This hearty Cowboy Pasta Salad recipe is the ultimate side dish for parties and potluck get-togethers. It’s loaded with seasoned ground beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, black beans, corn all tossed a creamy salad dressing.
This Pasta Salad with Ground Beef and Bacon Will Be a Hit at Your Potlucks
Whenever I make this recipe, it get rave reviews! Everyone asks where it gets it’s “Cowboy” name and from what I have heard it is because it’s hearty Tex Mex flavors with beef, beans, bacon and cheese are cowboy loved foods.
No matter where it gets it’s name, like our Cowboy Caviar dip, it’s a yummy must make side dish that can be made a day in advance and let the flavors meld together even more and can be served cold but our favorite is eating it at room temperature.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we’ll send you this recipe so you can come back to it any time! (as well as our new recipes weekly!)
Salad Ingredients You’ll Need
The complete list of ingredients with amounts are listed in the full recipe card below.
- Rotini pasta – Cook per the package directions to al dente. You can swap the rotini for a different pasta shape like penne, bowtie, wagon wheels or shells.
- Lean ground beef – Cook until browned and crumbled. Drain any excess grease. Swap the beef for ground turkey or ground chicken or grilled chicken.
- Black beans – Drained and rinsed.
- Corn – I used a can of Mexicorn, drained but any canned corn is fine. Fresh sweet corn or thawed frozen corn is a good alternative.
- Cheddar cheese – I like dicing a sharp cheddar block into cubes but shredded cheese can be used too.
- Cherry tomatoes – Quartered. Use grape tomatoes or plum tomatoes cut into smaller pieces.
- Red bell pepper – Swap it for green, orange or yellow ball pepper.
- Cooked bacon crumbles – I like using pre-cooked microwavable bacon. But feel free to make fresh bake bacon in the oven or in a skillet.
- Green onions – Thinly sliced. Use red onion or sweet onion too.
- Fresh cilantro – optional
For the Dressing
- Mayonnaise – Creamy base for the dressing. Light mayo works fine too.
- Barbecue sauce – I used Sweet Baby Ray’s but use your favorite brand. Make it spicier by using a spicy bbq sauce.
- Mustard – I use plain yellow mustard but use Dijon or spicy brown if you’d like.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cumin, chili powder, salt & pepper
Variations You Can Make
1. Mix in diced dill pickles or crispy fried onions just before serving so they don’t get soggy.
2. Add a diced jalapeño pepper or your favorite hot sauce.
How to Make Cowboy Pasta Salad
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain into a colander in the sink and rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking.
Step 2 Cook your bacon. I used pre-cooked microwaveable bacon and cooked it for 1 minute with slices between paper towels.
Step 3: In a large skillet, add the ground beef and brown until no longer pink, breaking it up into crumbles as you brown it. Drain off any fat and set aside.
Step 4: Make the dressing. In a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and whisk together until combined well.
Step 5: Add in the cooked pasta, beef, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, bacon crumbles and scallions and stir to coat everything well.
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Best Cowboy Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry rotini pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
For the dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- 15 ounces black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 10 ounces corn drained
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese diced into cubes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup cooked bacon crumbles
- 2 green onions sliced thin
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook your pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop further cooking.1 pound dry rotini pasta
- Cook the bacon. I used pre-cooked microwaveable bacon and cooked it for 1 minute with slices between paper towels.½ cup cooked bacon crumbles
- In a large skillet, add the ground beef and brown until no longer pink, breaking it up into crumbles as you brown it. Drain off any fat and set aside.1 pound lean ground beef
- In an serving bowl, add the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and stir together until combined well.1 cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, Salt and pepper
- Add in the cooked pasta, beef, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, bacon crumbles and scallions and stir to coat everything well.15 ounces black beans, 10 ounces corn, 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, 2 green onions, Fresh cilantro for garnish
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Leave a Reply