Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe combines elbow macaroni and cooked rotisserie chicken with the flavors of crispy smoked crumbled bacon, grape tomatoes, diced avocado, and green onions in a creamy mayonnaise dressing with a touch of honey, garlic, and mustard. This delicious side dish is ideal for a spring or summer lunch or light dinner. It also makes for a great potluck, family reunion, neighborhood social, or pool party dish.
Let’s Spill The Tea
- Cuisine Style: American
- Taste and texture: creamy, smooth, salty, and crunchy
- Effort and skill: ridiculously easy
- Pros: Total time to prepare is about 25 minutes
- Cons: you will want to eat the whole bowl
Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Pasta: my go-to pasta for this recipe is elbow macaroni, but you can use other medium pasta like rotini, cavatappi, medium shells, or bowtie.
- Chicken: any cooked chicken.
- Bacon: cooked
- Vegetables: grape tomatoes, green onions, avocado, and garlic.
- Lemon: for juice
- Seasoning: kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Mayonnaise: my favorite is Duke’s
- Honey
- Dijon mustard: you can substitute yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
How to make Chicken Pasta Salad
This is just the nutshell version of the recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredients and complete directions.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, pressed garlic, honey, mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper.
- Combine the drained pasta, chicken, bacon, tomato, and green onion in a large bowl.
- Toss the avocado with the lemon juice and add it to the bowl.
- Pour in the dressing and toss to coat.
Recipe Tips for Perfect Chicken Pasta Salad
- You can use any cooked, diced, or shredded chicken, including rotisserie, poached, grilled, or baked.
- Cook the pasta slightly al dente, which means slightly undercooked or a little bit firm, so it holds up well to being stirred with other ingredients and a moderately thick mayo dressing.
- Do not skip the step of gently tossing the avocado with lemon juice. This really slows down the avocado browning process.
What to serve with Chicken Pasta Salad
Sometimes, I like to serve a little soup, like gazpacho or creamy asparagus soup. Fruit salad and four bean salad are also delicious with it. Or something cool and refreshing like cherry lemonade or strawberry mimosas.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dressing can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to combine. You can prepare the salad up to 1 day in advance; however, for best results, do not dice or add the avocado and the bacon until right before serving.
Instead of a mayonnaise-based dressing, try a vinaigrette. I love this mustard vinaigrette and this ginger vinaigrette.
Let’s Recap
- This is a quick and easy, flavorful pasta salad.
- It is a welcome addition to any picnic, potluck, or party.
- For ease, prepare up to 24 hours in advance. Do not cut or add the avocado and the bacon until right before serving.
Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 cups cooked chicken
- 6 slices bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 avocado peeled seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the elbow pasta (al dente) according to package directions and drain well.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, pressed garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained pasta, cooked chicken, crumbled cooked bacon, halved tomatoes, and green onions. In a small bowl, gently toss the diced avocado with the lemon juice and add it to the bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
Nutrition
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dorry lyn
thanks for sharing this recipe. you just gave me an idea on what food to bring for familys gathering this weekend
Krystle
The perfect dinner for these hot nights. Great for lunch the next day too.
Fransic verso
This look so good. And would love to try it. I’m going to save this recipe on the list. Thank you for sharing it!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure!
briannemanzb
This chicken pasta salad is packed with flavors and so delicious. I like to make this for a quick weeknight dinner for the family, or take it to parties and picnics. Thank you for your recipe!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Brianne! So happy that you like it!
Stephanie
What a perfect dish for summertime! I’m going to make this when we have a pool day with our friends next weekend.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Stephanie! Enjoy!
Autumn Murray
I am not a fan of chicken pasta salad, but my sister is. Just sent a link to your article to her and pinned to my salad board for fans of this dish.
Maureen
It’s been awhile since I have had chicken pasta salad but my family loves it! This looks delicious and perfect for those relaxed backyard lunch.
Neely Moldovan
I was just telling my husband I wanted to make pasta salad but didn’t have a good recipe! Definitely trying this!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!!
Anosa Malanga
Been thinking of what to prepare over the weekend and this looks great. Thank you for the recipe.
Happy Eghaghara
Waoooh, this was very delicious. My whole family enjoyed this chicken salad
Michele @ Our Redonkulous Life
This chicken pasta salad sounds and looks really good. I am gonna have to make this for myself for lunch today. It is 6 am right now, but I am so excited!
briannemanzb
I failed at first making this because I didn’t cook the pasta undercooked but the second time was just delicious and perfect. Thanks for this recipe!
Tweenselmom
Thanks for the great recipe. We all loved it. I am going to make it for Memorial Day.
Heather
It’s been so long since I’ve had pasta salad. I love the addition of chicken. I can’t wait to make it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy!!