Best Cowboy Pasta Salad Recipe

A clear glass bowl filled with cowboy pasta salad on a white surface.

Best Cowboy Pasta Salad Recipe

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.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 516kcal

Author Sherri Hagymas

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

Use another pasta like penne, bowtie or shells.

Add a diced jalapeno pepper or a favorite hot sauce.

Cook fresh bacon either in the oven or in a skillet if you'd like to use that instead.

Nutrition