Packed with bold flavors in every bite, this cowboy pasta salad is made with tender noodles, bacon, seasoned ground beef, a creamy dressing, and Southwestern flavor!

Close up of a wooden spoon holding a serving of cowboy pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, rotini, ground beef, bacon, and corn in a smoky, creamy dressing.

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Hearty Cowboy Pasta Salad

In my house, pasta salad is a must for any good BBQ, potluck, picnic, or summer cookout. I’ll never say no to a classic, but I lean toward heartier TexMex-style versions like bacon ranch pasta salad, Southwest pasta salad, and Mexican street corn pasta salad, all loaded enough to hold their own as a full meal.

Cowboy pasta salad is packed with tender pasta, smoky bacon, beef, tomatoes, corn, cheese, and a zesty dressing that’s sweet, spicy, and slightly smoky making it an easy, satisfying side dish perfect alongside all your grilled meats!

Ingredients Notes

Flat lay of all the ingredients needed to make cowboy pasta salad, including rotini, ground beef, bacon, cherry tomatoes, corn, cheddar cheese, and condiments.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Rotini pasta: You can use any small pasta you prefer.
  • Chopped uncooked bacon and ground beef: You’ll cook both separately before adding it to the salad. Lean ground beef is a good idea to avoid too much grease.
  • Seasoning: Taco seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
  • Canned corn and cherry tomatoes: For sweetness and acidity. Both are widely used in Southwestern-inspired recipes.
  • Cheddar cheese and scallions: I always recommend grating your own cheese, but if you’re short on time, go ahead and use pre-shredded cheese.
  • For the dressing: Mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot chili sauce.

How to Make Cowboy Pasta Salad

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.

A glass bowl with mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce before being mixed into a dressing.
Cooked rotini pasta draining in a metal colander after rinsing.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy and set it aside on a plate lined with a paper towel. In the same skillet, crumble and brown the beef and season to taste.

Chopped bacon cooking in a large white Dutch oven, sizzling in rendered fat until crispy.
Seasoned ground beef browning in a Dutch oven, broken into crumbles with a wooden spatula.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the cooked pasta, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and scallions, and toss until your loaded cowboy pasta salad is well combined. Serve and enjoy!

Cowboy pasta salad ingredients arranged in sections in a large glass bowl before tossing.
Overhead view of a large glass bowl of cowboy pasta salad with rotini, ground beef, corn, cherry tomatoes, bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions.

Recipe Tips

  • Drain the grease. Do this for the beef and bacon to avoid an oily, creamy dressing.
  • Make ahead. If needed, you can chill the cowboy caviar pasta salad in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes before serving.
  • Adjust the spice level. Add more or less chili sauce or red pepper flakes.
  • Brighten it up. Just before serving, sprinkle with fresh scallions or squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top.
  • Variations. Toss in some black beans, diced jalapenos, extra veggies or diced red onions. Swap the scallions for cilantro, or use hot sauce in place of chili sauce.
Overhead view of the finished cowboy pasta salad tossed in a large glass bowl with a wooden spoon.

More potluck favorites include cowboy caviar, loaded potato salad or dill pickle pasta salad.

More Pasta Salad Recipes

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Close-up of a wooden spoon holding a serving of cowboy pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, rotini, ground beef, bacon, and corn in a smoky, creamy dressing.

Cowboy Pasta Salad

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Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Packed with bold flavors in every bite, this cowboy pasta salad is made with tender noodles, bacon, seasoned ground beef, a creamy dressing, and Southwestern flavor!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 pound rotini pasta , or any small pasta
  • 1 pound bacon , chopped and uncooked
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 can (15 ounces) corn , drained
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes , halved
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese , shredded
  • 3 scallions , diced

Dressing

Instructions

  • Boil Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook 1 pound of pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent further cooking.
  • Sauté bacon: Meanwhile, sauté 1 pound of bacon over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet until crispy. Move cooked bacon to a paper towel to drain off grease. Remove grease from skillet.
  • Cook ground beef: In the same skillet, brown the 1 pound of ground beef, crumbling as you cook, until fully cooked and no longer pink. Season with 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning, a pinch red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Make dressing: In a large salad bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 2 Tablespoons mustard, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, and 1 Tablespoon hot chili sauce.
  • Toss Salad: Add the cooked pasta, bacon, beef, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and scallions into the salad bowl; toss with dressing. Serve.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Although this is best enjoyed right away, you can store leftovers in a covered dish in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 809kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 55g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 100mg, Sodium: 813mg, Potassium: 571mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 447IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 138mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.