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This creamy taco pasta salad disappears fast at cookouts, potlucks, and summer dinners. Loaded with seasoned taco meat, cheddar cheese, fresh vegetables, crunchy Doritos, and a creamy taco-seasoned dressing, it tastes like the best parts of taco night tossed into one big crowd-pleasing bowl.
It’s cold, crunchy, creamy, hearty, and perfect for feeding a crowd. This is the kind of pasta salad people hover around at BBQs going back for “just one more scoop.”
One of my favorite things about this taco pasta salad is how every bite has something different going on — creamy pasta, savory taco meat, juicy tomatoes, fresh herbs, crunchy chips, and plenty of cheesy goodness. It’s bold, fun, a little nostalgic, and always one of the first dishes to disappear at parties.
If you love easy cold pasta salads for summer dinners and cookouts, be sure to try my Greek Pasta Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, and Tuna Pasta Salad too — they’re all creamy, crowd-friendly favorites that are perfect for potlucks, BBQs, and family gatherings.
🌮 What Is Taco Pasta Salad?
Taco pasta salad is a cold, creamy pasta salad loaded with seasoned taco meat, cheese, fresh vegetables, and crunchy toppings like Doritos or tortilla chips. It combines the bold flavor of taco night with the creamy comfort of classic pasta salad, making it perfect for potlucks, cookouts, parties, and easy summer dinners.
📌 Why This Recipe Works
Creamy, crunchy, and hearty. The creamy dressing coats the pasta, the seasoned beef adds savory taco flavor, and the Doritos bring that fun, salty crunch.
Perfect for feeding a crowd. This makes a big bowl, travels well, and fits right in at potlucks, BBQs, summer parties, and family dinners.
Easy to make ahead. You can prep the pasta, meat, dressing, and toppings ahead, then toss everything together before serving so it stays fresh and crunchy.
Loaded with taco-night flavor. Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, taco seasoning, and crunchy chips make every bite bold and fun.
This is the kind of pasta salad people take “just a small scoop” of… then come back for seconds.
✨ Before You Begin
✨ Let the taco meat cool completely. This keeps the dressing creamy and prevents the fresh toppings from wilting.
✨ Cook the pasta just to al dente. Slightly firm pasta holds up better after chilling and keeps the salad from becoming mushy.
✨ Add the Doritos right before serving. This keeps them crunchy and gives the salad its signature taco-night texture.
✨ Give the salad time to chill. An hour or two in the refrigerator helps the flavors blend together beautifully and makes this perfect for potlucks and make-ahead summer dinners.
Taco Pasta Ingredients
Mayonnaise: I live on the West Coast, so I use Best Foods mayo. If you can get it, use Dukes!
Sour Cream: I use regular sour cream.
Milk: I use whole milk.
Lime Zest: Use a microplaner to remove zest. Try to avoid the white part of the peel, as it tastes bitter. Zest the limes first before juicing.
Lime Juice: Use fresh lime juice.
Jalapeno Pepper: This is considered a medium-spicy pepper. Most of the heat in the pepper is contained in the seeds and ribs. You can control the amount of heat you add to the dish by adding or omitting those parts of the pepper.
Granulated Sugar: Good old table sugar.
Salt + Black Pepper: Table salt and freshly cracked is best.
Spiral Pasta aka Rotini Pasta: You can, of course, use any shape of pasta you’d like.
Meat: We use a whopping 2 pounds of ground beef in our salad, so you know it’s going to be hearty and eat like a meal! Many similar recipes only use a pound of ground beef.
Taco Seasoning: To keep things easy, I use convenient prepared taco seasoning.
Red Onion: I love the sweet, mellow flavor red onion adds. Again, you can use any type of onion you have on hand. If you use a more pungent type of onion, use less and consider soaking it to remove some of its pungency.
Red Bell Pepper: Use any color of bell pepper you like best.
Grape Tomato: I love these tomatoes because they’re sweet and have fewer seeds. Any type of tomato will work!
Cilantro: I love the flavor this fresh herb adds to the salad. Some people hate the taste. If you’re in that camp, just omit it.
