This chicken pasta salad is grilled chicken with olives, cheese and fresh vegetables, all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing. A light and refreshing side dish or main course option that’s perfect for feeding a crowd!
You just can’t go wrong with a good pasta salad, whether it’s pesto pasta salad, Greek pasta salad, or this hearty variety loaded with chicken and veggies.
Pasta salad is a summer staple for good reason. It’s easy to make, great for picnics and potlucks, and is packed full of flavor. This mayo free chicken pasta salad recipe takes the classic dish to a whole new level with plenty of color and texture. Serve your salad with other summer time favorites such as cilantro lime shrimp or burnt ends. Offer some refrigerator pickles as a zesty appetizer and refreshing mango iced tea to drink. Don’t forget the cookie cake for a sweet finish!
Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients
To make this salad, you will need pasta, chicken, Italian seasoning, olive oil, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella balls, fresh parsley, salt and pepper. The dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, parmesan cheese, dried parsley, red bell pepper, minced dried onion, dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, sugar, black pepper and red pepper flakes.
How Do You Make Chicken Pasta Salad?
Start by cooking your chicken, and cutting it into bite sized pieces. While the chicken is cooking, cook pasta in a large pot until it is al dente. Place the chicken and pasta in a large bowl along with tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, olives, fresh mozzarella and herbs. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Drizzle the homemade dressing over the chicken and pasta mixture, then toss until well combined. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge to enjoy later.
Tips For The Perfect Salad
- I prefer to grill boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. That being said, other types of cooked chicken will also work just fine such as leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Chicken thighs will also work in lieu of the breasts.
- I don’t recommend freezing pasta salad as the texture will change when it is thawed.
- I like to use a mandoline to thinly shave the red onion for the salad.
- While I typically use kalamata olives, any type of olives will work such as green olives or traditional ripe black olives.
Quick Tip
You can make the Italian dressing 2 days before you plan to use it. Want to save on prep time? Buy a bottle of high quality prepared Italian dressing instead of making your own.
Recipe FAQs
Pasta salad should be refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. The salad should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. If it’s a particularly warm day, it’s best to only let the salad sit out for one hour to avoid potential food safety issues.
Pasta should be cool before you toss it with the other ingredients to make a salad. The easiest thing to do is to run your cooked pasta under cold water. This will cool it off, and also prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Chicken pasta salad will last for 3 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.
Chicken Pasta Salad Flavor Variations
This dish is fabulous as written, but the beauty of pasta salad is that you can add all different ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Pasta: Instead of rotini, you can use any type of short pasta such as penne, farfalle, shells or macaroni.
- Protein: Feel free to up the protein by adding canned chickpeas, salami or cooked crumbled bacon.
- Cheese: Swap out the mozzarella with feta cheese, extra sharp white cheddar, or shaved parmesan.
- Vegetables: Add more veggies to the mix with cooked green beans, green onions, avocado, marinated artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, or grilled zucchini. You can also add more fresh herbs such as fresh basil.
This chicken pasta salad is the ultimate simple meal. My whole family loves this one, and you just can’t go wrong with the combination of tender chicken, crunchy veggies and pasta.
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Chicken Pasta Salad Video
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This chicken pasta salad is grilled chicken with olives, cheese and fresh vegetables, all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing. A light and refreshing side dish or main course option that’s perfect for feeding a crowd!
For the salad
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Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high heat. Drizzle the tablespoon of olive oil over the chicken breasts and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
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Place the chicken on the grill. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until done. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bite sized pieces.
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Cook the rotini in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water.
For assembly
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Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the chicken, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, mozzarella balls and parsley. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for later use.
- I prefer to grill boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. That being said, other types of cooked chicken will also work just fine such as leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Chicken thighs will also work in lieu of the breasts.
- Chicken pasta salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing pasta salad.
- You can make the Italian dressing 2 days before you plan to use it. Want to save on prep time? Buy a bottle of high quality prepared Italian dressing instead of making your own.
Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 716mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g
