This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This chicken pasta salad is quick, easy, and packed with hearty ingredients for a filling side or main dish!
Pasta Salad to Love!
We have been long-time fans of pasta salad recipes. We frequently serve them as side dishes at family gatherings – especially summer BBQs!
Our classic Pasta Salad Recipe is a go-to, but this chicken pasta salad is perfect for when you need a salad that is heartier and more filling.
Why we love it:
- Make it the star. This easy salad recipe is substantial enough to be served as a main dish!
- Adaptable. Easily swap ingredients to make it vegetarian or gluten-free, according to your dietary needs!
- In no time. This whips up in only 20 minutes! Of course, the flavors only improve with time so it can easily be made ahead of time.
- Great for leftovers. It also stores well in the fridge and makes for delicious next-day lunches.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 10 minutes
- 8 ounces spiral pasta – I love using the tri-colored spiral pasta, but any similarly sized pasta will work: penne, medium shell, bow-tie, or wagon wheel. You can also use gluten-free pasta.
- ¾ cup Italian salad dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise – Increase the mayo for a more creamy texture.
- 2 cups cooked seasoned chicken – I used a package of cooked fiesta chicken from the grocery store. Or buy a rotisserie chicken, use leftover chicken from a previous dinner, or cook up fresh chicken breasts or thighs. Oven Baked Chicken, Baked Chicken Fingers, Chicken Tenders, or grilled Chicken Marinade
- 8 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled – I love this Bacon in the Oven recipe
- 1 cup cubed Colby Jack cheese – or toss in Cheddar cheese, feta cheese, or fresh mozzarella
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, chopped
How to Make Chicken Pasta SAlad
- PASTA. Boil water in a medium pot. Add 8 ounces noodles and cook pasta until firm, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- DRESSING. Add ¾ cup Italian dressing and ¼ cup mayo to a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- ASSEMBLE. In a large bowl, add pasta, 2 cups cooked chicken, 8 slices of crumbled bacon, 1 cup cubed cheese, 1 cup chopped green bell pepper, 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, and 1 diced avocado.
- Pour the dressing over the top and stir until evenly covered.
Complete the Meal
- Main dishes: Pulled Pork Recipe, Baby Back Ribs, Ranch Burger
- Desserts: Lemon Pound Cake, Panna Cotta, Angel Food Cake
- More pasta salads: Macaroni Salad, Greek Pasta Salad, Mozzarella Pasta Salad
More collections: Pasta Salad Recipes, BBQ Side Dishes, Summer Side Dishes
Chicken Pasta Salad
Creamy chicken pasta salad is quick, easy, and packed with hearty ingredients for a filling side or main dish!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spiral pasta
- ¾ cup Italian Salad dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 cups cooked seasoned chicken, we used packaged fiesta chicken
- 8 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup cubed Colby Jack cheese
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, chopped
Instructions
- Boil water in a medium pot. Add the pasta and cook until firm, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Add the Italian dressing and mayo to a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add pasta, chicken, bacon, cheese, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and avocado.
- Pour the dressing over the top and stir until evenly covered.
Video
Notes
Recipe tips.
- Cook the pasta to al dente. If you don’t have spiral rotini, try fusilli, cavatappi, farfalle, penne, or medium shell pasta
- We most often used a package of cooked Fiesta chicken from the grocery store, but other options include cubing a rotisserie chicken, using leftover chicken from a previous dinner, or cooking up fresh chicken breasts.
- While we love the recipe as written, sometimes we add veggies that we have on hand, like green onion, celery, black olives, diced cucumbers, corn, peas, or red onions.
Nutrition
Serving: 10g, Calories: 282kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 309mg, Potassium: 278mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 352IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 106mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Additions?
- Add veggies like green onions, olives, celery, black olives, diced cucumbers, corn, peas, or red onions.
- Replace cooked chicken with cooked turkey or cubed ham.
Add extra flavor to chicken pasta salad?
- Season to taste with black pepper, salt, and garlic salt. Add in some red pepper flakes for a kick. Add in fresh herbs like fresh basil or fresh parsley. Spritz on some lemon juice.
Can I make chicken pasta salad ahead of time?
- Store it covered in the fridge. Store the bacon bits in a separate container. Save ¼ of the pasta salad dressing to add right before serving. Wait to cut the avocado to avoid browning.
- To serve, mix in the remaining dressing. Add the bacon and avocado.
How to store leftover chicken pasta salad?
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add a little Italian dressing if the pasta gets a bit dry.
For More Pasta Salads:
Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
2 hrs 27 mins
Greek Pasta Salad
20 mins
Macaroni Salad With Ham
20 mins
Chicken Macaroni Salad
18 mins
My family loves pasta salad so I’m always looking for new recipes to try. This one is loaded with so many of our favorite goodies — it was a winner with everyone!
This chicken pasta salad was so good at our family BBQ! Everyone was raving about it!
This was a hit at our family barbecue! We loved the crunchy bacon and the chicken combination. The creamy dressing ties everything together. So good!
DEFINITELY LIKE THE CHICKEN PASTA SALAD, PLAN ON HAVING THE GIRLS OVER FOR DINNER, THIS IS IDEAL. THANKS AND I WILL ALSO MAKE TO SHARE WITH THE NEIGHBORS .