Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

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The perfect summer meal, whether a quick lunch, potluck, or easy dinner. Grilled chicken and balsamic dressing over pasta salad!

Chicken pasta salad with olives and carrots.

Pasta salad is one of the best no-recipe-recipes you should have in your back pocket! This is considered one of my "framework recipes" where once you have this down pat you can tweak it to fit your fridge and your needs.

No need for anything heavy, either. While this recipe has a base of balsamic dressing, I also love to make No Mayo Pasta Salad for when we want a lighter dish. Want classic greens? I go out to my kitchen garden for a Fresh From the Garden Salad - easy on a weeknight.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for grilled chicken pasta salad.

Chicken - Next time you're making chicken for dinner on the grill, cook a few extra to throw in this salad. You could also use rotisserie chicken if you need to hit the easy button.

Veggies - I like red onion, sweet peppers, and cucumber. This gives you a nice variety in colour!

Cheese - We always have cheese in the fridge. I like classic cheddar here but definitely treat this as a "use what ya got" in the fridge drawer.

Seasoning - Love salty? Then these black olives are perfect for you, and I add a pop of fresh dill from our herb garden.

Pasta - Whatever type you like, from whole wheat to gluten-free. Try out colored rotini for a fun bowl!

Dressing - My Thick Balsamic Dressing offers just the right bit of tang and is rich and creamy without any dairy or mayo.

How to Make Pasta Salad with Chicken

***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***

Chopped chicken salad ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Step 1: Chop up all of your ingredients and add to a bowl!

Step 2: Stir in the dressing, keeping some back until you see what texture you have and like.

FAQs

What pasta is best for salad?

Short cut is the best, especially rotini - the shape just holds onto the dressing the best! Anything like elbows or other fun shapes will work well. You can use a gluten-free option if necessary, as this is the only gluten in the recipe. Using half whole wheat pasta is a great option as well, because then the taste isn't overpowering. And don't be afraid to use up those bits and bobs in the random boxes in the pantry and mix and match!

What chicken should I use in pasta salad?

Leftover grilled chicken is our favourite, since it is already seasoned to perfection. I always prefer using chicken breasts here, but don't be afraid to mix in dark meat too. Plan to cook extra or set some aside from a dinner to add to the salad. Are you a fan of rotisserie chicken? It's so easy and affordable to add one of those to your cart when you're at Costco, and you can eat off it for lunch as well as set some aside to make pasta salad.

Can I switch out the veggies?

Absolutely! I just select ones that taste great raw and don't require cooking. Sometimes we find carrots too crunchy in a quick salad like this, which is why we reach for peppers and cucumbers. These are usually in abundance in the garden or at the market, and kids often eat them without complaint. I especially find when I am dicing up everything nice and small and then coating it in dressing that I can get people to try some new to them veggies.

Diced veggies and chicken in pasta salad.

Photos by Megan Hampton

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