Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
This easy taco pasta salad has seasoned ground beef, black beans, cheddar cheese, and a creamy salsa dressing. Serve it as a quick lunch or picnic side dish!
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef 90-95%
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 ½ cups salsa
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 15 ounce 1-can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 4-6 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to cool. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the ground beef and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through. Stir in the water, tomato paste, taco seasoning and salt. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until saucy and well combined. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the salsa, sour cream, and lime juice until well combined.
- Add the cooked pasta, taco meat, black beans, corn, shredded cheese, tomatoes and green onions to the bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.
Notes
My Top Tip: Cook the pasta to al dente. You want it to be slightly firm so it'll hold up well in the taco pasta salad. If it's overcooked, it can get mushy.
Storage: Store leftover taco pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days. No need to reheat, it tastes great cold!
This recipe has been updated in April 2026, but if you like the original version, you can still find it here:
For the dressing:
2 limes, juice and zest
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup olive oil or avocado oil
For the salad:
8 ounces macaroni noodles, or pasta of choice
1 (14.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ small red onion, minced
1 cup cooked corn
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- To make the dressing, in a large serving bowl whisk lime juice and zest, garlic, taco seasoning, honey, salt and pepper together until combined. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking vigorously until emulsified. Set aside in the fridge.
- To make the salad, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta, then add to the large serving bowl with the dressing. Toss with the warm pasta so it can absorb the flavors.
- Add the black beans, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, corn and cilantro and toss to coat. Chill for 1 hour for flavors to develop. When ready to serve, add diced avocado on top so the color is preserved.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 533mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 549IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2mg
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