This Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad is going to be your new favourite summertime dinner meal - I promise. Smoky, zesty flavour, with lots of vibrant summer vegetables. An easy meal that the whole family will love!
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Toddler Tip:
Kids, especially toddlers, love having choices with their food (well, with everything). By giving them some control over what they choose, this supports their curiosity and increases the likelihood of trying something new. One easy way we can offer choice is by serving a meal like this family style. Keep a few toppings in separate bowls along with the pasta on the table, and offer them to your child, and they can choose which ones they would like to add to their dish.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Pasta such as penne or rotini noodles
- Chicken thigh
- Taco seasoning
- Cheese
- Corn
- Black beans
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Maple syrup
- Smoked paprika
- Chilli powder
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Lemon (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad
Step 1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions in salted water.
Step 2. Once pasta noodles are cooked, drain and rinse and put into a large bowl. Add the cheese so that it melts in with the noodles.
Step 3. Season the chicken with the spices and olive oil and cook over medium heat in a large frying pan, about 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through.
Step 4. Make the dressing and whisk together.
Step 5. Add the salad ingredients to the bowl with the pasta noodles.
Step 6. Add the chicken on top and pour the dressing all over. Toss to combine.
Tip: This pasta salad is delicious warm or cold! We like it best when it is warm and with the chicken hot, but either works well.
Substitutions
- Vegetarian - swap in firm tofu instead of chicken. You can still marinate the tofu the same way for a smoky chipotle flavour!
- Gluten-free - use gluten free pasta noodles such as chickpea or rice nodles
- Vegetables- get creative and add other vegetables! Cherry tomatoes and purple cabbage go amazing in this salad.
Equipment
- Medium-large frying pan
Storage
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Best to add the avocado right before serving as it will brown in the fridge.
Top tip
If you have a few minutes earlier in the day, rub the chicken thighs with the spice mixture and let them sit in the fridge. This dry marinade boosts the flavour and makes dinnertime even quicker, just pop the chicken on the pan when you're ready to cook!
FAQ
Penne or rotini noodles work best for this dish. We are big fans of Catelli Smart pasta as it has an added fibre boost. You could also use a chickpea pasta for a gluten-free option.
Yes! This pasta is great warm or cold. You can certainly make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge. I recommend adding the avocado right before serving so that it doesn't turn brown.
Recipe
Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 375 g rotini or penne noodles we love Catelli Smart pasta for the added fibre boost
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 500 g boneless and skinless chicken thighs about 5 chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1.5 cups corn
- 1.5 cups black beans
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 avocado cubed
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 lemon freshly squeezed, optional
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the grated parmesan cheese so that the cheese melts in with the pasta noodles.
- In a large bowl, add the chicken, olive oil and taco seasoning. Toss to coat.
- In a medium-large frying pan, add the chicken and cook approximately 5-6 minutes, undisturbed on each side, until chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, set aside on a plate.
- While chicken is cooking, add the salad ingredients to the bowl with the pasta and melted cheese.
- Prepare the pasta salad dressing. Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small container and bowl and either shake or whisk together.
- Add the chicken on top of the salad. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Add any extra cilantro or avocado and squeeze some lemon on top if you like!
Nutrition
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Related
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Food safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Ellie says
Made this tonight with fresh corn and it was delish. I love how versatile your recipes are and we can add / subtract ingredients easily to suite our dietary preferences.
Rachel Mark says
I love this recipe so much! It’s quick and delicious and satisfies everyone! Always my go to!
Alana says
Sooooo Yummy!! A family favorite for sure.
Kehla says
I love me a good Mexican bowl and so I’m really excited that I found this recipe !! It looks delicious 👌🏼
Meghan Aris says
This recipe is one of my favourites. I go back to it again and again. It’s easy to adapt the ingredients for everyone’s tastes and it’s a hit with the whole family!
Eileen says
Love this easy and delicious salad, especially in the summer. So quick to throw together and perfect for meal prepping too (I like making a double batch so we can eat it a few times during the week!)
Anonymous says
Delicious!!