Poppy Seed Chicken Pasta Salad is a simple recipe with tender chicken. Serve as side dish or your main course!
This easy Chicken and Pasta Salad is the perfect Side Dish for your next summer cookout. Serve it up with your favorite grilled recipes like Grilled Pork or Cilantro Lime Chicken and enjoy the ultimate barbecue with friends and family!
Sabrina’s Poppy Seed Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Nothing says summer like classic Potato Salad or Macaroni Salad. These creamy side dishes are the ultimate filling and refreshing dishes to enjoy when the weather is hot. This Chicken Pasta Salad is a slightly lighter alternative to those summer staples.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Poppy Seed Dressing:
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Pasta Salad:
- 8 ounces rotini pasta , cooked and drained
- 2 cups chicken breast , cooked and chopped
- 1/4 red onion , minced
- 2 stalks celery , chopped
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries , chopped
- 1/2 cup almonds , sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, white vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, dijon mustard, kosher salt and black pepper.
- In a large bowl add the pasta, chicken, onion, celery, and cranberries.
- Toss with the dressing then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Garnish with almonds just before serving.
Nutrition
Want to save this recipe? Create a free account to easily save your favorite recipes
Table of contents
About This Recipe
While this salad is made without mayonnaise in the dressing, it’s still just as refreshing, comforting, and filling. The vinegar dressing is made flavorful with Dijon mustard and a few tablespoons of sugar for sweetness. The dressing is poured over equally delicious ingredients like celery, almonds, chicken, and dried cranberries. It’s a wonderful balance of savory and sweet, and sure to be a hit with the whole family!
Chef’s Note
Though this makes a great side dish, the chicken makes this pasta salad filling enough it’s also perfect for a main dish on its own. Leftovers are great to keep in the fridge and enjoy for lunches.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
This salad is also so quick to toss together. As long as you have already cooked chicken breast the recipe comes together in minutes. It’s perfect to make with leftover Slow Cooker Chicken Breast. You do have to let it set in the fridge, but the hands-on time is minimal. Just make sure to prep it a little ahead of the other dishes, then you won’t have to think about the salad again until you’re enjoying eating it.
How To Store
- Serve: Don’t leave chicken pasta salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They should stay good for 3-5 days.
- Freeze: It’s best fresh, but this pasta salad can also last for up to a week in the freezer. Just make sure it’s sealed properly. Thaw it out in the fridge and mix it all together again before serving.
Variations
- Pasta: If you don’t have rotini noodles you can use any kind of short pasta variety in this chicken salad. Try macaroni, orzo, penne, or orecchiette.
- Protein: You can replace the chicken in the recipe with cooked turkey, tuna, or pork. If you want a vegetarian salad use tofu or chickpeas for some extra filling ingredients.
- Add-ins: You can try different kinds of fruits or nuts in this Poppy Seed Pasta Salad. Try adding in some grapes or dried dates. You could also mix in pecans walnuts or cashews.
Related Recipes
More Delicious Pasta Salad Recipe
mélangez avec le pansement: qu’est ce que ca veut dire….. j’essaie de voir votre recette en anglais pour comprendre mais cela m’apparait toujours en francais. Merci