This Mexican Macaroni Salad is creamy, crunchy and perfect for picnics, lunches and potlucks! Macaroni loaded with corn, black beans, tomatoes, onions and more all tossed in a dressing of sour cream, salsa & mayo.
What You Will ❤️ About Mexican Macaroni Salad
- Creaminess – This is my new favorite pasta salad dressing! It’s so simple but so delicious. Heck – I mix sour cream & salsa together all the time for chips – why not use it for a salad dressing?!
- Flavor – So many delicious flavors coming together – I love the textures too! Every bite has something different!
- Perfect Side Dish – This truly is a great side dish – serve it with grilled chicken, pork chops – or even steak!
Mexican Macaroni Salad Ingredients
This Mexican Macaroni Salad throws loads of favorites from tacos into this pasta salad – tomatoes, corn, beans and more! Here’s what you need:
- Elbow Macaroni – feel free to use any kind of pasta shape you like – bowtie is always popular
- Corn kernels – you can use fresh corn or even frozen corn. If using frozen, rinse with water to thaw
- Canned Black Beans – drained
- Sliced Black Olives
- Roma Tomatoes – diced
- Green Onions – slice the whole green onion!
- Red Onion – finely diced
- Jalapeños – I grated the jalapeño which is so easy and keeps the seeds & spice in!
- Salt
- FOR THE DRESSING: Salsa, Sour Cream & Mayonnaise
- TOPPINGS: Lime juice, Cilantro, Tajin (it’s a Chili Lime Seasoning – soooo good!)
Recipe Variations
Recipes are always a guide – and if you want to make some tweaks to this Mexican pasta salad recipe – go for it! Here are some easy ideas for you:
- Protein – you could easily add diced ham, ground beef, shredded chicken or even cooked shrimp!
- Veggies – chopped red bell pepper & cherry tomatoes would also be great additions or swaps
- Sour Cream Swaps – you could also use Mexican crema or Greek yogurt
- Cheese – I went cheese-free but you could easily add diced or shredded cheddar cheese, colby jack or pepper jack cheese.
How to make Mexican Macaroni Salad recipe
This is such an easy dish to make – just lots of chopping! Here’s what to do:
- Cook macaroni noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients (salsa, sour cream & mayo) in a bowl and whisk until mixed well. Place covered in refrigerator.
- In a large bowl, place the cooked macaroni, corn, beans, olives, tomatoes, green onions, red onion and jalapenos.
- Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the top and gently toss until all the ingredients are coated. Cover and allow salad to chill for 2 hours.
- Before serving, add remaining dressing to refresh and add moisture to pasta salad. Squeeze lime juice over top and sprinkle fresh cilantro and Tajin in pasta salad. Toss lightly and serve.
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Normally for hot pasta with sauce – no definitely not. When you’re doing a cold pasta salad – it’s good to rinse with cold water so it doesn’t cook your ingredients when you mix it together.
You can cool your pasta to slow the absorption or just hold back a little dressing to add right before you serve.
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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What to serve with Macaroni Salad
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Mexican Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni cooked, drained & cooled
- 1.5 cup corn kernels if using frozen, rinse with warm water to thaw
- 15 oz black beans drained & rinsed
- 3.8 oz black olives sliced
- 5 roma tomatoes chopped
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 2 jalapenos grated
- 1 tsp salt
Dressing
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
Topping
- 2 limes juiced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tsp Tajin fajita seasoning
Instructions
- Cook macaroni noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.1 lb elbow macaroni
- In a medium bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients (salsa, sour cream & mayo) in a bowl and whisk until mixed well. Place covered in refrigerator.1 cup salsa, 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- In a large bowl, place the cooked macaroni, corn, beans, olives, tomatoes, green onions, red onion, jalapenos and salt.1.5 cup corn kernels, 15 oz black beans, 3.8 oz black olives, 5 roma tomatoes, 3 green onions, 1/2 red onion, 2 jalapenos, 1 tsp salt
- Pour 3/4 of the dressing over the top and gently toss until all the ingredients are coated. Cover and allow salad to chill for 2 hours.
- Before serving, add remaining dressing to refresh and add moisture to pasta salad. Squeeze lime juice over top and sprinkle fresh cilantro and Tajin in pasta salad. Toss lightly and serve.2 limes, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 2 tsp Tajin fajita seasoning
Claudine says
Heather,
I made your Mexican Macaroni Salad for tonight’s supper, and it was fantastic! The bowl was scraped clean. (I was hoping there would be some left for me to snack on tonight binge watching Netflix. LOL!) Also, about the Taijin seasoning, I use it all the time. I even sprinkle it on fresh fruit, like cantaloupe, melons, heck just about any fresh fruit. One of my Hispanic friends put me on to using it on fruit and in stuff a bunch of years ago. Now I can’t live without it.
Thank you for sharing another great recipe.
Claudine in Fort Worth, TX