Cowboy Pasta Salad
Cowboy Pasta Salad is loaded with ground beef, bacon, corn, black beans, and Colby Jack, all tossed in a creamy BBQ-taco dressing. It's the hearty, crowd-pleasing side dish your next cookout needs.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
Salad
- 12 ounces cavatappi pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1 cup black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup small cubes Colby Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- Juice of 1 lime about 3 tablespoons
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For Serving
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Cook pasta in generously salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cool. Drain well.
- Place diced red onion in a small bowl of ice water while you prep the rest of the ingredients. This softens the bite without losing the crunch.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels and crumble once cool. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease in the pan.
- Brown the ground beef in the bacon grease over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Drain any excess grease and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, taco seasoning, BBQ sauce, and lime juice until smooth.
- Drain the red onion and pat dry. Add cooled pasta, ground beef, bacon, corn, black beans, tomatoes, onion, cheese, and cilantro to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently until evenly coated.
- Cover and chill at least 1 hour before serving.
- Just before serving, give it another toss and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and a squeeze more lime if needed. Garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
- Chill before serving. The dressing needs at least an hour to hydrate and let the taco seasoning flavors deepen. This is why we taste and adjust the seasoning right before serving rather than right after mixing.
- Use the bacon grease for the beef. Browning the beef in a tablespoon of rendered bacon fat adds smoky depth that ties the dish together.
- Pasta shape. Cavatappi holds the dressing well, but rotini, bowtie, shells, or elbow all work. Avoid long noodles like spaghetti.
- Protein swaps. Ground turkey works as a leaner option. Sliced smoked kielbasa, browned the same way, brings a different flavor that leans into the cowboy theme.
- No cilantro? Leave it out, or substitute chopped flat-leaf parsley for the fresh herb hit.
- Onion swap. If raw red onion isn't for you, try diced red or green bell pepper for crunch without the bite.
- BBQ sauce. Any sweet BBQ works. Sweet Baby Ray's Original is the easy default. Spicy or smoky varieties will shift the flavor in different directions.
- Add heat. Use a spicy BBQ sauce, fold in a finely diced jalapeño, or add a pinch of cayenne to the dressing.
- Make-ahead. This salad is ideal for prepping a day in advance. The flavors deepen overnight.
- Storage. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Best within the first two days for texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 445mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 342IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg
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