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This chicken pasta salad is a fun twist on the classic sandwich recipe. It’s filled with penne pasta, tender chunks of chicken breast, crunchy pecans, all tossed in a creamy, sweet dressing. It’s the perfect blend of flavors and textures.
I love to serve this chicken pasta salad as a side dish for any BBQ or family party. Additionally, other salads I enjoy include this simple California spaghetti salad, bacon ranch pasta salad, and this Greek pasta salad with broccoli.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This easy pasta salad is not only a delicious meal or side dish but also high in protein. It’s bursting with fresh flavors and quick to prepare, making it an ideal meal prep recipe!
- Protein: Each serving packs 20 grams of protein, helping you meet your nutrition goals while indulging in a pasta salad.
- Flavor: This salad’s combination of al dente pasta, pecans, and refreshing grapes creates a delightful harmony of textures and flavors. Additionally, the creamy dressing adds a rich coating that enhances every bite.
Ingredients in Chicken Pasta Salad
I absolutely love this healthy chicken pasta salad recipe! You will want to keep these ingredients on hand to make it over and over. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the exact measurements.
Salad
- Chicken: Provides a hearty protein and savory flavor.
- Penne pasta: Adds a chewy texture and makes the salad more filling.
- Red grapes: Introduce a refreshing sweetness and a burst of flavor. My personal favorite part of the salad.
- Pecans: Offers a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. I also love using cashew pieces.
- Celery: Adds a crisp freshness and crunch with an earthy flavor.
- Green onion: Provides a bite of flavor and adds color.
- Fresh Parsley: Contributes an herbal flavor that enhances the other flavors in the salad.
Dressing
- Mayonaise: Offers a creamy texture and base for the delicious dressing.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bright flavor note that balances the richness of the mayonnaise.
- Milk: Thins the dressing to a perfect consistency without losing the flavor.
- Honey: Provides a touch of sweetness that effectively balances the tangy and savory flavors.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a note of sharpness and depth of flavor, which enhances the overall flavor
- Salt & Pepper: By adding a pinch of both salt and pepper you bring out the flavors of all the other ingredients.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Pasta Salad
This chicken salad is a twist on my classic Chicken Salad recipe that you put on croissants! Swap out the bread for the pasta and you have this very delicious meal!
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and then rinse with cold water.
- Dressing: Add all of the dressing ingredients to a medium bowl then whisk to combine.
- Combine: Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl, then add the chicken, grapes, pecans, green onions, and parsley.
- Toss: Pour the dressing over the pasta and other ingredients then toss to coat evenly.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
Easy Chicken Pasta Salad Variations
There are lots of ways to make this chicken pasta salad how you like it! I have a list of ways to switch up the flavors and ingredients below.
- Mayonnaise Substitutes: Greek yogurt can be a great alternative if you prefer a healthier dressing. It will have the same creamy texture. You can also use half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt.
- Pasta: This recipe calls for penne pasta, but you can easily substitute other shapes, such as bowtie or fusilli.
- Nuts: To give the salad a unique twist, experiment with other nuts, such as chopped walnuts, cashews, or pine nuts.
- Vegan-Friendly Option: You can easily make the dressing vegan by using plant-based yogurt and vegan mayonnaise.
- Veggies: Feel free to add or swap vegetables like cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, or red onion to suit your tastes.
Storing Leftovers
Make this chicken pasta salad as a side dish or even for a light dinner! Serve it right away for the best flavor, but you can also store it for leftovers!
- In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container or resealable bag for 1-3 days in the fridge.
- Meal Prep: Make this at the beginning of the week and store in individual containers. Then enjoy it as a protein-packed lunch or dinner.
More Delicious Pasta Salad Recipes
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Healthy Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
- 10 ounces penne pasta, cooked and drained
- 1 cup red grapes, quartered
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ¼ cup green onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing
- 1¼ cups mayonnaise, regular or light
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons milk, more if needed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package direction. Drain and then rinse with cold water.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl. Add the chicken, grapes, pecans, green onions, and parsley
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat evenly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How can I get the original Healthy Chicken pasta recipe with the citrus vinaigrette and the feta cheese? Did you replace that with this recipe? That was a family favorite and I can’t find it.
Hi Phyllis! Send me an email and I will get you all the info! My email is alyssa@therecipecritic.com
I’m sure this is great as so many of your recipes are but I’m looking for the original recipe you had with the same title. It had spinach and I believe orange zest. Any chance you could share that one? I’ve made it a few times but just had it saved on my Pinterest, never printed it out. Would love to have it!
Hello! As I recieve feedback or suggestions, I go back through old recipes and test them and make any adjustments needed! Send me a quick email and I can get you all the info that you need! My email is alyssa@therecipecritic.com
Thanks for this recipe, it turned out great. The dressing was really good, though i think in the future I might use a tad less honey.
Ended up adding some sun dried tomatoes as I had some that needed to be used and I think it was a good addition.
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve used it first a couple of months ago when I cooked for my family and friends. Ever since everyone is asking me for your recipe. They all LOVED it!
As I did not have any leftover chicken, I actually marinated chicken-breasts in the mustard, orange, honey, olive oil mix and then baked it. Delicious.
Please say how many servings the healthy chicken pasta salad has, I don’t see it listed
This salad will feed about 4 to 6 people. Hope you enjoy you salad! XOXO
Thanks!!!
Wonderful. Salad! I made it for a baby shower and it was easy to serve and perfect for a hot summer day, I made it exactly as written but added a little fresh basil from my garden. The spinach did wilt but didn’t bother me or mt guests!
I was searching for a quick chicken pasta salad and found this recipe. I used what I had and used whole wheat noodles and a packet of ramen (not the spice), skipped the honey, dijon, salt, and almonds and added celery, broccoli and lots of pepper. I only had clementines, not oranges–so zested one and cut up the fruit of both, and used the zest/juice of one lemon and threw in some spinach, feta and followed the rest of the recipe. Its amazingly good and far less calories than the original recipe (which is probably also great). Love the lemony taste.
Do you know how many calories are there in one serving? I tried the salad dressing, but only because I didn’t have the vegetables suggested above. So I used whatever veggies I had in the fridge. I used shredded carrots, red capsicum, olives, celery (leaves included) and a handful of basil. And I only had the spiral pasta. I used the same amount of dressing for an additional cups of pasta and left-over chicken. It was just as delicious (and celery crunchy)!
I make this salad for our Easter lunch to eat with roast lamb and roast pork. Everyone in the family mentioned how tasty, wholesome and refreshing this salad is. I didn’t even use feta cheese and slivered almonds as I didn’t have these two ingredients. Can imagine how yummy it would be with these extra 2 ingredients 🙂
Thank you. This dish will be one of our staples from now on!
hey girl- this looks so good!