meatballs into warm flour tortillas for a playful dinner the whole family can build themselves.
Spaghetti tacos first caught my attention thanks to the show iCarly, where spaghetti and meatballs were tucked into a crunchy taco shell. Naturally, I had to see what all the fuss was about.
I tried one, and the idea was every bit as fun as it sounded. But I wanted a taco that was a little easier to eat and a lot more delicious. So I traded the crunchy shell for a warm flour tortilla, made the meatballs nice and small, and tossed the spaghetti with tomato sauce and a little taco seasoning.
Now everyone can scoop up their own spaghetti and meatballs, tuck them into a tortilla, and call it dinner. Is it a little silly? Sure. Is it delicious? Absolutely.
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🍅 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make Spaghetti Tacos
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ What to serve with Spaghetti Tacos
- Spaghetti Tacos!
- 👩🏻🍳 Variations on this recipe
- 😍 Other kid-friendly recipes we love!
- ⭐️ We want to know what you think!
- 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: Soft flour tortillas filled with saucy spaghetti and tiny homemade meatballs, with a little taco seasoning to bring it all together!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Servings: 12 tacos
- Calories: 473
- Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Good For: Family dinners, taco night with a twist, and spaghetti lovers of all ages!
⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🍝 Pasta night gets a playful twist. All the comfort of spaghetti and meatballs, served taco style.
- 🌮 Soft tortillas hold everything together. They’re easier to fill and eat than crunchy taco shells.
- 🧆 Little meatballs fit right in. You get spaghetti, sauce, and meatball in every bite.
- 🙌 Everyone builds their own. Put the filling and warm tortillas on the table and let dinner begin!
🍅 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- Fresh bread crumbs: Soft crumbs made from fresh bread help the little meatballs hold together. The recipe calls for 3 cups, so measure them loosely rather than packing them down.
- Ground beef: Use your favorite ground beef for meatballs. You’ll shape them into small, one-inch balls so they tuck easily into the tortillas.
- Parmesan and parsley: These bring plenty of flavor to the meatballs. Freshly grated Parmesan and fresh parsley are lovely here.
- Spaghetti sauce: Jarred sauce makes this easier. Pick one you already like, since its flavor comes through in the finished tacos.
- Taco seasoning: A little mild seasoning gives the tomato sauce its taco-night twist.
- Spaghetti and flour tortillas: Long spaghetti strands make these delightfully silly, while soft flour tortillas are easy to fold around the filling. Warm the tortillas just before serving.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make Spaghetti Tacos
- Combine the bread crumbs, beef, eggs, garlic, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper and mix with wet hands. Form the mixture into one inch meatballs.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer in a large pot. Drop in the meatballs , give it a stir and let them cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions in heavily salted water and drain.
- Add the pasta to the sauce in the pan and toss until completely coated and pour into large serving dish.
- Warm tortillas in microwave and fill them with the spaghetti and meatballs…or let folks scoop out their own spaghetti and meatballs into tortillas. You can also assemble the tacos yourself if you want to cut down some of the fun mess!
🤔 Recipe FAQs
Yes! Shape the meatballs and keep them covered in the refrigerator for up to a day before cooking. You can also cook them in the sauce ahead of time, then reheat them while the spaghetti cooks.
Nope. Small store-bought meatballs will work if you need a shortcut. Cook and heat them according to the package directions, then simmer them with the spaghetti sauce and taco seasoning.
Hey, we gotta have a little mess! Add a modest scoop of spaghetti and a couple of meatballs to each warm tortilla, then fold it around the filling. A fork nearby is always a good idea.😄
Refrigerate the spaghetti and meatballs in a covered container and keep the tortillas separate. Reheat the filling, then warm fresh tortillas when you’re ready for another round.
Pop your question in the Comments section under the recipe card and I will answer pronto!
🍽️ What to serve with Spaghetti Tacos
Spaghetti tacos are a meal all by themselves, so I’d add a fresh salad or a simple veggie on the side. Green Bean Tomato Salad brings a tangy crunch, while Tomato Avocado Salad fits right in with taco night. For a warm side, try Buttery Carrots with Thyme or Zucchini Fritters.
