Best Mexican Pasta Salad with Jalapeños

I’ve been making this Mexican pasta salad on repeat all summer, and let me tell you—those jalapeños bring the perfect kick of heat that keeps everyone coming back for seconds! The combination of fresh lime juice and cilantro gives it that bright, zesty flavor that makes it taste like you’re eating at your favorite taqueria. Trust me, this is about to become your new go-to potluck dish.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2650-2850
• Protein: 60-75 g
• Fat: 90-100 g
• Carbohydrates: 400-430 g

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves (pressed or finely minced)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

For the salad:

• 8 oz pasta (I like Barilla rotini for holding the dressing)
• 30 oz black beans (I prefer Goya for the best firm texture)
• 16 oz corn
• 16 oz cherry tomatoes (sliced into halves)
• 2 jalapeños (seeded and finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 3/4 cup cilantro (roughly chopped)

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place

• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
• 3/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 16 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves

Finely mince the garlic cloves and set aside.

Seed the jalapeños by halving them lengthwise, scooping out the seeds with a small spoon, then finely dice into 1/4-inch pieces—I recommend wearing gloves to protect your hands from the oils.

Roughly chop the cilantro and slice the cherry tomatoes into halves.

Having everything prepped and ready will make the assembly process smooth and efficient.

Step 2: Build the Vinaigrette Base

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lime juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and chili powder until fully emulsified.

The combination of lime juice and red wine vinegar creates the acidic backbone that will brighten the entire salad.

Set the dressing aside while you prepare the pasta and vegetables.

Step 3: Cook the Pasta and Prepare the Beans

• 8 oz pasta
• 30 oz black beans
• 16 oz corn

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and let cool slightly.

While the pasta cooks, drain and rinse the black beans under cool water to remove excess sodium and starch—this helps them maintain their firm texture.

Drain the corn as well and rinse with warm water to remove any canning liquid.

Step 4: Assemble and Dress the Salad

• 8 oz cooked pasta from Step 3
• 30 oz black beans from Step 3
• 16 oz corn from Step 3
• 16 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and finely diced
• 3/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 3/4 of the vinaigrette from Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, drained black beans, and rinsed corn.

Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, diced jalapeños, and chopped cilantro, then pour in about three-quarters of the vinaigrette from Step 2 and gently toss everything together until evenly coated.

I like to reserve the remaining dressing to add just before serving, as this prevents the salad from becoming overly saturated and maintains the vegetables' texture during chilling.

Step 5: Chill and Final Assembly

• assembled salad from Step 4
• reserved 1/4 of the vinaigrette from Step 2

Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the pasta to fully absorb the dressing.

Just before serving, stir in the reserved dressing to refresh the salad and adjust the consistency—the pasta tends to soak up dressing as it sits, so this final addition brightens everything and brings back the intended flavor balance.

Best Mexican Pasta Salad with Jalapeños

Delicious Best Mexican Pasta Salad with Jalapeños recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 12 minutes mins

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 2750

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the dressing

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves (pressed or finely minced)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

For the salad

• 8 oz pasta (I like Barilla rotini for holding the dressing)
• 30 oz black beans (I prefer Goya for the best firm texture)
• 16 oz corn
• 16 oz cherry tomatoes (sliced into halves)
• 2 jalapeños (seeded and finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 3/4 cup cilantro (roughly chopped)

Method

 

1. Finely mince the garlic cloves and set aside. Seed the jalapeños by halving them lengthwise, scooping out the seeds with a small spoon, then finely dice into 1/4-inch pieces—I recommend wearing gloves to protect your hands from the oils. Roughly chop the cilantro and slice the cherry tomatoes into halves. Having everything prepped and ready will make the assembly process smooth and efficient.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lime juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and chili powder until fully emulsified. The combination of lime juice and red wine vinegar creates the acidic backbone that will brighten the entire salad. Set the dressing aside while you prepare the pasta and vegetables.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and let cool slightly. While the pasta cooks, drain and rinse the black beans under cool water to remove excess sodium and starch—this helps them maintain their firm texture. Drain the corn as well and rinse with warm water to remove any canning liquid.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, drained black beans, and rinsed corn. Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, diced jalapeños, and chopped cilantro, then pour in about three-quarters of the vinaigrette from Step 2 and gently toss everything together until evenly coated. I like to reserve the remaining dressing to add just before serving, as this prevents the salad from becoming overly saturated and maintains the vegetables' texture during chilling.
5. Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the pasta to fully absorb the dressing. Just before serving, stir in the reserved dressing to refresh the salad and adjust the consistency—the pasta tends to soak up dressing as it sits, so this final addition brightens everything and brings back the intended flavor balance.