Taco Pasta Salad

Taco Pasta salad is loaded with tender noodles, taco meat, tomatoes, black beans and then mixed with a sour cream taco seasoning dressing for the perfect summer pasta salad.

Taco Pasta Salad

This Taco Pasta salad recipe is amazing. I am telling you now you are going to love it and it will be added to your family favorites list for summer dinner recipes.

I am on a pasta salad kick again guys. I took a little break and then realized just how much easier making pasta salads ahead of time again makes my life during the week. This taco pasta salad works well as a side dish or a main dish. In fact, I had planned on having left overs for a second dinner side dish the one night last week that I made this but then the kids devoured it for lunch.

This taco pasta salad recipe has all the flavors of tacos that you love in a creamy sour cream dressing that is perfect for any summer dinner or BBQ. It is super easy to make and you can make it ahead of time to make your summer meals even easier.

Easy Pasta Salad Recipes

• Chickpea pasta Salad
• Egg Salad Pasta Salad
• Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
• Sun dried tomato pasta salad
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad
• Tahini Pasta Salad
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
• BLT Pasta Salad

Tips for Making Pasta Salad

Don’t overcook the pasta. It is important to not overcook the pasta. Cook just until al dente and then drain them and then cool the pasta while in the strainer with cold water until all of the pasta is cooled. This will prevent a soggy pasta salad.

Cool the pasta completely. Just like overcooking pasta will give you a mushy pasta salad, so will noodles that are not cooled all the way. As soon as they are done cooking you want to shock the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Let pasta salad sit before serving. You can serve this pasta salad immediately after making it however I find pasta salad is best when it has time to sit in the fridge and all of the flavors are able to mix together. Letting the pasta salad sit for a few hours before serving results in a more flavorful and delicious pasta salad!

Change up the pasta. I like using rotini pasta, but you can also use fusilli, bowtie pasta, elbow macaroni, or any type of pasta that is small.

Variations of this recipe

Add some crunch. You can add some crunched up tortilla chips or Doritos if you want a crunch in your pasta salad.

Add more veggies. Black olives, avocados, sliced lettuce, bell pepper, jalapeno peppers and green onion are great add ins.

Change up the beans. Instead of black beans you can use kidney beans, if you want to you can use some of both.

Change up the cheese. I like using cheddar cheese but you can also use Mexican blend cheese.

Change up the meat. I use stove top cooked ground beef taco meat, but you can also use slow cooker beef taco meat or chicken taco meat if you want to.

What to serve with Pasta Salad

There are lots of great main dishes and side dishes that go along well with this easy macaroni salad recipe. Check out some of our favorites dishes that we make when we are having this cold macaroni salad. Seriously anything that you cook on the grill will work perfectly with this cold pasta salad recipe. Check out some of my favorite summer dishes that go well with pasta salad.

• Hot dogs
• Hamburgers
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Grilled Steaks
• Chili Lime Chicken
• Bacon Wrapped Scallops
• Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa

Can I make Pasta Salad ahead of time?

Yes! You can make this pasta salad up to 3 days before serving.

How to store Pasta salad?

While this pasta salad is best served on the same day you make it you can store it to enjoy later or store leftovers. This pasta salad recipe needs to be stored in the fridge and is best stored in an air-tight container. You can use a bowl and plastic wrap but I find an air-tight container like these is best. This pasta salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Taco Pasta Salad Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 packet taco seasoning or 4 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
• 15 ounce can black beans
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream

How to Make Taco Pasta Salad

Cook pasta according to directions on the box for al dente, drain the pasta and then rinse under cold water.

While the pasta is cooking cook the ground beef over medium heat, once cooked drain the meat and add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning and mix well. Remove from heat while the pasta finishes cooking.

Wash and dice the tomatoes and chop the onion.

Shred the cheddar cheese if you are not using preshredded and set it aside.

Pour the black beans into a colander and rinse, then drain and set aside.

Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons taco seasoning into the sour cream.

In a large mixing bowl combine the pasta, beef, black beans, tomatoes, onions, cheese, and toss well to combine everything.

Add in the sour cream mixture and mix well.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge.

Easy Summer Recipe

• Olive Garden Salad
• Chicken Caesar Salad
• Chicken Taco Salad
• Beef taco salad
• BLT Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Crispy chicken, cranberry and apple salad
• Big Mac Salad
• Ratatouille