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Taco pasta salad with ground beef, cheese, veggies, and a creamy salsa dressing. Easy to make and perfect for potlucks and dinners.
A Note from Isabel
Taco Night, but Make It a “Salad”
I’ve always loved a good ground beef taco piled high with all the toppings, so turning those flavors into a pasta salad was kind of a no-brainer.
This taco pasta salad is packed with all the good stuff (seasoned meat, cheese, salsa, lettuce, and crunchy chips) and comes together in one big bowl that’s perfect for summer parties, potlucks, or anytime you’re feeding a crowd (including picky toddlers).
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: I use rotini, but any short noodle works – macaroni, fusilli, penne, or whatever’s in the pantry.
- Ground beef: Seasoned with taco seasoning (you can use your favorite store-bought packet or my homemade taco seasoning) for that classic taco vibe. Ground turkey, ground chicken, or plant-based crumbles work too.
- Dressing: A quick mix of sour cream, chunky salsa, and Catalina dressing. Don’t skip this. It truly makes the whole thing taste like tacos!
- Veggies: Romaine lettuce, red onion, and cherry tomatoes add some freshness and crunch.
- Cheese: Mexican-blend shredded cheese is perfect, but shredded cheddar or colby-jack also work.
- Tortilla chips: You can use tortilla chips or Doritos in the pasta or on the side to add some crunch.
This is an overview of the key ingredients I used and why. See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
How to Make Taco Pasta Salad
Make the dressing. Stir together salsa, sour cream, and Catalina dressing until smooth.
Mix it all up. Add the dressing, the cooked and cooled pasta and ground beef, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and shredded cheese to a big bowl. Toss everything together until everything is nicely coated with the dressing.
Top with chips. Right before serving, add the crushed chips or let everyone add their own.
Serve immediately. If you’re not planning on serving right away, I recommend storing the chips separately and adding them when you’re ready to eat.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip chilling the beef and pasta. If either is too warm, it’ll wilt the lettuce and melt the cheese.
- Mix in the crushed tortilla chips right before serving. Or serve them on the side so they don’t get soggy.
- If you can’t find Catalina dressing, use French dressing as an alternative.
- Customize it. Add black beans, corn, diced bell peppers, or avocado to make it your own.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the pasta with quinoa or a gluten-free pasta.
How and What to Serve with Taco Pasta Salad
This is one of those recipes that totally holds its own. It’s hearty enough to be a full meal, especially with the ground beef and pasta combo.
But if you’re serving it as a side at a BBQ or potluck, it goes great with grilled chimichurri chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, burgers, or even carne asada.
And for drinks? A big pitcher of agua de jamaica or horchata wouldn’t hurt.
More Recipes to Try
Taco Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta (or other medium-sized noodles like fusilli)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey, chicken, or plant-based ground protein)
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ½ cup chunky salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup Catalina dressing
- 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 cups finely shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes (or quartered if they’re large)
- ½ medium red onion, diced
- Crushed tortilla chips or nacho cheese Doritos, for serving, optional
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the rotini noodles according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water until the pasta has cooled significantly, and shake off as much excess water as possible.
- Transfer the pasta to a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and fully cooked. Drain off any excess grease. Stir in the taco seasoning until thoroughly combined, then remove from heat.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef to a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cooled, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the beef and noodles are cooling, make the dressing by whisking together the chunky salsa, sour cream, and Catalina dressing in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Once everything has cooled completely, add the ground beef to the large bowl of noodles along with the shredded lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, red onions, and homemade dressing. Toss together to combine.
- Mix in the crushed tortilla chips right before serving, or just serve them on the side so they don’t get soggy. Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- Tortilla chips: Mix in the crushed tortilla chips right before serving or just serve them on the side so they don’t get soggy.
- Dressing: If you can’t find Catalina dressing, use French dressing instead.
- Storage: This salad is best the day you make it, but leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just store the chips separately and add them when you’re ready to eat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
This post was originally published in July 2021 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful information.
Loved
This salad can be a side dish but also the main course. I was not impressed at first. I added some chipotle and smoked paprika and after letting it chill fully and allowing the flavors marry, it has become one of my favorites.
This was so easy and delicious. I was looking for a non mayonnaise based side dish for parties and BBQs and this is perfect. Everybody went back for more
Pretty good, but a bit blah. The meat seemed lost. Could use more onion. Perhaps I should have used spicier salsa. Again, not bad, but wouldn’t be the dish that folks would ask for the recipe.
I made boracho beans a few days ago, and they were a hit!
Looking forward to trying more cause I love what you’re doing.
Thank you for your feedback Joe!
OK…my friends say I have a lot of food rules. Mostly temp and texture.
Did this with your recipe “my way”. Wow Wow Wow! Only changes were pasta and salad fixins at room temp and meat still warm. Bein a Texan, Fritos instead of tortilla chips. Bravo Senora !
Very simple and delicious salad recipe …Looks Yummy!!