30 Minute Dinner: Easy Skillet Taco Gnocchi

30 Minute Dinner: Easy Skillet Taco Gnocchi

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

Taco Tuesday, but make it quick and extra delicious! This 30 Minute Dinner: Easy Skillet Taco Gnocchi is a creative take on a family favorite comfort food meal. Best of all, it has very few steps, so the meal can be on the plate in under 30 minutes. Mixed with lean ground beef, packaged taco seasoning, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, gnocchi, and shredded cheddar, this easy skillet meal is a totally tasty, hearty meal.

As someone who has always worked while having a family – often going to school afterwards – I know just about everything you need to know about how to quickly feed a family a filling meal that everyone will love. 30 Minute Dinner: Easy Skillet Taco Gnocchi is just the timesaving recipe we all need.

Some of the best features of this recipe:

Easy: This really requires almost no cooking skills (get your kids to do it!). Sauté some onions and peppers, add tomatoes, brown some beef, add taco seasoning, and finish with gnocchi and cheese and you’re done. Nothing difficult here!

Quick: With so few steps, this dish is super fast to complete. Once you get the hang of it, I guarantee you can have it on the table in well under 30 minutes.

Tasty: The traditional tastes of tacos are all here with the added bonus of hearty potato gnocchi.

Packaged seasoning mix: I use packaged mix here which makes the process faster. If you choose to make your own, add 3 tbsp with ¾ cup water.

Versatile: I like some fairly basic veggies – tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper – but feel free to add your favorites. Drained corn and/or rinsed and drained black beans would be great additions.

One pan meal: Feel good that when you are done, you won’t have extra pots and pans to wash.

Gluten free – sometimes: Gnocchi is made from potatoes but sometimes contains wheat flour. Check carefully and opt for gluten free if that is an issue. Gnocchi is such a great ingredient and I love adding it to simple meals like this Easy Dinner: Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi & Spinach.

As with all of my recipes, 30 Minute Dinner: Easy Skillet Taco Gnocchi is super simple with no complicated cooking techniques, no special equipment, and with simple ingredients that are easily found in any grocery store.

Recipe Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

½ medium yellow onion

½ bell pepper, any color

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 lb lean ground beef

1 pkg taco seasoning (+ required water)

12 oz gnocchi (choose gluten free if necessary)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Helpful Tools

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Large skillet

Heat proof spatula

Liquid measuring cup

Ingredient Notes

Beef: I use 90% lean ground beef. It is healthier and keeps me from having to figure out what to do with the grease I would otherwise be pouring off.

Tomatoes: You can use halved grape tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. Avoid other types of tomatoes as they will add too much liquid to the dish.

Bell peppers: You can use any color. I like things bright, so I usually avoid green, but it makes no difference in the recipe. You can also added sliced jalapenos if you enjoy heat.

Gnocchi: I use fresh, refrigerated gnocchi but any packaged version is fine. You may need to increase the heating time somewhat.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables. Chop one half of a medium yellow onion and one half of a bell pepper. Remove the seeds and membranes from the pepper. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. 

2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.

3. Add the chopped onions and pepper and sauté, stirring regularly, until soft and the onions, translucent, about 4 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and cook until a bit softer, about 4 additional minutes. Reduce the heat if the onions and peppers begin to brown too quickly.

5. Place the ground beef in the pan with the vegetables, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until the meat is uniformly brown, about 5 minutes. 

6. Following the taco seasoning packet directions, sprinkle the meat and vegetables with the seasoning and add the required amount of water. Stir together.

7. Add the gnocchi to the pan and toss to mix with the sauce and the vegetables. Heat until the water is mostly absorbed and the gnocchi heated through, about 4 minutes.

8. Sprinkle the surface evenly with shredded cheddar cheese. Lower the temperature and cover the pan, leaving a vent to allow steam to escape. Heat until the cheese is melted.

Check out the step-by-step directions for 30 Minute Dinner: Easy Skillet Taco Ghocchi on the recipe card, below.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, 2-3 days.

Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat, adding more cheese and allowing it to melt.

Tips & Tricks

Try to chop the onion and peppers into uniform pieces so that they cook evenly.

You can add the kinds of veggies typically found in tacos and other Mexican dishes. Black beans and corn are great additions. A few snips of fresh cilantro over the top are a tasty finishing touch. 

Creating meals that are easy, quick, and delicious is my passion! Give some of these super simple but flavorful dishes a try.

Easy Dinner: Layered Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

Easy Spinach Quiche with Store Bought Crust

Easy One Skillet Creamy Tuscan Chicken Dinner

Easy Recipe: Zucchini Noodles with Pasta and Parmesan

Easy 30 Minute One Pan Caprese Chicken