Mexican Pasta Salad with Flank Steak
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This Mexican Pasta Salad is like nothing you have ever seen! Perfectly cooked fajita steak and vegetables tossed with tender pasta and topped with a glorious dressing that brings all of the flavors together. It’s an easy steak pasta salad recipe to take to all of your summer picnics and potlucks!
Mexican Pasta Salad
Summer is on its way, and once the weather gets warmer, the grill cover comes off and our weekends are filled with summer BBQs.
Whether I’m hosting or attending, I always make a few easy potluck side dishes like this amazing fajita pasta salad.
The zesty dressing brings all of the flavors together into one delicious bite!
Pasta salads are the perfect thing to bring to all of those summer picnics and potlucks because you can make them the night before and then pull them out of the fridge before you head to the party.
And if you’re in the mood for cooking, I’ve got a one pot pasta recipe with similar fajita flavors. Yum!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pasta – Bowties (farfalle) are the perfect shape in my opinion. They don’t take up too much space on your fork, allowing you to get lots of different flavors in one bite.
- Beef – Use flank steak for this Mexican pasta salad recipe, and be sure to marinate it for at least an hour (up to 3 hours) for the best flavor.
You can cook fajita steak on the grill or sear it in a pan on the stove.
Either way, let it rest for 10 minutes to lock in the juices and slice against the grain to make it extra tender. - Veggies – Cook bell peppers and onions with extra marinade, then add them to the bowl with English cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and pickled jalapenos.
I like to grab a variety of colors for the peppers so the pasta steak salad is as vibrant as possible. Each one has a different level of sweetness too. - Dressing – Start with a base of olive oil, then add lime juice and apple cider vinegar for acidity and honey for sweetness.
Cilantro is a staple for south-of-the-border dishes, so don’t skip it! A little garlic rounds out the flavors, and you can add salt to taste.
Tips and Tricks to Make the Perfect Steak Pasta Salad
- Marinate the meat for at least an hour.
Not only is this key for getting that fajita flavor, but it helps tenderize the meat too.
I’ll usually mix the oil and spices right in the resealable bag, but it’s best to use a bowl for this Mexican pasta salad recipe.
You’ll only add half of the marinade to the meat, saving the other half to add to the veggies.
- Boil the pasta to al dente.
It will continue to soften when tossed with the dressing, so it’s best to start with it slightly undercooked.
You’ll also want to rinse the farfalle with cold water after draining to stop it from cooking more as it sits.
- Don’t overcook the peppers and onions.
Sauté just until they become tender since they’ll continue to soften when mixed with the other pasta steak salad dressing.
You’ll want to add the remaining steak marinade to the pan too. It adds so much flavor!
- Let the steak rest before slicing.
Remove it from the pan once it reaches an internal temperature of 130-135°F for medium-rare — it will continue to cook a bit more as it rests.
Wait about 10 minutes, then slice into thin strips against the grain. You may want to cut the middle pieces in half if they’re quite long.
Prep Ahead
- Marinate steak
- Slice peppers, onion, cucumbers, and tomatoes
- Mix the dressing
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Large Pot and Strainer to cook and drain the pasta.
- Mixing Bowls – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
- Large Skillet – Allow plenty of space to sauté the veggies and cook the meat.
- Knife – A good chef’s knife makes it easy to get perfectly thin slices of fajita steak for pasta salad.
- Cutting Board – You’ll need a cutting board to go with that knife. This one is super durable and easy to clean.
Pasta Steak Salad Variations
You can easily customize this recipe in a number of ways! Skip add-ins that aren’t your favorite or substitute in others.
Instead of bowtie pasta, try rotini or penne. Avoid smaller shapes like macaroni or shells — they’ll get lost among the other ingredients.
Sensitive to heat? Swap pickled jalapenos for banana peppers instead. You may also want to soak red onion slices in ice water before cooking to remove some of the natural bite.
You can also add a creamy element to this Mexican pasta salad with chunks of avocado or your favorite cheese!
Just wait to add the avocado until just before serving, or it will turn brown.
Mexican Pasta Salad Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! Combine everything the night before, adding just half of the dressing. Store the other half in a jar and place both in the refrigerator overnight.
Then, add the rest of the dressing about an hour before serving and toss your fajita pasta salad so everything is well coated.
Reusing marinade is usually a no-no because it has come into contact with raw meat.
But in this case, we’re using half of the marinade for the meat and the other half for the veggies. No cross-contamination to worry about!
This is a technique where you cut across the muscle fibers in the beef to shorten them and make the steak easier to chew.
Place the meat on a cutting board and notice the lines running through it. Instead of cutting in the same direction as those lines, you’ll cut against (or through) them.
It also helps to cut flank steak at an angle for thinner strips and a more tender bite.
Storing Leftover Fajita Pasta Salad
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
If you plan on eating this Mexican pasta salad throughout the week, make extra dressing and store it in a separate jar. Then, you can add a little bit to your bowl to freshen it up!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Pasta Salad Recipes
Mexican Pasta Salad with Flank Steak
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound flank steak
- 3 bell peppers, (red, yellow, and green peppers) sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 16 ounces bow tie pasta, cooked
- 1 English cucumber, sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2.25 ounces sliced black olives
- 1 cup pickled jalapenos
Zesty Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup cilantro, finely diced
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine all of the dressing ingredients and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Mix 3 tablespoons olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
- Divide in half and add 1/2 of the marinade to a resealable bag. Add steak to bag and rub the marinade into it. Place bag in the refrigerator and marinate for 1-3 hours.
- Add a 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet along with the sliced onion. Cook over medium-high for 2-3 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
- Add bell peppers and the remaining marinade to the onions and continue to cook until vegetables are tender.
- Set vegetables aside and add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Remove steak from fridge and place in hot pan. Cook until meat reaches the desired level of doneness, approximately 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
- Once the steak is cooked set aside and let rest for 10 minutes then slice into thin strips.
- Add steak, peppers, onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and jalapenos to a large bowl of cooked pasta. Toss to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to coat.
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published May 2018, updated and republished March 2025
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This has a very fresh taste to it and the steak fajita with the vegetables is a great combination. I think I will be bringing this to my next dinner party.
I give this 5 stars just because I really can’t go lower. I was hating this recipe at every step; I couldn’t see how it was going to work out.
It’s unbelievably delicious.
Labor intensive so I suggest prepping; I cut our steak and veggies into bite sized pieces for full flavor per bite. May be a bit pricey if not catching sales.
The saltiness of the black olives with the sweet of the dressing (that by itself is worth it and a keeper!) and the occasional kick of a jalapeno?
The flavors of this pasta salad might not have screamed “fajita” to me but I didn’t care. It’s something you have to make and try yourself.
Thank you for this amazing recipe. We have leftovers and I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow.
(Made exactly except I forgot cucumbers and used regular tomatoes, cut up. Served warm.)
AMAZING FLAVORS!