Name: Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 13 min
Ingredients: 1 pound box of jumbo pasta shells (about 48 shells); 2 cups carnitas; 24 oz. cheddar cheese (cut into 1 oz. sticks); Non-stick cooking spray; 1 cup sour cream; 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (more or less to taste)

Carnitas and cheese stuffed into tender pasta shells and cooked in an air fryer to crispy, flavor-bursting perfection.

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We first got this idea from a viral tiktok recipe about air frying pasta shells to make and alternative to tortilla chips. We’ve kicked it up a notch to make these absolutely delicious, crispy and cheesy air fryer taco stuffed pasta shells. These make a great appetizer or a fun meal for Taco Tuesday. This will soon be a family favorite way to use leftover taco meat from last night.

This Mexican Italian fusion dish is a fun twist for an easy taco night. Cooked in an air fryer so they’re quick and easy and crispy too. Great for an easy dinner night.

Table of Contents

AIR FRYER TACO STUFFED PASTA INGREDIENTS

You may have all of these ingredients for this Mexican twist on an easy recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this delicious recipe you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Pasta: Use large or jumbo pasta shells.
Filling: Fill shells with your favorite taco meat. We used leftover carnitas from our favorite carnitas recipe.
Etc: cheddar cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, parsley, cooking spray

SUBSTITUTIONS

Click the tabs to see possible substitutions for each of these ingredients.

CARNITAS:

Use any taco meat you want. These would be great with ground beef taco meat, chicken taco meat or even lentil taco filling. They could be good with just refried beans and cheddar cheese as well.

FILLING:

Add more filling into your shells. Try salsa, beans, different kinds of cheeses, green onions, mangoes, or anything you like in your tacos.

bite out of a taco stuffed pasta shell with cheese oozing out.

POSSIBLE VARIATIONS

CHICKEN, GROUND BEEF, STEAK, VEGETARIAN

Use any taco meat or taco filling you like. Try a lentil taco filling or consider steak or chicken.

ADD SALSA

Add salsa inside the shell before frying. Consider a mango salsa or tomato salsa.

DEEP FRY

Cook in a deep fryer. You can bread and fry it (see how in the deep fried lasagna recipe) for extra flavor.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Enjoy this great recipe as an addition to a tasty meal, special family dinner or dinner party with these other recipes:

Main Dish: Carnitas– Serve these air fryer taco stuffed pasta shells as an appetizer to your carnitas tacos dinner!
Side Dish: Italian Salad– This classic side dish is colorful and full of flavor!
Drink: Sangria – Tasty red wine sangria goes well with Mexican dishes.
Drink: Blackberry Cocktail – Delicious alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions.

The Best Red Wine Sangria

Pin Recipe

This Red Wine Sangria is a bold, fruity blend of red wine, citrus, and strawberry with a hint of booze and bubbles!

45 minutes

Check out this recipe

red wine sangria in wine glasses with pitcher in background and sliced apples and oranges on cutting board

Essential

TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

Prepare your work surface and gather these kitchen tools and supplies before you begin this delicious, easy-to-make recipe so you don’t waste extra time trying to find things you need. Links are affiliate links and we may earn a commission if you purchase through the link.

air fryer: We use an older air fryer but if we were to buy a new one we’d buy this Ninja air fryer with 2 baskets.
cutting board
sharp knife
utensils
bowls

INSTRUCTIONS

Follow the full instructions and kitchen tips and quick tips for the best way to make this recipe. Don’t forget to check the prep time and cook time in the recipe card below before you begin.

COOK PASTA: 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.

FILL PASTA: 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.

KITCHEN TIP

Make sure to run your pasta under cold water after you’ve cooked it. Then separate the pasta so they don’t stick together while you stuff your shells.

cheddar cheese chunk put on top of carnitas in pasta

COVER PASTA: Wrap a second shell over the open side of stuffed shell to form a “lid.”

KITCHEN TIP

You can use shredded cheese if you don’t have a block of cheese but you can never use too much cheese.

PREPARE AIR FRYER: Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray.

