Taarabt was later sent off by referee Mark Clattenburg but it was his 24th minute strike that earned QPR the victory and condemned Spurs to yet another defeat.
Hughes said: "(It was) a great goal from Adel and he showed his ability once again. I thought as a performance he was really disciplined in his approach to his defensive role. He knew it was a key element of what we were tying to do today in terms of tracking the runs of (Kyle) Walker and he did it really well, it doesn't come naturally to him but he did it."
Tottenham never really pressed home their advantage in the closing stages and it might have been because QPR are used to operating with 10 men as Taarabt's sending off was their eighth of a turbulent season but Hughes was more interested in securing the result.
"Losing Adel towards the end of the game made it really difficult in the last 15 or so minutes but they understood what was required," he said. "On occasions you ride your luck but I think it would have been a travesty if we hadn't got anything out of that game."
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes his side were unlucky not to win the game and bemoaned injuries for decimating his team.
"We had enough of the ball and enough chances - I don't think Brad (Friedel) has had a save to make in all honesty, we just couldn't score," he said.
"We just couldn't get the break, we just needed a bit of luck in front of goal today.
"I had no options forwards-wise on the bench, there was one striker fit and there was no one else to play with him. Really we had no cover at centre-half and no cover up front.
"No disrespect to the bench but it is nowhere near the sort of bench we had six to eight weeks ago."
Source: PA
