Last Updated on August 21, 2024
This Chicken Pasta Salad is always a hit at picnics and potlucks because the unusual collection of ingredients magically come together to create an amazing lunch dish.
Now that my kids have headed back to school, the lazy days of summer are behind us. