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Taco Pasta Salad

Taco pasta salad with seasoned ground beef, melty cheddar, and crunchy tortilla chips tossed in a creamy ranch-salsa dressing. A Mexican pasta salad that’s easy to make ahead and chills for a creamy, scoopable texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini
Meat and seasoning
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
Cheese and vegetables
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Dressing
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 0.25 cup salsa
Toppings
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • 1 lettuce
  • 1 sour cream
  • 1 cilantro

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Cook pasta and beef
  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool it quickly.
  2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet and season with the taco seasoning according to package directions, then cool it before mixing.
Make dressing
  1. Mix the ranch dressing with the salsa until evenly blended.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta, ground beef, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, corn, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the ranch-salsa dressing over the salad and toss until everything is coated.
  3. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
Serve
  1. Top with crushed tortilla chips, lettuce, sour cream, and cilantro right before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the cooked pasta with cold water so it stays firm and doesn’t turn mushy once chilled. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days; for best crunch, keep tortilla chips separate and add them just before serving. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy dressing and produce can break down. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat ranch dressing while keeping the salsa unchanged.