FILL AIR FRYER: Set the stuffed shells in the basket of the air fryer, leaving just a bit of space between each shell.

top shell put on taco stuffed pasta shell

uncooked large stuffed shells in air fryer

SPRAY SHELLS: Continue assembling the stuffed shells. Once the air fryer basket is filled spray the tops and exposed sides of the shells with non-stick cooking spray or your favorite oil.

AIR FRY PASTA: Cook at 400°F for 13 minutes until the shells are crispy and light golden brown.

MAKE TACO SOUR CREAM: Combine sour cream and taco seasoning to make taco sour cream dip.

EAT: Remove shells from the basket and keep warm while cooking the remaining batches.

stuffed shells around bowl of sour cream

STORAGE TIPS

Storing your food properly is important to prevent spoiling or food poisoning.

Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container or ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days if you can’t eat it the next day.

Freeze: Store in an airtight, freezer safe, container. If you’re storing in a zip top plastic bag, try to get as much air out as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrosting: A great way to defrost is in the refrigerator overnight. Air fry to cook again.

taco shell with bite and dripping cheese

Instant Pot Carnitas

Pin Recipe

Tender, juicy, crispy on the outside carnitas melt in your mouth and burst with flavor. Made in the instant pot with seasoning mixed up in minutes using a blender! A little spice and a whole lot of flavor!

Check out this recipe

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click the questions to see the answer.

Can you deep fry taco stuffed pasta shells rather than use the air fryer?

Yes! You can deep fry these instead of using the air fryer. Deep fry at 350°F for a few minutes until golden brown.

Can you make taco stuffed pasta without cooking the pasta shell first?

No. You need to cook the pasta first.

5 from 41 votes

Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

24 shells

Carnitas and cheese stuffed into tender pasta shells and cooked in an air fryer to crispy, flavor-bursting perfection.

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

Pasta Shell Ingredients:

▢ 1 pound box of jumbo pasta shells about 48 shells
▢ 2 cups carnitas
▢ 24 oz. cheddar cheese cut into 1 oz. sticks
▢ Non-stick cooking spray

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

▢ 1 cup sour cream
▢ 1 tablespoon taco seasoning more or less to taste

Instructions

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 stuffed shell to form a “lid.”
Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with nonstick 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 can begin cooking the batch.
Spray the tops and exposed sides of the stuffed shells in the basket. Cook at 400°F for 13 minutes until the shells are crispy and light golden brown.
Remove shells from the basket and keep warm while cooking the remaining batches.

Notes

Storage: Best eaten while hot and crisp! But you can store these in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Notes:
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 crisped from the air fryer – cooking the pasta completely ensures a crisped pasta that is easy to bite into and tastes delicious.

Nutrition

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Comments & Reviews

Michele Peterson says

May 25, 2022

I love how crispy these turned out! I love my air fryer ( and this recipe)!

Silvia says

May 25, 2022

These are so incredibly delicious , I could honestly eat a whole batch myself 🙂

Jamie says

May 25, 2022

I love this twist of stuffing the pasta shells with carnitas! This is such a tasty and satisfying meal!

Shadi Hasanzadenemati says

May 25, 2022

My family is going to love this! Thank you for this amazing recipe.

Irena says

May 25, 2022

These are soooo fun, both to eat and to make. I used Instant Pot air fryer (Duo Crisp with air fryer lid) and they turned out great. Crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. Delicious dipped in some fresh salsa.

Vanessa says

May 25, 2022

These were a hit – my kids loved them! We just recently bought an air fryer so this was a great recipe to try!

Bernice says

May 25, 2022

I generally don’t go to Tik Tok for recipe ideas but this is so cool!! How fun…and you can stuff the shells with so many different things. I love cooking in my air fryer and I can’t wait to try these!

Colleen says

May 26, 2022

These stuffed pasta shells are so fun and delicious. They were a hit with my family and I’ll be making them again. Thanks for sharing!

Amy Liu Dong says

May 27, 2022

Wow! This looks absolutely delicious and yummy! Another air fryer recipe that we can add. Perfect for a snack while watching movies.

Air Fryer Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

AIR FRYER TACO STUFFED PASTA INGREDIENTS

SUBSTITUTIONS

POSSIBLE VARIATIONS