Are you a fan of Mexican flavors? Then look no further than the Easy Mexican Macaroni Salad With Ham! It is a delicious twist on a classic macaroni salad.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Serves: 6 to 8
- Prep Level: Beginner +
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavor – Creamy, tangy, and zesty Mexican flavors. Loaded with ham, hearty black beans, sweet corn, bell peppers, and more, this one meal dish can be served as a main course or a great side dish on Taco Tuesday.
- Fast & Easy – It’s easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes with minimal prep.
- Great Use for Leftover Ham – Create a new favorite pasta salad with left over ham for lunch the next day.
- Crowd-Pleaser – Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, or holiday dinners, and always a hit on the table.
- Easy to Make Ahead – Tastes better after chilling so you can prep it the night before your event.
Mexican Cold Pasta Salad Ingredients
What You Need
- Elbow pasta: While elbow macaroni works well in this recipe, you can also use rotini pasta, penne, or any of your favorite pasta shapes.
- Splash of olive oil for cooking pasta
- Canned red beans: black beans or kidney beans
- Sweet corn: fresh corn off the cob or frozen corn can be used
- Roma tomatoes: cherry tomatoes can be substituted
- Red bell pepper: use your favorite bell pepper
- Onion: you can use white, yellow, or red onion
- Diced ham: You can use sliced deli-style ham or leftover ham – optional
- Fresh cilantro
Dressing Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – Greek yogurt can be substituted
- Sour Cream or Mexican crema
- Fresh lime juice and the zest of a lime
- Spicy brown mustard
- Garlic powder: fresh minced garlic cloves can be substituted
- Taco seasoning: mild or spicy packet
- Ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Optional Toppings
- Sliced green onions
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced black olives
- Finely chopped fresh cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packaging instructions – al dente. Once cooked, rinse the pasta under cold water, drain, and cool to room temperature.
- Cook the frozen corn according to the package, drain, and let cool. Drain and rinse the red beans.
While the noodles are cooking
- Chop bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion. Thinly slice green onions. Finely chop the cilantro. Zest and juice lime. Pour pasta into a large bowl.
- Add the corn and beans. Add the chopped red peppers, tomatoes, and onion.
- In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise and sour cream. Pour in the mustard, lime zest, and lime juice.
- Stir until the ingredients are combined. Sprinkle in the dry seasonings. Thoroughly mix sauce until completely blended.
- Pour the sauce over the macaroni and chopped vegetables. Gently stir until all the noodles are coated with the sauce.
- Optional: Toss in fresh cilantro. If you want to mix diced ham, stir in a cup or so.
- Before serving, sprinkle thinly sliced green onions over the top of the salad. – optional
See the recipe card below for complete measurements and full details.
Variations of Mexican-Style Macaroni Salad
- Vegetarian Option: Omit the ham and add extra ingredients like chickpeas for protein. You can also add more vegetables like zucchini, cauliflower, or broccoli.
- Spicy Kick: If you like spicy food, add diced jalapenos or green chilies to the salad. You can also sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes into the dressing for an extra kick!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cook the pasta al dente – It will soak up the dressing and become softer as it rests. If it’s overcooked, it may become mushy and break up in the salad.
- Rinse and Cool Quickly – After draining, rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and to cool it down fast,
- Double the Recipe – It’s going to be a hit, so go ahead and double the recipe for larger gatherings!
- Make a Little Extra Dressing – It’s the best thing for drizzling over ground beef tacos and dipping crunchy celery and carrots.
How To Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
More Delicious Mexican Recipes
Here are some of my favs!
Star Rating
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Yield: 6 to 8 servings
How To Make Easy Mexican Macaroni Salad With Ham
This is a delicious twist on a classic macaroni salad. Packed with hearty ingredients and zesty Mexican flavors, this recipe is super easy and ready in 30 minutes.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of elbow pasta (uncooked)
- Splash of olive oil for cooking pasta
- 1 can of black beans or kidney beans (15.5 ounces)
- 1 cup cooked corn – fresh corn off the cob or frozen corn
- 2 Roma tomatoes – chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper or your favorite bell pepper – approximately 1/2 cup chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped onion – white, yellow, or red
- 1 cup diced ham – sliced deli-style ham or leftover ham
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro – I find that cilantro can be an overpowering herb so feel free to load up on it or omit it altogether.
- Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour Cream or Mexican crema
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning: mild or spicy packet
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Optional Toppings:
- Sliced green onions
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Sliced black olives
- Finely chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packaging instructions – al dente. You can add a little pinch of salt or olive oil to the water. This helps the noodles not stick together while cooking.
- Once cooked, rinse the pasta under cold water and drain.
- Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
- Cook the frozen corn according to the package.
- Set aside to let cool to room temperature.
- Drain and rinse the red beans.
- While the noodles cook, prep the veggies, ham, and fresh herbs.
- Zest and squeeze the lime juice into a small bowl.
- Transfer cooked macaroni to a large bowl.
- Add: corn, beans, and chopped vegetables.
- In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise and sour cream.
- Pour in the mustard, lime zest, lime juice and dry seasonings. Thoroughly mix sauce until completely blended.
- Pour the sauce over the macaroni and chopped vegetables and stir until all the noodles are coated with the sauce.
- Optional: Add in as little or as much fresh chopped cilantro as you like and give the salad a couple of good stirs.
- If you want to mix diced ham, stir in a cup or so.
- Before serving, sprinkle thinly sliced green onions over the top of the salad – optional
Notes
Helpful Tools and Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Large pot
- Strainer
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Large mixing spoon or rubber spatula
How To Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Top Tips For The Best Pasta Salad
- This great recipe will be ready for serving in under 30 minutes if you chop all the vegetables while the pasta is cooking!
- Double the recipe for larger gatherings (10 to 12 servings).
- Cook the pasta al dente. It will soak up the dressing and become softer as it rests. If it's overcooked, it may become mushy and break up in the salad.
- If time allows make the dressing the day before or even a couple of hours ahead of time. This will let all the seasonings marinate together.
- Just whip the creamy dressing into a mixing bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to use.
- Make a little extra dressing! It's the best thing for drizzling over ground beef tacos and dipping crunchy celery and carrots in!
Variations you can try in this Mexican-style Macaroni Salad With Ham Recipe
Vegetarian Option: Omit the ham and add extra ingredients like chickpeas for protein. You can also add more vegetables like zucchini, cauliflower, or broccoli.
Spicy Kick: If you like spicy food, add diced jalapenos or green chilies to the salad. You can also sprinkle some crushed red pepper flakes into the dressing for an extra kick.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 498Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 803mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 7gSugar: 10gProtein: 23g
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