When it comes to pasta salad recipes, taco pasta salad is an all-time family favorite. It’s got a cool creamy base, rich savory flavors, and enough of a refreshing kick to wake up the senses!
Pasta Recipes are a dime a dozen but occasionally, you come across something truly special and this taco pasta salad fits the bill! It’s not just taco meat and pasta. It’s a unique blend of meaty taco, creamy pasta, cheesy goodness, refreshing herbs, and the perfect amount of crunch.
Best Ever Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
It’s the perfect pleasure that is a taco pasta salad with Mexican flavors! If you’re looking for more delicious pasta salad recipes, try my Greek pasta salad, Italian pasta salad, and tuna pasta salad. If you want another taco experience, my Dorito taco salad is in my continual dinner rotation and is a hands down, family fav!
I love that this taco pasta salad awakens each of the senses and hits almost all the benchmarks of a perfect dish. Of course, it’s a taco pasta salad recipe with Doritos! It’s savory, refreshing deliciousness with just the right amount of crunch and it’s ideal for potlucks or large gatherings.
Who doesn’t love a delicious cold pasta salad during the super hot dog days of summer?
Taco Pasta Salad Video Tutorial
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Ingredients You’ll Need
Dressing:
- Mayonnaise
- Sour Cream
- Milk
- Lime Zest
- Lime Juice
- Jalapeno Pepper
- Granulated Sugar
- Black Pepper
Salad:
- Spiral Pasta aka Rotini Pasta
- Taco Seasoning
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Red Onion
- Red Pepper
- Grape Tomato
- Cilantro
- Sharp Cheddar
- Monterrey Jack Cheese
- Nacho Doritos
- Avocados
Garnish:
- Cilantro
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 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.
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 stand up to the 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.
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- Mix up the dressing and store it in a sealed jar in the fridge until you are ready to make your salad. Chop the veggies on prep day 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 with each other in the fridge overnight. Toss in your last-minute ingredients and garnish before serving to some extremely lucky crowd.
Recipe Variations
This is your baby so you can tweak things to suit your taste. Here are some great additions you can add to make this salad your own:
- Cumin
- Corn
- Black beans
- black olives
- Green Onions
- Fresh Salsa
- Extra Cheddar Cheese
- A squirt of Catalina Dressing
- Substitute The Ground Beef With Ground Chicken Or Ground Turkey
- Switch The Pasta to Bowties, Farfalle (bowtie pasta), Or Penne
How to Make Taco Pasta Salad
- Mix the dressing ingredients.
- Cook the ground beef.
- Mix the veggies, pasta
- Add the dressing and mix. Chill
- Just before serving, mix in the cheese, Doritos, and avocado.
- Enjoy.
See full instructions below.
More Taco Recipes
Here are some of my favorite tacos
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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.
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!