Doritos Taco Salad Pasta

This Doritos Taco Salad Pasta is part pasta salad, part taco salad, and completely addictive. It has tender cavatappi or cellentani pasta, seasoned rotisserie chicken, roasted corn, black beans, olives, tomatoes, Colby Jack cheese, and a creamy Catalina-lime dressing that brings everything together.

The best part is the crunch. Crushed Doritos get folded in just before serving, then sprinkled on top for that classic taco salad texture. It is creamy, zesty, colorful, and made for summer cookouts, pool days, potlucks, and easy make-ahead meals.

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

• 1 pound cellentani or cavatappi pasta, cooked and cooled

1/2 pound rotisserie chicken, chopped, or cooked ground beef or turkey

• 1 packet taco seasoning, divided
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 can roasted corn with peppers, drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 of a 6-ounce can black olives, halved
• 4 ounces Colby Jack cheese, cubed
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

Creamy Taco Dressing

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup Catalina dressing
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Remaining 1/2 packet taco seasoning
• 1 cup Doritos, crushed, plus more for garnish

How to Make Doritos Taco Salad Pasta

1. Season the chicken. In a bowl, toss the chopped rotisserie chicken with 1/2 packet taco seasoning and the juice of 1/2 lime until evenly coated.
2. Build the pasta salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, seasoned chicken, roasted corn, black beans, black olives, Colby Jack cheese, and Roma tomatoes.
3. Make the dressing. In a separate bowl, stir together the Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, Catalina dressing, lime juice, and remaining taco seasoning until smooth.
4. Toss everything together. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
5. Add the crunch. Fold in the crushed Doritos right before serving so they stay crunchy.
6. Garnish and chill. Top with extra crushed Doritos for garnish, then chill until ready to eat.

Recipe Tips

• Add Doritos last. For the best crunch, fold them in right before serving instead of too far ahead.
• Use cooled pasta. Cooled pasta keeps the dressing creamy and prevents the cheese from softening too much.
• Swap the protein. Use cooked ground beef or cooked ground turkey in place of the rotisserie chicken for a classic taco salad flavor.
• Save extra dressing if needed. Pasta can absorb dressing as it chills, so add a little more Catalina or Greek yogurt before serving if needed.
• Make it spicier. Use spicy Doritos, pepper jack cheese, or add diced jalapeños for more heat.

Make-Ahead and Storage

This pasta salad can be prepared ahead by mixing the pasta, chicken, vegetables, beans, cheese, and dressing together, then storing it covered in the refrigerator. Wait to add the Doritos until just before serving so they stay crisp.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The Doritos will soften as they sit, so add a fresh handful on top before serving leftovers.

Serving Ideas

Serve Doritos Taco Salad Pasta as a main dish or a hearty side with grilled chicken, burgers, hot dogs, tacos, quesadillas, or barbecue. It is also great for potlucks because it is colorful, filling, and easy to scoop.