Taco Pasta Salad
For a large party, serve an epic Taco Pasta Salad, a simple recipe made with taco ingredients (meat, lettuce, cheese), a French sour cream salad dressing, and tossed with a bag of crunchy Dorito chips. This makes the best party pasta salad that feeds a crowd. Made in our epic 21.5 inch salad bowl.
I love an easy taco pasta salad. For the holidays, when you’re hosting (especially out of town guests), you have to think up a few more dinner recipes than normal. We love this epic taco salad recipe because it feeds a crowd. You can also prep the ingredients, cook the meat, and prepare the pasta ahead of time and refrigerate for about two days ahead of serving.
Taco Pasta Salad
There’s so much going on in this salad, but it all works together and tastes delicious! And the big bowl? The best for tossing large salads.
This is a great salad whenever you need to take a dish to a BBQ, potluck, or event of any kind (game day!). But I also serve it at home. It goes splendidly with a last-minute “taco night”, and because you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time, it’s an easy win when making dinner without a lot of last-minute prep work.
Read more: Taco Pasta Salad
I make this with whole wheat Cavatappi because the salad dressing gets into all the little grooves and tastes so good. No Cavatappi pasta? No problem! Any other kind of pasta will work well as long as you don’t overcook it. Pasta for salads should be cooked a wee bit al dente so that they hold up to the dressing and other ingredients in the salad.
This taco salad is packed with flavor and color, and you can make your own dressing (light, skinny, or use the recipe we’ve included). There are no hard rules in making an epic taco salad, except make it your own and how your family loves it.
Why I love this recipe
- Everyone loves the flavor and it serves a crowd (in the BIG BOWL).
- I almost always have a packet of taco seasoning in my pantry (and Dorito chips) so it’s an easy salad to make.
- It’s so easy to customize! See all my suggestions below.
- Easy make-ahead ingredients that you can prepare a few days in advance.
Gather these ingredients
- Ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken)
- Taco seasoning – I buy at Trader Joe’s or you can make your own
- Pasta – we use whole wheat Cavatappi- Delallo brand
- Yellow bell pepper
- Green onions
- Grape tomatoes
- Shredded Mexican Cheddar blend
- Butter leaf lettuce
- Sliced black olives
- Nacho Cheese Doritos
- Avocados (optional)
Dressing:
- French dressing
- Sour cream
How to make a Taco Pasta Salad
- Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium high heat. Once meat starts to brown, add in the taco seasoning. Once cooked, drain excess grease and set aside. [Tip: I often will pat the meat with a paper towel to absorb the grease.]
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, al dente (about 1-2 minutes less). When pasta is cooked, drain and run under cool water; drain.
- Assemble the salad: In a an epic salad bowl, add the pasta, chopped lettuce, meat, shredded cheese, tomatoes, olives, green onions, and bell pepper.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl add the French dressing and sour cream and whisk until combined. Pour over the salad ingredients. Toss the salad until combined.
- Lastly, scrunch the Dorito chips in the bag, to break them into small pieces, before adding them on top of the salad.
- Serving: Right before you’re ready to serve the salad, pour the chips on top; toss to combine all of the ingredients. Serve right away! TIP: Add Doritos right before serving to avoid them getting soggy.
Tips and substitutions:
- Replace the French dressing with Italian Dressing, or a reduced-fat version of dressing for a healthier option.
- Use cotija cheese in place of the shredded Mexican cheese.
- Make the salad healthier and add baby spinach. Iceberg lettuce is another “crunchy” option.
- Don’t like green onions? Use chopped red onions.
- Make the salad meatless: This recipe is great if you want to make it vegetarian. Just leave out the meat.
- Optional to add avocados – add them at the very end.
- Serve ini the BIG BOWL (2 sizes).
Serving
- Serve this salad on Mexican night with this rice dish, these home-cooked beans, and sangria!
- Add the dressing and Doritos right before serving!
- Also optional to serve the dressing and crushed chips on the side and let people add their own.
- This recipe is great for entertaining! Serve in our epic salad bowls and toss with these wood paddles.
- Halve the recipe for a smaller group to enjoy or a weeknight meal.
Storing Leftover Taco Pasta Salad
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or store in an air-tight container and refrigerate. This should stay fresh for about 3 days. NOTE: IF the chips were added, they will be soggy when eating as leftovers.
More epic salads you might want to try while you are here:
Get the Recipe:
Taco Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef, cooked and drained
- 6 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 lbs pasta, whole wheat Cavatappi- Delallo brand
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch green onions, finely sliced
- 1 ½ pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 cups shredded Mexican Cheddar blend, we buy at Costco
- 7 oz butter leaf lettuce, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 3.8 oz can sliced black olives
- 9 oz bag Nacho Cheese Doritos, crushed roughly
Make the dressing:
- 1 ½ cup French dressing
- ¾ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium high heat. Once meat starts to brown, add in the taco seasoning. Once cooked, drain excess grease and set aside. [Tip: I often will pat the meat with a paper towel to absorb the grease.]
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, al dente (about 1-2 minutes less). When pasta is cooked, drain and run under cool water; drain.
- In an epic salad bowl, add the pasta, chopped lettuce, meat, shredded cheese, tomatoes, olives, green onions, and bell pepper.
- Make the dressing: Next, in a small bowl add the French dressing and sour cream and whisk until combined. Pour over the salad ingredients. Toss the salad until combined.
- Lastly, scrunch the Dorito chips in the bag, to break them into small pieces, before adding them on top of the salad.
- Right before you’re ready to serve the salad, pour the chips on top; toss to combine all of the ingredients. Serve right away! TIP: Add Doritos right before serving to avoid them getting soggy.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
