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    Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Beef Recipes

    Taco Mac Salad

    Jump to Recipe
    Bowl of seasoned ground beef, spiral pasta, lettuce, halved tomatoes, nacho cheese Doritos, and French salad dressing with shredded cheddar cheese on top with text Taco Mac Salad Add Salt & Serve

    With cool vegetables and warm taco seasoned beef, taco mac salad is easy to prepare and can be served in summer or winter. Tangy French dressing and Doritos are a fantastic flavor combo—if we have leftovers, everyone wants to claim them for lunch the next day. It is one of our most requested recipes, and using taco meat from the freezer makes it even quicker to prepare.

    Bowl of seasoned ground beef, spiral pasta, lettuce, halved tomatoes, nacho cheese Doritos, and French salad dressing with shredded cheddar cheese on top

    Start with cooked tricolor spiral pasta, lettuce, chopped onion, cherry tomatoes, chopped green bell pepper, taco seasoning mix, salt, pepper, shredded cheddar cheese, ground beef, and nacho cheese Doritos.

    Overhead shot of ingredients cooked spiral pasta, lettuce, chopped onion, cherry tomatoes, chopped green bell pepper, taco seasoning mix, salt, pepper, shredded cheddar cheese, ground beef, and nacho cheese Doritos
    Combine the pasta and chopped vegetables...
    Overhead shot of cooked spiral pasta, chopped green bell pepper, chopped onion, and halved grape tomatoes
    And mix well.
    Multi-colored rotini noodles in a bowl with chopped tomatoes and bell peppers and wooden salad spoons.
    Meanwhile, season the cooked ground beef.
    Overhead shot of ground beef in a cast iron skillet with taco seasoning on top
    Layer the lettuce, pasta and vegetables, and taco-seasoned ground beef.
    Bowl of seasoned ground beef, spiral pasta, lettuce, and halved tomatoes
    Crush the Doritos and sprinkle on top, then add French dressing.

    Top with shredded cheddar cheese and enjoy!
    Bowl of seasoned ground beef, spiral pasta, lettuce, halved tomatoes, nacho cheese Doritos, and French salad dressing with shredded cheddar cheese on top

     

    Bowl of seasoned ground beef, spiral pasta, lettuce, halved tomatoes, nacho cheese Doritos, and French salad dressing with shredded cheddar cheese on top

    Taco Mac Salad

    This easy taco mac salad is one of our most requested recipes. With cool vegetables and warm seasoned beef, it can be served in summer or winter. Using taco meat from the freezer makes it a quick and easy meal.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Dish, Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 515

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 oz. tri-color rotini
    • 1 lb. ground beef
    • 2 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
    • ⅓ cup water
    • 1 green pepper, chopped
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
    • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
    • ½ head leaf lettuce, shredded
    • ⅛ tsp. salt
    • ¼ tsp. pepper
    • ½ cup French dressing
    • 9.75 oz. Nacho Cheese Doritos
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta according to package directions.
    • While pasta is cooking, brown ground beef. When beef is thoroughly cooked, add taco seasoning mix and ⅓ cup water. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
    • Rinse cooked pasta with cold water and drain. In a large bowl, mix cooked macaroni, all vegetables, cheese, and seasonings. Chill.
    • Just before serving, stir in warm seasoned ground beef, French dressing, and chips. Toss gently and serve.

    Notes

    To reduce calories, use a low fat ground beef and reduced calorie salad dressing.

    Nutrition per serving

    Calories: 515 calCarbohydrates: 51 gProtein: 23 gFat: 24 gSodium: 881 mgFiber: 4 gSugar: 7 g
    Pin Recipe Share

    Bowl of seasoned ground beef, spiral pasta, lettuce, halved tomatoes, nacho cheese Doritos, and French salad dressing with shredded cheddar cheese on top with text Taco Mac Salad Add Salt & Serve

    Bowl of seasoned ground beef, spiral pasta, lettuce, halved tomatoes, nacho cheese Doritos, and French salad dressing with shredded cheddar cheese on top with text Taco Mac Salad Add Salt & Serve
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    Posted by Mary Ann on April 20, 2011; Updated on September 16, 2021Filed Under: Beef Recipes, Favorite Recipes, Main Dish Salads, Pasta Recipes, Recipes Using Cooked Ground Beef, Recipes Using Taco Seasoning, Stovetop Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chrissy

      April 21, 2011 at 10:32 am

      YUM! This awesome picture makes my mouth water! Funny you posted this...Chuck just requested this today!

      Reply
      • Mary Ann

        April 21, 2011 at 10:34 am

        It looks fantastic, doesn't it? I think I'm going to work it into this week's meals for us, too. :)

        Reply

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    Hi there! I'm Mary Ann Kelley, and I'm the food blogger/meal planner here at Add Salt & Serve. Read more

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