This creamy Cowboy Pasta Salad is loaded with seasoned beef, corn, black beans, cheddar, bacon, and jalapeños in a tangy BBQ-mayo dressing—excellent for Tex-Mex-inspired BBQs and potlucks.
Cowboy Pasta Salad (Tex-Mex BBQ Model)
- Meaty, satisfying primary: The combo of floor beef, cheddar, and bacon turns basic pasta salad right into a crowd-pleasing, protein-forward dish for hungry crews (howdy, sport day and tailgates). You may also like my Mexican avenue corn pasta salad with black beans and grilled rooster salad.
- BBQ + Tex-Mex mash-up: I season the meat with chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder, then toss it with a barbecue-kissed dressing. It’s received Texas roadhouse vibes however in a relaxing pasta salad—excellent for BBQs and summer season potlucks.
- All-season favourite: Certain, this cowboy pasta salad screams summer season—candy corn, juicy tomatoes, Tex-Mex BBQ vibes—however I’d additionally serve it for fall tailgates, soccer events, and yard barbecues. My different cookout favorites are rooster corn bacon salad with creamy pesto dressing, strawberry spinach salad, essentially the most superb Greek salad, and orzo salad.
You may Want On a regular basis Elements:
You don’t want fancy add-ins or dear cheese to make a cowboy pasta salad. Use no matter brief pasta you’ve received and pantry staples like canned black beans or inexperienced chiles. Swap cheddar for pepper jack, cilantro for parsley, turkey for beef—wing it! I all the time maintain again a little bit dressing to refresh proper earlier than serving; the pasta soaks it up because it chills, which is precisely why it tastes even higher after a fast relaxation. Use your favourite BBQ sauce for the dressing or make it from scratch utilizing my recipes: Kansas Metropolis BBQ Sauce or Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce.
Find out how to serve it (and what to serve with it)
- Cookout basic: Serve chilled in an enormous bowl at barbecues, potlucks, and tailgates. Garnish with further cheddar, bacon, and cilantro. Additionally, make my baked rooster wings, jalapeno popper bacon dip, and buffalo rooster dip.
- Texas BBQ plate: Pair with oven baked ribs, smoked brisket, grilled rooster, grilled ribeye steak with the finest steak marinade, or grilled pork chops. Add coleslaw, pickles, and cornbread.
- Tex-Mex unfold: Serve with elote (Mexican avenue corn), do-it-yourself roasted tomato salsa, chips & guac, pico de gallo, and an enormous avocado corn tomato salad.
FAQ
- What can I exploit as a substitute of mayo? I’m going 50/50 mayo + Greek yogurt or use ranch dressing blended with BBQ sauce (begin ½ cup ranch + 2 tablespoon BBQ, regulate). Avocado-oil mayo is one other nice swap.
- How do I maintain the pasta from absorbing all of the dressing? Cook dinner to agency al dente, rinse briefly, then toss with ½ to ⅔ of the dressing. Chill. Proper earlier than serving, add the remaining dressing plus a splash of vinegar or lime to wake it up.
- Can I serve it heat? Sure—let beef cool barely so it doesn’t break the dressing, skip rinsing the pasta, and toss whereas the pasta is simply heat, not sizzling. It’ll be creamier and looser.
Cowboy Pasta Salad
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This Cowboy Pasta Salad packs Tex-Mex taste right into a hearty pasta salad loaded with seasoned floor beef, corn, tomatoes, sharp cheddar, bacon, and a tangy BBQ-mayo dressing—constructed for potlucks, barbecues, tailgates, and straightforward weeknight dinners once you need a meat-and-pasta meal that eats like a primary.
Servings 6
Energy 794kcal
Elements
- 12 ounces rotini (340 grams)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 milliliters)
- 1 pound floor beef (450 grams)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (2 grams)
- ½ teaspoon floor cumin (1 gram)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (1.5 grams)
- Salt and black pepper to style (about ½ teaspoon every)
- 1 cup corn kernels (165 grams) canned, drained or thawed if frozen
- 15 oz black beans (425 grams) canned, rinsed, and drained
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (150 grams) halved or quartered
- ½ pink onion (75 grams) finely diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (100 grams)
- ½ cup sliced pickled jalapeños (60 grams) elective, for warmth
- 4 slices cooked bacon (60 grams) chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped recent parsley or cilantro (8 grams)
For the Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise (180 milliliters)
- 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce (30 milliliters)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 milliliters)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (15 milliliters)
- 1 teaspoon sizzling sauce (5 milliliters), elective
- Salt and pepper to style (about ¼ teaspoon every)
Directions
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Cook dinner the pasta : Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and prepare dinner based on package deal directions till al dente. Drain and rinse underneath chilly water. Toss with a little bit olive oil to stop sticking. Put aside.
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Cook dinner the meat: Warmth a skillet over medium warmth. Add the bottom beef and break it up with a spoon. Season with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook dinner till browned and cooked by way of, about 8–10 minutes. Drain any extra fats and let cool barely.
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Put together the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk collectively the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and sizzling sauce (if utilizing). Season with salt and pepper. Style and regulate seasoning if wanted.
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Assemble the salad: In a big mixing bowl, mix the cooled pasta, seasoned floor beef, corn, black beans (rinsed and drained), grape tomatoes, pink onion, cheddar cheese, pickled jalapeños, bacon, and parsley or cilantro.
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Add the dressing: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently till every thing is evenly coated.
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Chill or serve: For finest taste, chill the salad within the fridge for half-hour earlier than serving. Garnish with further cheese, bacon, or herbs if desired.
Notes
- Salt your pasta water: Properly-seasoned pasta is vital; I add 1–1½ tablespoons kosher salt to the boiling water so the salad isn’t bland later.
- Cook dinner pasta just-al-dente + rinse: A fast chilly rinse stops cooking and retains rotini bouncy—important in creamy salads.
- Season the meat boldly: I bloom chili powder and cumin within the fats for a minute so the meat tastes “BBQ-pit” savory, not simply browned.
- Cool sizzling parts: I let beef and bacon cool in order that they don’t soften the mayo; heat beef could make the dressing greasy.
- Maintain again some dressing: I all the time reserve a bit to refresh proper earlier than serving—pasta absorbs dressing because it chills.
- Steadiness the warmth and candy: Style the ultimate combine; regulate with a splash of vinegar for brightness, extra BBQ sauce for sweetness, or further jalapeños for kick.
- Use your favourite BBQ Sauce or make it from scratch utilizing my recipes: Kansas Metropolis BBQ Sauce or Carolina Gold BBQ Sauce.
Storage, reheating, freezing & make-ahead
- Storage: Refrigerate in an hermetic container for 3–4 days. Hold further dressing individually to refresh earlier than serving.
- Reheating: The cowboy pasta salad is finest served chilled or cool. If it’s simply out of the fridge, I let it sit 15–20 minutes to melt the dressing and perk up flavors—no precise reheating wanted.
- Freezing: Mayo-based pasta salads don’t freeze nicely (texture separates). Should you should plan forward, freeze the cooked, cooled beef and bacon individually; thaw, then assemble recent.
- Make-ahead: You can also make the cowboy pasta salad as much as 24 hours forward: prepare dinner pasta, season beef, combine dressing. Toss pasta + mix-ins with ½ to ⅔ of the dressing. Chill. Fold in remaining dressing, herbs, and further cheese/bacon simply earlier than serving.
Diet
Energy: 794kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 37g | Fats: 41g | Saturated Fats: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 14g | Monounsaturated Fats: 12g | Trans Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 804mg | Potassium: 838mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 854IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 5mg