Sharp Cheddar: I like sharp or extra sharp cheddar because it adds more flavor.
Monterrey Jack Cheese: I often will substitute pepper jack. It has more flavor but can be spicy.
Nacho Doritos are my favorite tortilla chip flavor! Of course, you can use plain tortilla chips, but the nacho flavor adds so much overall flavor to the pasta salad.
How To Make Taco Pasta Salad
- Mix the dressing ingredients.
- Cook the ground beef on medium heat.
- Mix the veggies and pasta
- Add the dressing and mix. Chill
- Just before serving, mix in the cheese, Doritos, and avocado.
- Enjoy.
***See full instructions below.
Pro Tips
- Assembly: This salad is so easy to make but it doesn’t sacrifice one bit of flavor! It’s kind of a two-parter in the sense that you combine most ingredients and toss it in the fridge. Then you fold in the cheese, crushed Doritos and avocados just before serving for the perfect combination of flavor and crunch.
- Enough For A Crowd: This recipe makes a generous amount of taco pasta salad. It will serve 12-15 people conservatively and even more at a potluck.
- Pasta: This recipe calls for spiral pasta, which is my favorite choice. Believe it or not, pasta shape does matter! It should catch the perfect amount of sauce (or dressing) in every delectable bite. Cooking your pasta al dente works best with this recipe.
- If you undercook it, you’ll end up with cardboard, and if you overcook it, it’ll turn mushy. I like to assemble the salad with cooled pasta.
- Bulk It Up: If I make this salad and have unexpected guests, I add chopped iceberg lettuce to bulk it up. You may need more salad dressing.
Recipe Variations
This taco pasta salad is easy to make your own, so use what your family loves best.
Add more taco flavor. Stir in a little extra cumin, fresh salsa, Catalina dressing, or French dressing for a sweeter, tangier taco-salad flavor.
Make it heartier. Add corn, black beans, black olives, extra cheddar cheese, or more green onions.
Swap the protein. Use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef.
Change the pasta. Rotini works beautifully, but bowtie pasta or penne will also hold the creamy dressing well.
Storing + Freezing, + Make-Ahead
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? According to the USDA, your taco pasta salad will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days when stored properly. They recommend storing cold foods below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can You Freeze This? In a word, Nope. Unfortunately, you cannot freeze taco pasta salad. The creamy dressing base and fresh summer veggies just can’t withstand freezing temperatures.
Make-Ahead Tips: There are a couple of things you can do to prepare for this recipe ahead of time. Depending on how far you are preparing ahead, the taco meat can be prepared and frozen in pre-portioned baggies for time-saving convenience.
- Mix up the dressing and store it in a sealed jar in the fridge until you are ready to make your salad. On prep day, chop the veggies and store them in an airtight container next to the dressing. The day before serving your salad, go ahead and thaw your taco meat and cook your pasta.
- Combine your ingredients and let them get acquainted in the fridge overnight. Toss in your last-minute ingredients and garnish before serving to an extremely lucky crowd.
What To Serve With Taco Pasta Salad
This creamy taco pasta salad pairs perfectly with easy Tex-Mex dinners, cookout favorites, and cool summer desserts.
Tex-Mex Favorites
- Chicken Fajita Quesadillas — Crispy tortillas stuffed with seasoned chicken, peppers, onions, and melty cheese.
- Pollo Asado — Juicy grilled chicken with bold citrusy flavor that’s perfect for summer cookouts.
- Taco Pie — A hearty family-favorite dinner packed with taco-seasoned beef, cheese, and crunchy chips.
Comforting Sides
- Mexican Rice — Fluffy, flavorful rice with classic Mexican-inspired seasoning.
- Charro Beans — Smoky, savory beans simmered with bacon and bold Tex-Mex flavor.
Sweet Finishes
- Strawberry Tres Leches Cake — Ultra moist vanilla cake soaked in sweet milk mixture and topped with fluffy whipped cream for a cool, creamy dessert that’s perfect after bold Tex-Mex flavors.
- Fresas con Crema — Sweet strawberries in creamy sauce for an easy cool dessert after a spicy meal.
