Taco Pasta Salad

4.72 from 14 votes

Taco pasta salad with ground beef, cheese, veggies, and a creamy salsa dressing. Easy to make and perfect for potlucks and dinners.

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

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

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.

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.