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A white dish filled with creamy taco pasta salad, rotini, vegetables, and herbs; a fork is lifting a bite above the plate. Cherry tomatoes and cilantro are nearby.
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Taco Pasta Salad

Skip the shell, keep the flavor—this taco pasta salad is everything you want in one bowl, no oven time required.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 719kcal
Author: Laura

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 12 oz uncooked rotini pasta
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning
  • 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 cup canned corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup canned beans (black or pinto), drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 fresh jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • Juice from 1 lime

For the BBQ dressing:

  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

Instructions

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat
  • Add the ground beef and cook for 7–10 minutes until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks
    Raw ground beef in a stainless steel skillet on a white background, perfect for preparing hearty dishes like taco pasta salad.
  • Drain any excess grease and stir in the taco seasoning
    A stainless steel pan with browned ground beef and a pile of taco seasoning powder in the center, viewed from above on a white background—perfect for starting a flavorful taco pasta salad.
  • Add 1 tbsp of water if needed to help thin the seasoning
    Cooked ground beef seasoned with spices for a flavorful taco pasta salad, shown in a stainless steel skillet from above on a white background.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
    A stainless steel pot filled with boiling water and rotini pasta, perfect for making taco pasta salad, sits on a patterned trivet against a white background.
  • Cook the rotini pasta according to package instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water
    Cooked fusilli pasta for taco pasta salad draining in a black metal colander with handles, viewed from above on a white background.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together all the BBQ dressing ingredients until smooth
    A white bowl filled with creamy, light brown taco pasta salad sauce, with a black spoon resting inside, on a white background.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, cooked beef, cherry tomatoes, corn, beans, cheese, red onion, jalapeño, and lime juice
    A glass bowl containing taco pasta salad ingredients like chopped red onion, grape tomatoes, shredded cheese, cooked ground meat, diced green pepper, and fresh cilantro, viewed from above.
  • Pour the BBQ dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated
    A glass bowl filled with taco pasta salad—rotini pasta, ground beef, beans, red onions, and herbs—all topped with a creamy white sauce.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges if desired
    A fork holds a bite of taco pasta salad with rotini, sauce, vegetables, and herbs above a plate of the same flavorful dish.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 719kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 1769mg | Potassium: 596mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 1612IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 4mg