Loaded Cowboy Pasta Salad (Cowboy Caviar Recipe)

Cowboy Pasta Salad is not your average macaroni salad. Also called Cowboy Caviar, it’s an intriguing blend of sweet and savory with just the right amount of heat. A summer side dish or main dish that’s so good it will have you adding this salad to your weekly menu.

I absolutely LOVE potlucks. There is nothing better than a church potluck, a family reunion, or a neighborhood block party to bring out all the best and tastiest dishes.

I like to sample a smidgen of as many salads and side dishes as I can and then hopefully find the owner/creator of that dish to get the recipe.

This Cowboy Pasta Salad has lots of great Tex-Mex elements and a lot of unusual flavors. It will be “THE” big stand-out hit at your next gathering so be prepared to share your secret recipe. 😉

Our Cowboy Pasta Salad offers sweetness from the barbeque sauce and a pop of heat from the mustard and hot sauce.

Leave out the beef or turkey for a light, fresh side dish. Or change up the protein and serve it as a quick main course or perfect summer lunch. But whatever you do, don’t take out the bacon. 😆

If you like easy, go-to side dishes, you might like to try my Apple Cranberry Coleslaw, Strawberry Spinach Salad, or Homemade Chunky Applesauce.

Ingredient List for Cowboy Pasta Salad Recipe

• Bacon – the more bacon, the better, right!?!? 😉
• Lean Ground Beef or Turkey – ground or fresh chicken is a great alternative.
• Olive Oil
• Garlic Powder
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Rotini Pasta – or your favorite pasta shape cooked al dente (here’s my favorite Gluten-Free version!)
• Mayo – Everyone has a favorite brand for certain recipes. Mine is Kraft!
• Barbecue Sauce – experiment with flavors to find your favorite BBQ sauce for this salad.
• Worcestershire Sauce – brings a sweet and savory flavor to your dish.
• Spicy Brown Mustard – so many enticing brands and flavors on your store shelf to pick from.
• Hot Sauce – only you can decide how much heat you like and the best flavor for you.
• Whole Corn – drain your canned corn thoroughly before adding it to salad.
• Grape Tomatoes
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese – any shredded cheese (such as Monterey jack cheese), cheese cubes, or crumbled cheese will be fabulous.
• Green Onion
• Salt & Pepper

For the complete recipe, check out the handy printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!

How to Make Cowboy Pasta Salad

The process couldn’t be easier. Here’s how to make your new favorite pasta salad dish.

Step 1

Cook pasta and drain. Drizzle with a little olive oil and set aside.

Step 2

Saute bacon in a large nonstick skillet. Chop bacon and set aside. Be sure to drain the bacon grease from the pan before proceeding with the next step.

Step 3

Using the same skillet, cook ground beef (or turkey) along with the onion (or onion powder), garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper over medium-high heat.

Step 4

Stir in mayo, barbeque sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and hot sauce and combine to make a creamy dressing.

Step 5

Add sweet corn and tomatoes.

Step 6

Fold the cooked pasta into the mixture and stir with a slotted spoon or a wooden spoon.

Step 7

Garnish with cheese and reserved green onion.

Cowboy Pasta Salad Recipe Notes and Tips

Once you have taken the bacon out of the pan and chopped it, place the bacon on a plate with a paper towel. The paper towel will absorb the excess grease.

Spaghetti may not be the best choice for this pasta. Macaroni, rotini, farfalle, or fusilli would all be better choices.

Drain the canned corn prior to adding it to the salad. You do not want the extra moisture in the salad once all ingredients are added.

Reserve a small amount of the green onions for the garnish on the top of the salad. The amount you add to the recipe and reserve for garnish according to your taste.

Add a splash of lime juice for a little citrusy tang.

Cowboy Pasta Salad Variations to Try

• Add diced chicken to the salad instead of beef or turkey. Dice the fresh chicken and cook in the same manner as the beef or turkey.
• Change up the barbeque sauce flavor….there are so many different varieties to choose from, including sweet barbeque, honey barbeque, sweet and tangy, or Kansas City style, just to name a few.
• Experiment with different flavors of bacon. Try different kinds until you find the flavors you love most. My suggestions would be maple bacon, apple smoked, turkey bacon, or Canadian bacon.
• Try different veggie combinations. Add peas or bell peppers (green peppers, or yellow, orange, or red!). Use sliced tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. Add diced red onion or carrots. The possibilities are nearly endless!
• Dice up some peppers! Give your cowboy salad some additional color with diced green peppers (or orange, yellow, or red bell peppers). Or give it a southwest flair and the perfect amount of kick by adding diced jalapeno pepper.
• Bring the heat! If you prefer your cowboy pasta recipe with medium heat instead of mild, add some chili powder, cayenne pepper, hot chili sauce, or spicy peppers.

FAQs

Our family loves this recipe because it’s not your typical pasta salad. Here are some common questions I often see readers ask about this recipe.

More Tasty Great Recipes To Try

If you love this Cowboy Pasta Salad, you’ll love these other recipes too!

• Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
• The Best Beef Stroganoff
• Favorite Greek Side Dishes
• Healthy Pasta Alternative: Chickpea Pasta
• Poppyseed Pasta Salad

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