- Margarita Cake — Bright citrus flavor and a soft, moist crumb make this perfect for summer parties.
More Easy Taco-Inspired Recipes
Dorito Taco Salad — Crunchy, cheesy, and loaded with taco flavor, this crowd-favorite salad always disappears fast at parties and potlucks.
Walking Tacos — Fun, crunchy taco bags filled with seasoned beef, cheese, lettuce, and all your favorite toppings.
Taco Rice — Easy taco-seasoned beef served over fluffy rice for a simple family dinner.
Bisquick Taco Bake — Cozy taco casserole with cheesy beef filling and an easy biscuit topping.
Taco Mac and Cheese — Creamy mac and cheese loaded with taco-seasoned beef for a fun comfort-food dinner.
Taco Casserole — Layered taco flavors baked into an easy, cheesy family favorite.
Tried This Recipe?
If you make this Taco Pasta Salad, I’d love for you to leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating below! It’s one of those cold, creamy pasta salads that always disappears fast at potlucks, cookouts, and summer parties, and I hope your family loves it as much as mine does.
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Thanks for stopping by my kitchen. Happy cooking, friends! ❤️Kathleen
Taco Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup milk (plus more as needed)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lime zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded, ribs removed and finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
Salad:
- 1 pound spiral pasta
- 2 pounds ground beef, 80/20
- 2 envelopes taco seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
- 3/4 cup red onion, small chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, small chopped
- 1 (16.5-ounce) container grape tomato, cut in half
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 (14.5-ounce) bag nacho Doritos divided, crushed
- 2-3 avocados, firm but ripe, diced
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until well mixed and smooth. Set aside.
- Cook pasta (1 pound) according to package directions just until al dente. Rinse, drain, and cool.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef (2 pounds) until no pink remains. Remove fat, stir in both taco seasonings (2 envelopes), and cool.
- In a large serving bowl, toss together pasta, beef, dressing, red onion (3/4 cup), red pepper (1 medium), tomatoes ( (16.5-ounce) container), and cilantro (1 cup) until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours, or overnight, for the best flavor.
- Just before serving, toss and adjust seasoning. Add more milk (I generally add about 1/4 -1/2 cup), as needed, to loosen the dressing. Gently fold in cheeses (1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar and 1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese), 3/4 of the bag of Doritos, and avocado (2-3). Pour onto a decorative platter and garnished with more of the remaining crushed Doritos and 2 tablespoons of cilantro and serve. serve. Enjoy!
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Assembly: This salad is so easy to make but it doesn’t sacrifice one bit of flavor! It’s kind of a two-parter in the sense that you combine most ingredients and toss it in the fridge. Then you fold in the cheese, crushed Doritos and avocados just before serving for the perfect combination of flavor and crunch.
- Enough For A Crowd: This recipe makes a generous amount of taco pasta salad. It will serve 12-15 people conservatively and even more at a potluck.
- Pasta: This calls for spiral pasta and its my favorite choice for this recipe. Believe it or not, pasta shape does matter! It should catch the perfect amount of sauce (or dressing) in every delectable bite. Cooking your pasta al dente works best with this recipe. If you undercook it then you end up with cardboard and if you overcook it then it turns mushy. I like to assemble the salad with cooled pasta.
Nutrition
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Your latest blog post was truly inspiring and had some great insights. I can’t wait to see what else you have in store.
Thank you so much!!
Absolutely delicious and flavorful! Thank you for the great recipe!
Thank you too, Erika! I’m so happy you like this recipe. 🙂
I’m keeping this recipe. Thank you!
Yaaay! Thank you, Ivy!
Can I use lite mayo, lite sour cream?
Looks yummy!!
Hi Amanda! Yes, you can use lite versions. 😀 Happy cooking!
First time making it and cut recipe in half. I actually ate this warmed up.it was great-it’s a chilly day in Wisconsin!Added taco sauce because I wanted more of that flavor. Enjoyed the fresh taste of it!
Thank you, Sarah! Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 😀
Yum!! I think I can eat 3 servings!!
Thanks, I hope you enjoy!