Mexican Macaroni Salad
Mexican Macaroni Salad is a delicious twist on an old classic. It’s creamy and beautifully spiced with bright and vibrant veggies throughout. This one is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at the dinner table.
WHY THIS MEXICAN MACARONI SALAD RECIPE IS SO GOOD
- The texture is spot on. This salad provides a creamy and crunchy texture.
- This crowd pleasing dish is super simple to make. It is literally a dump and stir type of recipe.
- This dish is highly customizable, like many of our recipes around here. You can easily add more in of your favorite ingredients and take out the items you do not care for.
- It is the perfect dish to take to your next BBQ or Potluck!
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MEXICAN MACARONI SALAD
- Want to load up this macaroni salad even more? Here are some ideas of additional ingredients you can add in: black beans, sliced jalapeno circles and of course some cheese!
- If you are using gluten-free pasta, it is best to use a brand like Jovial. It seems to hold up the best in pasta salad situations. It is also best to make it the “day of” if you are using GF pasta.
- Rise your pasta. When making a cold pasta salad, it’s better to rinse the pasta; this will stop the cooking, speed up the cooling and remove the excess starch, which could risk sticking the pasta to the other ingredients.
- This macaroni salad should keep for a couple of days in the fridge in an airtight container. If you are using gf pasta that timeline may be shorter, it can get mushy. I like to let mine sit about 2 hours to let the flavors come together before serving.
- Use your favorite salsa in this recipe. We love using this salsa because it’s gluten free.
MORE DELICIOUS SIDE DISH RECIPES
- Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
- Ranch Mashed Potatoes
- Macaroni and Corn Salad
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots
- Apple Pecan Salad
- Corn Casserole With Cream Cheese
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Mexican Macaroni Salad
Mexican Macaroni Salad is a delicious twist on an old classic. It's creamy and beautifully spiced with bright and vibrant veggies throughout. This one is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at the dinner table.
Ingredients
- 6 cups macaroni pasta cooked use gf pasta for a gf option
- 1 can red beans 15.5 oz. can drained and rinsed
- 2 shallots diced
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1 bell pepper orange diced
- 2 plum tomatoes diced
- 1 cup corn fresh or frozen
- ⅓ cup cilantro fresh
- 1 cup sour cream use vegan sour cream for a vegan option
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 lime juiced about 2 T
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packaging instructions. Once the pasta is cooked, rinse and drain it under cold water.
- Wash and prepare all your vegetables. Add cooked pasta and vegetables to a bowl and stir.
- Then add in the sour cream mixture to the bowl.
- Next add in the salsa to the pasta mixture.
- Finally, add in the spices. Mix well to combine everything.
- You can let the vegan macaroni salad sit in the fridge for 1 hour to develop the flavor even more.
Notes
- If you are using gluten-free pasta, it is best to use a brand like Jovial. It seems to hold up the best in pasta salad situations. It is also best to make it the "day of" if you are using GF pasta.
- Rise your pasta. When making a cold pasta salad, it’s better to rinse the pasta; this will stop the cooking, speed up the cooling and remove the excess starch, which could risk sticking the pasta to the other ingredients.
- This vegan macaroni salad should keep for a couple of days in the fridge. If you are using gf pasta that timeline may be shorter, it can get mushy. I like to let mine sit about 2 hours to let the flavors come together before serving.
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