Tex-Mex Chicken Spaghetti

Name: Tex-Mex Chicken Spaghetti
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 3 cloves Garlic cloves; 1 White onion; 0.5 bunch Fresh cilantro; 500 g Spaghetti; 500 g Cooked and shredded chicken breast; 2 Bell peppers (red and green); 200 g Processed melting cheese (Velveeta style); 400 g Diced tomatoes with chiles; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 200 ml Chicken stock

4.0(1 rating)

45 min (15 prep + 30 cook) Easy 6 servings Texas

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 29, 2026 · Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Spaghetti with chicken, tomatoes with chiles and melted cheese, Tex-Mex style.

Servings

Custom:

💰 Estimated cost: $12.89

$2.15 per person

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Ingredients

2 tbsp Vegetable oil$0.11find
3 cloves Garlic cloves$0.15find
1 White onion$0.31find
0.5 bunch Fresh cilantro$0.50find
500 g Spaghetti$1.64find
500 g Cooked and shredded chicken breast$3.85find
2 Bell peppers (red and green)$1.05find
200 g Processed melting cheese (Velveeta style)$2.64find
400 g Diced tomatoes with chiles$1.75find
1 tsp Ground cumin$0.36find
200 ml Chicken stock$0.53find

Got these ingredients?

Discover what else you can cook with what you already have at home.

See what I can cook →

Equipment & tools

What you need to cook this recipe.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

About this recipe

Tex-Mex chicken spaghetti is one of the most comforting and controversial dishes in Texan home cooking: spaghetti mixed with shredded chicken, tomatoes with chiles, melted processed cheese and sautéed bell peppers. The result is a creamy, spiced and utterly addictive pasta that has nothing to do with Italian pasta or traditional Mexican cuisine - it is pure Tex-Mex in all its glory.

History & Origin

Tex-Mex chicken spaghetti is a dish that divides opinion: Italian and Mexican food purists look at it with horror, whilst for millions of Texans it is one of the flavors of childhood. Its origins lie in the rural communities of mid-twentieth-century Texas, when Texan housewives combined spaghetti noodles - an affordable pasta available in any American supermarket - with whatever they had to hand: leftover chicken, canned cream of mushroom soup, Ro-Tel (canned tomatoes with chiles, a Texan invention from 1943) and the ever-present Velveeta, the melting cheese invented in 1918 that became the secret ingredient of countless Tex-Mex recipes. The recipe was passed from mother to daughter through generations and today appears in church recipe books, family potlucks and comfort food restaurant menus in Dallas and Houston.

Estimated cost

$12.89

Total cost

$2.15

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

580

Calories

34g

Protein

62g

Carbohydrates

22g

Fat

Fiber

920mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cook the spaghetti in salted water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2
In a large skillet, sauté the chopped onion and diced bell peppers in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3
Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute.
4
Add the diced tomatoes with their chiles (or crushed tomatoes with jalapeño), chicken stock and processed melting cheese. Stir over low heat until the cheese melts completely.
5
Add the shredded cooked chicken and mix well. Allow everything to heat through for 5 minutes.
6
Add the drained spaghetti to the pan and mix until the pasta is completely coated in the creamy sauce.
💡 If it is too thick, add a little of the pasta cooking water.
7
Serve in deep bowls with extra grated cheddar on top and freshly chopped cilantro.

Have you tried this recipe?

Tell us how it turned out. Your feedback helps other cooks.

Leave a review

Rate this recipe

Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.