Taco Pasta Salad is a delicious pasta salad made with Mexican flavors, seasoned ground beef, crunchy nacho cheese chips, and a delicious creamy dressing! Perfect for a summer potluck or BBQ!
This taco pasta salad is such a yummy dish, and its perfect for a spring or summer potluck or bbq! It makes a lot, so its great for a big family gathering! But the recipe can also be easily cut in half if you don’t need to feed quite as many hungry bellies.
It’s also a great dish because you can customize it. If someone does’t like bell pepper leave it out, if you want more protein, add in some black beans, etc.
Taco Pasta Salad Variations:
- Try adding in some black beans or kidney beans for more protein (or instead of the meat if you want the dish to be vegetarian)
- Add in some sliced black olives
- Add in some sliced scallions, or green onion
- Add in some sliced avocado
- Top with sour cream
- Try Catalina Dressing instead of French Dressing
Taco pasta salad is loaded with taco flavors, from ground beef seasoned with taco seasoning, to your favorite taco toppings, like lettuce, Mexican Style Cheese, diced tomatoes, and green peppers. Instead of a taco shell you have the pasta noodles. The whole salad is mixed up with French dressing, which adds a bit of a sweetness, and the perfect creaminess to the whole pasta salad. Then right before serving you’ll add in crushed up crunchy nacho cheese, or tortilla chips, which add a great crunch to the salad.
If you want to add crunchy Doritos to another delicious meal, I’ll be making this Doritos Chicken Casserole ASAP!
How to make Taco Pasta Salad?
Start by cooking your noodles in a large pot with boiling water, cook them according to the package directions.
Then in a large sauce pan, cook up your ground beef. Add in the taco seasoning.
In a large bowl add your cooked noodles, cooked ground beef, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, cheese, and lettuce and toss it all together. Then stir in your French Dressing.
When you’re ready to serve the pasta salad add in your crushed chips, you don’t want to add them too early or they’ll get soft from all the other ingredients.
Tips for Making Taco Pasta Salad:
- Buy a bag of already shredded lettuce from the grocery store so you don’t have to cut up a head of lettuce.
- Mix everything together for the pasta salad, except for the dressing and the chips. Mix the dressing into the salad, then the crushed chips when you get to the park, friend’s house, or wherever you are ready to serve and eat the pasta salad so they stay extra crunchy.
- Don’t forget to buy Horizon Organic Mexican Style Shredded Cheese so you and your family are getting the best of the best!
Watch how easy this taco pasta salad is to make here –>
More Pasta Salad Recipes:
- Southwest Pasta Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Mandarin Spinach Pasta Salad
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Taco Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini pasta (or other medium sized noodle)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 TBS taco seasoning
- 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- 2-3 cups Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
- 4 cups shredded lettuce (you can buy this already shredded at some stores)
- 15 oz French Dressing
- 3 cups slightly crushed nacho cheese or tortilla chips
- chopped cilantro (optional)
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook rotini noodles according to package directions. Rinse off in cold water.
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef. Drain grease.
- Mix in taco seasoning.
- In a large bowl add pasta, ground beef, tomatoes, bell pepper, cheese, and lettuce.
- Pour French Dressing over the top.
- Stir everything together.
- Cover and place in fridge if you're not ready to serve yet.
- When ready to serve add in crushed chips (so they don't get soggy).
- Top with chopped cilantro if desired.
Video
Nutrition
**This delicious Taco Pasta Salad was originally sponsored by Horizon Organics. All opinions are my own. #HorizonOrganic #Ad
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Bev says
Greek pasta salad excellent