Mexican Macaroni Salad

Healthy Lunch Recipes


In case you’re a fan of Mexican flavors, you’ve obtained to do this Mexican macaroni salad for summer season BBQs and cookouts. It takes a basic macaroni salad and provides some Mexican flare with roasted corn, black beans, bell peppers, and one of the best creamy Mexican dressing. It’s straightforward to make and goes with all the things!

a bowl of mexican macaroni salad

I completely stay for Mexican recipes — their shade, their taste, their flare. So when enthusiastic about chilly salads to serve up in the summertime months, I at all times need this one on the menu. Crunchy candy corn, black beans, and jalapeno give it a scrumptious texture and kick. 

Simply combine up your veggies whereas the pasta cooks, toss all of it along with the creamy dressing, let the flavors marinate within the fridge for a bit, and revel in! It makes an awesome aspect dish, gentle lunch, or perhaps a predominant course with a grilled protein. In reality, I can’t consider a protein that wouldn’t style good subsequent to this! 

Why You’ll Love This Mexican Macaroni Salad

  • Simple: This fast dish comes collectively in only a few easy steps.
  • Good aspect dish: It’s a kind of straightforward recipes that takes minimal effort, travels simply, and goes with each dish.
  • Crowd pleaser: This recipe will probably be a winner with everybody on the BBQ.
  • Wholesome: A beneficiant mixture of contemporary greens provides it a lot of crunch, shade, and wholesome goodness.

Elements You Want

Seize the next elements for this Mexican Macaroni Salad. Leap all the way down to the recipe for actual measurements.

Pasta Salad Elements

  • Elbow pasta: Use gluten-free if wanted.
  • Contemporary corn: Put together it roasted, steamed, or grilled. Canned or frozen and thawed corn kernels may even work.
  • Black beans: Hearty black beans add protein and fiber.
  • Cherry tomatoes: Substitute with grape tomatoes or Roma tomatoes.
  • Inexperienced bell pepper: Orange or crimson bell peppers may even work.
  • Crimson onion: Provides a pleasant crunch. Substitute with white onion if wanted. 
  • Contemporary cilantro: You may omit the cilantro should you’re not a fan.
  • Jalapeño: Miss the seeds should you’d choose much less warmth.
mexican pasta salad ingredients on a counter

Dressing Elements

  • Greek yogurt and bitter cream: You may substitute the Greek yogurt for mayonnaise. 
  • Lime: Used for contemporary lime juice.
  • Garlic: Contemporary garlic is finest, however you’ll be able to substitute with garlic powder.
  • Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, kosher salt.
greek yogurt, sour cream, lime, garlic, and mexican spices on a counter

The best way to Make Mexican Macaroni Salad

Listed here are the fundamental steps, with photographs, for this Mexican pasta salad recipe. Skip all the way down to the recipe card beneath for the total recipe.

  1. Cook dinner the macaroni: Cook dinner the pasta in keeping with package deal directions. Darin and rinse it below chilly water.
  2. Grill or roast the corn: Brush corn with olive oil and grill over excessive warmth or roast at 425. Whereas cooking, flip the corn till browned and cooked by way of. Cool and reduce the kernels off the cobs.
  3. Make the dressing: Combine the entire dressing elements collectively in a small bowl or jar whereas the pasta cooks.
  4. Chop veggies and add to a bowl: Mix the cooked macaroni in a big bowl with the remaining pasta salad elements. 
  5. Toss with dressing and serve: Pour the dressing on high and toss to coat evenly. Cowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of half-hour, or in a single day. Style and add extra salt, lime juice, or cilantro to style. 

Recipe Variations

  • Don’t have elbow macaroni? Attempt one other small pasta like rotini, fusilli, or ditalini.
  • Regulate the warmth degree by including roughly jalapeño. Including the seeds will add extra warmth as properly.
  • Combine in additional Mexican elements like black olives, pickled jalapeno, or deli ham.
  • Add some cheese like shredded cheddar cheese, cubed pepper jack cheese, or cotija cheese.
  • Prime with chives, inexperienced onions, contemporary cilantro, or freshly squeezed lime juice.

What to Serve It With

mexican macaroni salad with dressing and cilantro on top

The best way to Retailer

Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.

Success Tip! Pasta soaks up the dressing because it chills within the fridge. If you already know you’ll have leftovers, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and blend it with 1/4 cup of the dressing and reserve it on the aspect to toss earlier than serving after storing.

scooping mexican macaroni salad from a serving bowl

Extra Chilly Pasta Salad Recipes

Servings: 8 servings

  • Deliver a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and prepare dinner in keeping with package deal directions till al dente. Drain and rinse below chilly water to cease the cooking course of and funky the pasta.

    1 lb elbow macaroni

  • Warmth an indoor or out of doors grill over excessive warmth and brush the corn with oil. Cook dinner the ears of corn for a couple of minutes on either side till it begins to brown. Alternately, roast at 425 for 12-Quarter-hour. Cool and reduce the kernels off the cobs.

    2 ears (1 cup) contemporary corn

  • Combine the entire dressing elements collectively in a small bowl or blender whereas the pasta cooks.

    3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1/3 cup bitter cream, 1 lime, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Mix the cooled pasta in a big bowl with the remaining pasta salad elements. Pour the dressing on high and toss to coat evenly.

    1 cup black beans, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 inexperienced bell pepper, 1/2 medium crimson onion, 1/4 cup contemporary cilantro, 1 jalapeño

  • Cowl and refrigerate for half-hour if doable, however serving at room temperature works too. Style and add extra salt or lime juice as wanted. Prime with contemporary chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeno earlier than serving.

  • Giant bowl

  • Grill or oven for cooking corn

  • Small bowl or blender to combine the dressing

  • Reducing board and sharp chef’s knife

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Amelia Lifestyle