Cowboy Pasta Salad
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This cowboy pasta salad has a little kick, a smoky BBQ vibe, and all the bold flavor you want in a hearty side dish. It’s loaded with ground beef, black beans, sweet corn, bacon, and jalapeños, then tossed in a creamy BBQ mayo dressing that ties it all together.
With Memorial Day and the 4th of July coming up, I’ve been leaning into recipes that bring a little wow factor to the table. This one’s flavorful, filling, and made for those summer weekends when the grill is going, the drinks are cold, and the side dishes need to show up.
Why This Recipe Stands Out at a Potluck
Hands down, this is not your average and expected side dish recipe (I’m looking at you ranch pasta salad and old fashioned potato salad). Smoky, creamy, and a little spicy, with real substance from the beef, beans, and bacon, this dish holds up well in the fridge. As a bonus, it tastes even better the next day and gives off major backyard cookout energy.
You can serve cowboy pasta salad as a side, but honestly, I’ve eaten it as a full meal more than once.
Here’s Everything You’ll Need
For this recipe, you’ll need 8 oz. cooked elbow macaroni, ground beef (a full pound, cooked and seasoned), and cooked crumbled bacon, around eight slices. Grab a can of black beans, some corn (frozen and thawed is fine), a can of Rotel tomatoes, and a little chopped red onion.
Finish with Jalapeños and cheddar cheese. The creamy dressing in this dish is made with mayo, BBQ sauce, Greek yogurt, a splash of Worcestershire, and Dijon mustard. Exact amounts are listed in the full recipe below, just hit “Jump to Recipe” below to grab them.
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Cowboy Pasta Salad
Start by cooking your elbow macaroni, draining it, and rinsing it with cold water to cool it down. While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef in a skillet and season it with salt and pepper. Once cooked, drain any excess fat and let it cool.
Cook the bacon. I like to bake my bacon in the oven for even crispness, but feel free to fry it on the stove if that’s easier for you. Once it’s cooked, crumble it into bite-sized pieces.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, ground beef, crumbled bacon, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, red onion, and diced jalapeños. Give everything a quick toss to combine.
Whisk together the mayo, BBQ sauce, Greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and stir until it’s well coated. Then, fold in the shredded cheddar cheese.
You can serve this pasta salad immediately, but I recommend covering it and refrigerating it for an hour or so to let the flavors come together. It tastes even better after a little chill time.
Tips from My Kitchen
This salad has a little heat from the jalapeños, but you can adjust easily depending on your crowd. One pepper is usually mild; two give it more personality.
The bacon adds a smoky crunch, but store-bought bacon bits work in a pinch if you’re short on time. You can also change up the beef to ground turkey.
Storing & Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This salad is great cold or at room temperature, so you don’t need to reheat it.
If it dries out in the fridge, it is fine to stir in some extra BBQ sauce or mayo to freshen it up.
More Bold Pasta Salads
I am all about a unique pasta salad and have been really diving into new recipes this spring. I have a list from classics to creative here on my pasta salad recipes for easter sunday or try one of these new ones:
Cowboy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow pasta cooked and cooled
- 1 lb ground beef cooked and drained
- 15 oz. black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 10 oz. Rotel Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 jalapeño seeds removed and finely diced (you can also do 2 if you prefer for more heat)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For the Dressing:
- 1/2 cup real mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Set aside.
- In a skillet, brown the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and drain any excess fat. Let it cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, ground beef, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, red onion, crumbled bacon, diced jalapeño, and shredded cheddar cheese.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, Greek yogurt, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and stir until everything is well coated.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Stir again before serving.
Notes
- To reduce the heat, use only one jalapeño or skip entirely.
- You can swap ground beef for ground turkey
- If making ahead, freshen it up with an extra spoonful of dressing before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
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