Taco Pasta Salad

This creamy Taco Pasta Salad is loaded with seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese, fresh vegetables, crunchy Doritos, and a tangy lime dressing for the ultimate crowd-pleasing summer dish. Cold, hearty, and packed with taco-night flavor, it’s perfect for potlucks, cookouts, parties, and easy make-ahead dinners.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword pasta salad recipes, taco pasta recipes, taco recipes

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 4

Total Time 5

Servings -15 People

Calories 859kcal

Author Kathleen

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

US Customary - Metric

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!

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