Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe That’s A Crowd Pleaser!

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Today’s recipe is an easy pasta salad recipe that we love, that has chicken in it. It ticks many boxes besides being easy. You can make this recipe ahead of time. It’s a cold pasta salad to serve as a chicken dinner idea or side dish, a crowd-pleaser, and best of all delicious. We decided to share how we make our recipe, Chicken Pasta Salad. 

This recipe ticks two boxes: pasta salad recipes, and easy chicken dinners. Whether you try this for a salad or dinner we hope you enjoy our pasta salad recipe. We call this recipe our Italian Chicken Pasta Salad.

Chicken Pasta Salad

I’ve always been a fan of pasta salads and often times we just use seasonal fresh ingredients. I typically prefer to use produce that is in season, and fresh. This recipe is easily adaptable to include your favorite vegetables. Are you a vegetarian? Just leave out the chicken. Or serving vegetarians, and meat-eaters, just keep your chicken in a chilled side dish.

Let’s get started making our Chicken Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing.

How to make chicken for a pasta salad 

Pre-cook or purchase a rotisserie chicken and chop it into bite-size pieces. I like to cook mine homemade. It’s easy and only takes 15 minutes. In a non-stick, skillet then add olive oil. Sprinkle (skinless, boneless) chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano or Italian spices, and a dash of salt and pepper. Cover and after 7 minutes flip the chicken and finish cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. 

How to make pasta salad

1. To start the pasta salad grab your favorite pasta and cook the pasta al dente. Then, rinse with cold water and drain. 
2. Grab a big bowl, chef knife, cutting board, and cut your veggies. Wash and prep them.
3. Toss your fresh veggies into the bowl. Add black olives or chopped black olives to your mix. 
4. When your pasta is ready, add your cooled pasta to the bowl. 
5. Mix all your ingredients. 
6. Add in your chicken or other meats.
7. Add your favorite Italian dressing or make it homemade, then add it in. 
8. Keep wrapped, and refrigerated until ready to serve.
9. Before serving sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese.
10. Serve cold in pretty salad bowls. 

Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

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Italian Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a delicious Italian Chicken Pasta Salad. 30 minute quick and easy pasta salad recipe that is a crowd pleaser.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10

Author Theresa Huse DearCreatives.com

Ingredients

• 1- 3 pack chicken
• 1- box of bow tie pasta noodles or other
• 2 cucumbers
• 3 green onions
• 1 purple onion half only, peeled and chopped
• basket of cherry tomatoes
• 1 can of black olives drained and lightly chopped
• Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese
• Italian Dressing

Instructions

1. Pre cook your skinless, boneless chicken or grab a rotisserie chicken and chop into bite side pieces. (remove bones from pre-purchased chicken)
2. How to cook the chicken: In a non stick skillet add olive oil. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano or Italian spices, a dash of salt and pepper. Cover and after 7 minutes flip chicken and finish cooking until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

How to make the pasta salad

1. To start the pasta salad grab your favorite pasta and cook it al dente. (use directions on package)
2. In a colander; Rinse with cold water and drain.
3. Grab a big bowl, chef knife, cutting board and your veggies. Wash and prep them.
4. Toss your fresh veggies into the bowl. Add black olives or chopped black olives to your mix.
5. When your pasta is ready, add your cooled pasta to the bowl.
6. Mix all your ingredients.
7. Add in your chicken or other meats.
8. Add your favorite Italian dressing or make it homemade, then add it in.
9. Keep wrapped, refrigerated until ready to serve.
10. Before serving sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or Feta cheese.
11. Serve cold in pretty salad bowls.

Recipe Notes

Can make the chicken ahead of time, cover store in fridge until needed. Sometimes I make it a day ahead when cooking another chicken meal. Keep extra salad dressing nearby if you like for adding more later.

• This recipe can be made in 30 minutes or less depending on your chopping skills and what you are adding in.
• We added cucumbers, green onions, cherry tomatoes, purple onion, and black olives.
• On this day we used our favorite aged Romano cheese which is Sammie’s favorite dressing. If she could pack it into a suitcase when we travel she would. lol Ken’s Italian Salad dressing mix 

You’ll love this easy pasta salad recipe for backyard parties, picnics, Memorial weekend outings, 4th of July, Labor Day, and light dinners in the summer.

But, we make this pasta salad year-round with the freshest vegetables available to us.

What’s makes this an Italian Chicken Pasta Salad? The pasta salad dressing, although you can use your favorite. Here are a few of our favorites if you’d like to make homemade dressing for your pasta salad. 

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Do you want to make your homemade pasta dressing?

Try any of these easy Italian Dressing recipes

• Perfect Italian Dressing Recipe
• Creamy Italian Dressing
• Italian Dressing Mix

What types of dressing do you like on your chicken pasta salad? What are some of your favorite ingredients to put into chicken pasta salad? 

Are you looking for more salad recipes? 

Salad Recipes

• Mediterranean Chicken Salad
• Tuna Salad with Champagne Dressing
• Grilled Chicken Salad with Ginger Dressing
• Marinated Vegetable Salad 
• Sweet Potato Pineapple Salad
• Beet, Cucumber, Tomato Salad 

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