Let’s twirl up some spaghetti, tuck in a few little meatballs, and make taco night wonderfully silly!
Spaghetti Tacos!
This fun recipe for spaghetti tacos is a guaranteed kid-pleaser, and the combo of spaghetti and tiny meatballs wrapped in a soft taco works for all ages!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 tacos 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 24 ounce bottles of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (we recommend mild)
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 12 flour tortillas
Instructions
- Combine the bread crumbs, beef, eggs, garlic, parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper and mix with wet hands. Form the mixture into one inch meatballs.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer in a large pot. Drop in the meatballs , give it a stir and let them cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions in heavily salted water and drain.
- Add the pasta to the sauce in the pan and toss until completely coated and pour into large serving dish.
- Warm tortillas in microwave and fill them with the spaghetti and meatballs…or let folks scoop out their own spaghetti and meatballs into tortillas. You can also assemble the tacos yourself if you want to cut down some of the fun mess!
Notes
-
- Fresh bread crumbs: Soft crumbs made from fresh bread help the little meatballs hold together. The recipe calls for 3 cups, so measure them loosely rather than packing them down.
-
- Ground beef: Use your favorite ground beef for meatballs. You’ll shape them into small, one-inch balls so they tuck easily into the tortillas.
-
- Parmesan and parsley: These bring plenty of flavor to the meatballs. Freshly grated Parmesan and fresh parsley are lovely here.
-
- Spaghetti sauce: Jarred sauce makes this easier. Pick one you already like, since its flavor comes through in the finished tacos.
-
- Taco seasoning: A packet of mild seasoning gives the tomato sauce its taco-night twist.
-
- Spaghetti and flour tortillas: Long spaghetti strands make these delightfully silly, while soft flour tortillas are easy to fold around the filling. Warm the tortillas just before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Variations on this recipe
- Make it extra cheesy: Sprinkle a little more grated Parmesan over the spaghetti just before folding the tacos.
- Turn up the heat: Use spicy taco seasoning, or add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Try turkey meatballs: Swap ground turkey for the ground beef and cook the meatballs through before serving.
- Make mini tacos: Use smaller flour tortillas and a little less filling in each one—especially handy for smaller hands! 🌮
😍 Other kid-friendly recipes we love!
⭐️ We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section below.
🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
I love iCarly! I think I am slightly older than the intended audience, but I still watch it under the guise of "market research" :-)
These look delicious – I'll have to try them soon!
As long as they don't try Spaghetti Enchiladas!!!
hahaha… That's fun!
what a lovely presentation! this dish looks deliscious . . .perfect timing, I am going to cook spaghetti later mmmmm i'll try this=)
Love It! My daughter watched iCarley and we too had to make these tacos. Too fun!
These look awesome! I'm making these for the little one I watch :) I know I already told you she is a huge iCarly fan but she will go crazy over this!
I have a feeling you made a lot of iCarly fans very happy when you posted this! :) love it!
crazy…fun…and probably tasty!
I like to think I've got my ear to the ground when it comes to stuff like this but apparently not as I've never in my life heard of iCarly. Sigh.
These look super awesome though! Even for something without kids. But who is surrounded by 20-something year old guys who like to think they are.
LOL!!! we love i Carly here and I have been asked to make spaghetti tacos. You my dear are the best mom ever!!
My kids two favortie foods. I'll for sure have to try this.
Just when I got the whole Hannah Montana thing…..
Looks like a winner…but frankly, because of the meatballs, sauce, and cheese…not the spaghetti! But…to each his own! Go forth young people and…..eat what you want!! ^_^
I read that article too. Amazing I had no idea. these look almost as good :)
Just came in to say I LOVE iCarly! I find it hilarious that the NYT did an article on this, but this show gets tons of viewers so of course kids would want their own at home version of spaghetti tacos!