Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells — We all know that a taco is a tasty meal, but have you ever had one served inside of a pasta shell? This recipe will show you how to make some Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells with minimal ingredients. You can help them as an appetizer or as your main dish. It’s up to you!
Cheesy Taco Stuffed Shells Made With Jumbo Pasta Shells, Carnitas, Shredded Cheddar cheese, and served with a dipping sauce of Sour Cream are the Perfect EASY Weeknight Meal That You Can Prepare Ahead Of Time Too!
These hearty shells are perfect for when you need something fast but flavorful. Mix up the filling ahead of time, then pop it in the air fryer when you are ready for dinner! This is a great and tasty meal that your entire family will love!
Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells Recipe
Taco Stuffed Shells is an easy and delicious dinner the night of. It only requires a few simple ingredients to make, so your family will be asking for this dish regularly!
This recipe is a spin on my very popular Instant Pot Carnitas, this is a great way to use up leftover pulled pork, and it’s so good! This is one of my family’s favorites, and it’s so kid-friendly and delicious!
Ingredients Needed For Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Jumbo Pasta Shells
- Carnitas
- Cheddar Cheese
- Cooking Spray
- Sour Cream
- Taco Seasoning
How To Make Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta shells according to package
instructions. Shells should be fully cooked, not al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with
cool water.
Cupping a pasta shell in your palm, place about a tablespoon of the carnitas into the
shell. Wedge a stick of cheese over the carnitas.
Wrap a second shell over the open side of the stuffed shell to form a “lid.” Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
Set the stuffed shells in the air fryer’s basket, leaving just a bit of space between
each shell. Continue assembling the stuffed shells. Once the air fryer basket is filled, you can begin cooking the batch.
Spray the tops and exposed sides of the stuffed shells in the basket. Cook at 400°F, air fryer setting, for 10 to 13 minutes until the shells are crispy and light golden brown. Remove shells from the basket and keep warm while cooking the remaining batches.
Pro Tips:
- Stir together sour cream and taco seasoning for an easy, tasty dip.
- You can spray the cooking spray over the cooked pasta shells and toss (or toss with vegetable oil) to prevent them from sticking to one another while assembling.
- You want to make sure these are contained. Do not overfill, and be sure the second shell wraps around the stuffed shell to keep everything in an excellent little package.
- These do not need to be flipped in the air fryer. Best results are achieved without flipping, but ensuring that there is some breathing room between the shells in the air fryer – we found eight at a time fit best in our air fryer. Of course, this will depend on what size air fryer you own.
- Exact cook times will vary depending on the size and wattage of your air fryer. We recommend testing one shell to get started and adjust accordingly.
- Use any of your favorite taco meats here – seasoned ground beef or chicken would also be great. You can also vary the type of cheese. Some great options would be Monterey Jack or Shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
- If your pasta is not cooked all the way through, it will be al dente and crisp from the air fryer – cooking the pasta ultimately ensures a crisped pasta that is easy to bite into and tastes delicious
What Pasta To Use
You can find the Jumbo Shells in the grocery store, in the same aisle as the regular pasta. They are often sold in a box. This way, jumbo pasta shells are protected from being crushed. If you can not find them at your grocery store, you can order them online on Amazon.
The most common brands available in the United States are:
To Make This a Freezer Meal
This easy dinner is perfect for those busy weeknights when your schedule doesn’t allow time to cook from scratch – no worries, though, because all that’s required are a few simple steps:
- Cook the pasta shells, and then drain them.
- Fill the pasta shells, as directed in the recipe, and then place the filled pasta shells into an airtight container.
- The filled pasta shells will last between 1 to 2 months.
- For best results, defrost them in the refrigerator overnight before cooking them.
Storing and Reheating The Leftovers
If you have leftover pasta shells, place them into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.
You can either reheat them in the air fryer or the microwave. Heat until the shells are warmed through.
More Air Fryer Recipes:
- AIR FRYER ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH HASSELBACK WITH BACON
- AIR FRYER PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
- HOW TO REHEAT APPLE PIE IN AIR FRYER
- AIR FRYER SHREDDED CHICKEN
- AIR FRYER CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells — We all know that a taco is a tasty meal, but have you ever had one served inside of a pasta shell? This recipe will show you how to make some Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells with minimal ingredients. You can help them as an appetizer or as your main dish. It's up to you!
- 1 pound jumbo pasta shells (48 Shells)
- 2 cups pork carnitas
- 24 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 1 oz. sticks
- cooking spray
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (more or less to taste
-
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta shells according to packageinstructions. Shells should be fully cooked, not al dente. Drain pasta and rinse withcool water
-
Cupping a pasta shell in your palm, place about a tablespoon of the carnitas into theshell. Wedge a stick of cheese over the carnitas.
-
Wrap a second shell over the open side of stuffed shell to form a “lid.”
-
Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
-
Set the stuffed shells in the basket of the air fryer, leaving just a bit of space between each shell.
-
Continue assembling the stuffed shells. Once the air fryer basket is filled, you canbegin cooking the batch.
-
Spray the tops and exposed sides of the stuffed shells in the basket. Cook at 400°Ffor 13 minutes until the shells are crispy and light golden brown
-
Remove shells from the basket and keep warm while cooking the remaining batches.
-
Plate, serve, and enjoy!
- Stir together sour cream and taco seasoning for an easy, tasty dip.
- You can spray the non-stick oil over the cooked pasta shells and toss (or toss with vegetable oil) to prevent them from sticking to one another while assembling.
- You really want to make sure these are contained. Do not overfill and be sure the second shell really wraps around the stuffed shell to keep everything in a nice little package.
- These do not need to be flipped in the air fryer. Best results are achieved without flipping, but ensuring that there is some breathing room between the shells in the air fryer – we found 8 at a time fit best in our air fryer.
- Exact cook times will vary depending on the size and wattage of your air fryer. We recommend testing one shell to get started and adjust accordingly.
- Use any of your favorite taco meats in here – seasoned ground beef or chicken would also be great. You can also vary the type of cheese.
- If your pasta is not cooked all the way through, it will be al dente and crisp from the air fryer – cooking the pasta completely ensures a crisped pasta that is easy to bite into and tastes delicious
Don’t Forget To Pin:
My family loves these. The only thing I did differently was I did not put a second shell around it. I just did one shell, stuffed it and air fried it. This also left room for toppings! You would never imagine how they taste. Yum. Thank you for sharing.