Cowboy Pasta Salad

Looking for a tasty and simple side dish or potluck contribution? Check out this delicious cowboy pasta salad recipe that can be whipped up in no time! Delicious mixture of bowtie pasta, bacon, taco meat, black beans, cheese, and vegetables all tossed in a homemade dressing!

This cowboy pasta salad is sure to have you saying “yeehaw!” after every single bite! Packed with tons of veggies, meat, and cheese and tossed in a barbecue sauce dressing, this is not your average pasta salad recipe. This recipe came with one mission — to blow you away with the most incredible flavor ever.

If you know me, you know I love a good pasta salad recipe! It’s why I’ve got tons of tasty recipes likes tuna pasta salad and bacon ranch pasta salad. It’s just the perfect side dish for any main course and there’s always so many tasty ingredients that you can mix in. So whip up a batch of cowboy pasta salad when you need a winning side dish in a short amount of time!

Why You’ll Love this Cowboy Pasta Salad Recipe

• This loaded cowboy pasta salad is a great make-ahead side dish. It tastes best after it’s chilled for a little while in the fridge, so prep it ahead and then your side dish is ready to go!
• Pasta salad is a very adaptable dish, so you can add or omit any ingredients that you want.
• Make this dish for your next potluck or party. It’s easy to transport and is always a crowd hit! The flavor is a knock out!

Ingredients for Cowboy Pasta Salad

• Bacon – Grab a package of your favorite bacon and cook it up. You can cook bacon on the stovetop or cook it in the oven too.
• Ground beef – For best results, use lean ground beef so that your pasta salad doesn’t become greasy. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
• Taco seasoning – A packet of taco seasoning will do the trick, but you can also use homemade taco seasoning if you prefer.
• Green bell pepper – I like the mild flavor of green bell pepper best, but you can use any kind of bell pepper that you want.
• Barbecue sauce – Grab a bottle of barbecue sauce or make your own homemade bbq sauce.
• Worcestershire sauce – A little splash of this adds so much flavor to this tasty pasta dish.
• Cheddar cheese – Cubed cheddar cheese is the best addition to this pasta salad to add some cheesy goodness.
• Mayonnaise – Make your pasta creamy with some mayo.
• Hot sauce – Add a little kick! It really makes a world of difference.
• Spicy brown mustard – You can use ground mustard or dijon mustard in place of spicy brown if you want.
• Cherry tomatoes – Halve cherry tomatoes and toss them into the pasta salad mix.
• Black beans – Be sure to drain the black beans well and rinse them throughly before adding to the pasta salad.
• Canned corn – You can use sweet corn kernels or regular corn, either will work.
• Red onion – The bold flavor red onion adds so much to this pasta salad!
• Bowtie or rotini pasta – A small size pasta works best for pasta salad. You could also use penne or elbow macaroni if you want.

How to Make Cowboy Pasta Salad

Prepare the pasta al dente according to package instructions and then drain the water and set the pasta aside for later.

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and then add the taco seasoning and black beans. Cook for another 2 minutes and then drain off excess grease and allow to cool to room temp.

Cook the bacon in a separate pan (or in the air fryer or oven!) until crisp and then crumble into small pieces.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cowboy pasta salad dressing ingredients.

Add all of the ingredients except for the dressing to a large mixing bowl and stir together gently.

Pour the dressing over the salad and then gently toss to coat all of the ingredients in the dressing.

Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve!

How to Store Cowboy Pasta Salad

Transfer cowboy pasta salad to an airtight container and then refrigerate for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing any leftover pasta salad because it won’t really thaw well after being frozen.

How do I keep my pasta salad moist?

There is nothing more disappointing than dry pasta salad leftovers. So make sure that you trial and error these few different tips to see what works best for you!

To keep cowboy pasta salad from drying out you can:

• Rinse the pasta with cold water before mixing it with the other ingredients. This will keep hot pasta from soaking up the dressing.
• Ensure you are cooking the pasta to al dente. If you overcook it then the pasta could become a mushy mess that will soak up the dressing.
• Make sure that you are using a good ratio of dressing to pasta salad. The tasty BBQ dressing that goes in this easy cowboy pasta salad is too tasty to not use enough!
• Store the pasta in airtight container or cover it very tightly in plastic wrap. Keeping air out of your leftovers is a great way to keep it from becoming dry.

Should pasta salad be served cold?

I personally prefer to serve pasta salad cold! It makes the flavors much better and I find that the dish feels a little more light rather than a heavy and rich dish. However, you do not have to refrigerate it. You can absolutely serve the dish just after mixing it together.

Should you rinse pasta for pasta salad?

You do not have to rinse your pasta, but if you are trying to build it quickly then I recommend that you do. Warm pasta noodles can make the dish a little unappealing and may also soak up the dressing and make the cowboy pasta salad dry. So rinse the al dente noodles in cold water and drain well before mixing with the other tasty ingredients.

What to Serve with Cowboy Pasta Salad

Pair loaded cowboy pasta salad with backyard barbecue favorites like hearty hamburgers, grilled chicken and brisket. It’s a great side dish for easy dinners like slow cooker chicken thighs or air fryer chicken breast.

It’s great for meals like Instant Pot pulled pork and air fryer bbq chicken legs too.

This easy cowboy pasta salad is a favorite for sure! I bet you’ll love it just as much as we do.

More Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love!

• This Pesto Pasta Salad is so flavorful and is incredibly easy to make. It goes with tons of different dishes!
• Is it Italian night in your home? Then make this Italian Pasta Salad to go with dinner!
• Jazz up your Caesar salad with this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad recipe.
• If you love seafood then you’re going to love this Crab Pasta Salad.