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This Mexican Macaroni Salad is a perfect blend of vibrant colors and refreshing flavors. It features elbow pasta, hearty black beans, sweet corn, crisp red onion, cherry tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and creamy avocado – all mixed with a zesty homemade dressing. Perfect as a tasty side dish or a standout addition to potlucks. Best of all, it’s a breeze to prepare! {Vegetarian & gluten-free-friendly}
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Mexican Pasta Salad
During the hot summer months, my family often lives off of cold salads! Since they’re chilled, they can easily be made ahead of time and served throughout the week for easy lunches or a quick side dish at any time. This Mexican macaroni salad with corn is always a family favorite and a real crowd pleaser too!
The black beans and veggies are delicious on their own, but the honey lime dressing really takes it over the top! It’s tangy from the vinegar and fresh lime juice, savory from the spices, and just slightly sweet from the honey. It’s way lighter than a mayo or sour cream-based pasta salad, yet is still packed with flavor!
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Why We Love This Mexican Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Healthier alternative: Since most pasta salad recipes use a creamy dressing, they tend to be both high in carbs and saturated fat. Since this recipe uses a lighter homemade vinaigrette and lots of high-fiber veggies and beans, it will fill you up and reduce the overall calorie count at the same time!
- Loaded with veggies: This Mexican cold pasta salad features a bounty of summer veggies in one bowl! Add corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and avocado for a colorful dish that’s good for you, too!
- Great for parties & potlucks: If you’re heading to a BBQ or party this summer, this is the perfect side dish. It can be prepared ahead of time and makes a generous amount to feed a crowd!
Ingredient Notes
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- Pasta: If you don’t have elbow pasta, try shells, bowtie, penne, or rotini pasta as substitutes. Use any pasta you like; gluten free or whole wheat pastas will work well here.
- Corn: You can also use fresh corn (about three ears) or canned corn (drained and rinsed). To thaw frozen corn quickly, place it in a colander and run warm water over it for a minute or two.
- Black beans: Drain and rinse the beans first to avoid giving the noodles a purple tint. I used low sodium black beans for this recipe to reduce the sodium.
- Cherry tomatoes: If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, look for grape tomatoes. Roma tomatoes can also be diced into small bites.
- Red onion: To keep the red onion from being too sharp, slice it in half and soak the peeled halves in ice water for 10-15 minutes before slicing. For a milder flavor, use green onions instead.
- Chopped cilantro: Adds a refreshing herby flavor. You can skip it if you’re not a fan of cilantro.
- Avocado: Remove the pits and dice the avocado into bite-sized pieces.
- Extra cilantro & lime wedges: These are an optional garnish, but they really make the salad pop!
Dressing Ingredients:
- Olive oil: We used extra virgin olive oil, but light would work too.
- Lime: Use freshly squeezed lime juice and add the lime zest, too.
- Apple cider vinegar: Feel free to use another mild-tasting vinegar, like red or white wine or unseasoned rice vinegar.
- Honey: For just a hint of sweetness.
- Garlic: Freshly pressed garlic cloves have the best flavor.
- Seasonings: For a Mexican-inspired flavor, mix ground cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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- In a large bowl, add cooked macaroni, black beans, corn kernels, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, zest, vinegar, honey, garlic and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Pour desired amount of dressing over the macaroni pasta mixture (I used about half) and gently toss until well coated. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to let the flavors mingle.
- Before serving, add diced avocado and give it another toss. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Garnish with remaining cilantro and lime wedges and serve immediately.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips & Tricks:
- Rice or red wine vinegar work well as a substitute for the apple cider vinegar.
- Switch up the dressing by substituting your favorite taco seasoning blend for the cumin, chili powder, and oregano.
- This recipe doubles well if you plan to make it for a crowd.
- The dressing can be shaken in a large jar instead of whisked.
- It’s always best to cook the elbow macaroni until al dente, then strain. Rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking and keep the noodles from sticking together.
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Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prepare this pasta salad 12 to 24 hours in advance. Add avocado right before serving to maintain its freshness.
Diced bell peppers and sliced black olives make excellent add-ins. You can also add crunchy celery, roasted red peppers, and kidney beans for extra texture and flavor.
Many of us let salads and sides sit at room temperature for hours at parties, but it’s a good rule to limit that window to two hours maximum. After that, bacteria can grow at a dangerous rate and cause food-borne illness. Another option is to serve this Mexican pasta salad recipe in a chilled bowl or set the serving bowl into a large bowl filled with ice. You’ll still want to keep an eye on it, especially on a really hot day, but this is a good option for parties!
Storage Guidelines
Store this pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the pasta salad may become drier over time, so consider adding a bit more dressing or seasoning before serving.
Avoid freezing, as it can alter the pasta and vegetables’ texture.
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Serving Suggestions
This Mexican macaroni salad is a great stand-alone vegetarian dish or pairs perfectly as a healthy side dish with grilled chicken, steak, pork, carne asada, or hamburgers.
Try it with any of the following:
- Grilled Chicken Street Tacos Recipe
- Spicy Shrimp Tacos
- Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe
- Grilled Chili Lime Shrimp
Recipe Variations
- To add some heat: Try diced jalapeno or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce for some added heat.
- Add cheese: Add in a cup of shredded cheese for some added protein and calcium.
- For additional protein: Add in some leftover taco meat, diced chicken or ham.
- Add a creamy texture: If you prefer a creamy sauce, add a dollop of low-fat Greek yogurt. It’ll add a creamy texture and extra protein without a lot of fat.
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More Delicious Salads
- Healthy Pasta Salad Recipe
- Healthy Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Lentil Pesto Pasta Salad
- Cucumber Noodle Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
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Easy Mexican Macaroni Salad with Corn
Ingredients
For the pasta salad
- 8 ounces elbow pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 10 ounces frozen sweet corn, thawed
- 1 1/4 cups quartered cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 large avocado, seeded and diced
- Chopped cilantro, lime wedges, optional garnish
Instructions
- Cook elbow pasta according to package direction. In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, zest, vinegar, honey, garlic and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Pour desired amount of dressing over the pasta mixture (I used about half) and gently toss until well coated. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours to let the flavors mingle.
- Before serving, add diced avocado and give it another toss. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Garnish with remaining cilantro and lime wedges and serve immediately.
Notes
- Switch up the dressing by substituting your favorite taco seasoning blend for the cumin, chili powder, and oregano. This healthy taco seasoning is a great option!
- This recipe doubles well if you plan to make it for a crowd.
- The dressing can be shaken in a large jar instead of whisked.
- It’s always best to cook the elbow macaroni until al dente, then strain. Rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking and keep the noodles from sticking together.