This Taco Pasta Salad has been around for as long as I can remember being alive! It was my mom’s signature dish to take to cookouts/get-togethers, and I can remember people always asking her for the recipe! And I can remember loving it even as a kid. It is a simple recipe and can be thrown together rather quickly and easily! And chances are, you have most of the ingredients in your house right now!
And if you have spent any time on my blog or my social media channels, you know that we love our taco dishes! Here are a few more you may enjoy!
Arroz Con Pollo (Cheesy Chicken and Rice)
What is needed to make Taco Pasta Salad
As the name implies you will need some pretty basic taco ingredients including:
- Ground Beef – or you can use ground turkey, chicken or sausage
- Onion- Optional
- Taco Seasoning – store bought works great or you can make your own
- Pasta – I like to use medium sized shells because they hold the ingredients inside and hold the flavor well, but any short pasta will do
- Grated Cheddar Cheese – or any type of Mexican type of cheese works great!
- Lettuce
- Salsa – store bought or homemade
- Nacho Cheese Doritos
- Western Dressing – Or Catalina or French if you cannot find Western Dressing where you live
How to Make Taco Pasta Salad:
You will start by browning 2 lbs of ground beef with 1 diced onion. Once the meat is cooked, drain off any excess grease. (And I always say this step is optional. It really is just personal preference and depends on how greasy your meat is!) Then you will add 2 oz of taco seasoning and 1/2 cup of water. Allow that to simmer for a few minutes then set it aside to let it cool.
Next you will boil 1 lb of pasta in salted boiling water just until al dente. Once it is cooked, immediately drain it and run it under cold water until it is completely cooled.
Now you will want to grate 8 oz of cheese. I like to use sharp cheddar, but as I mentioned above, you can use any kind of cheese you like. You will also want to chop up one head of iceberg lettuce.
And I highly recommend this cheese grater from Amazon! I purchased it a little over a year ago and it has been such a time saver! You can buy it here!
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Now you are going to mix your chilled pasta and the cooled meat with the cheese and 2 cups of salsa.
It is very important that you do not add in the last 3 ingredients until you are ready to serve the dish, as it will get mushy!
When you are ready to serve the dish, add in the lettuce, some crushed up Doritos and some Western Dressing! And that’s all there is to it!
If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating! I love hearing from you and it helps so much! Thank you!
Taco Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- lbs Ground Beef Ground Turkey, Chicken or Pork will work too
- 1/2 Yellow Onion, Diced
- 2 oz Taco Seasoning
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 8 oz Medium Sized Pasta Shells any short sized pasta will work
- 9 oz Sharp Cheddar or any Mexican Style Cheese, grated
- 1/2 Head of Lettuce, chopped
- 1 Cup Salsa
- 14.5 oz Bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos will need about half the bag, maybe less
- 8-12 oz Western Dressing French or Catalina will work if you can't find Western dressing in your area
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted boiling water just until al dente. Immediately drain and run under cold water until completely cooled.
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onion. Drain the excess grease if needed. Add the taco seasoning and water. Let simmer for a few minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, the taco meat, the cheese and the salsa.
- When ready to serve, add in the chips, the lettuce and the dressing and mix well! Serve chilled and enjoy!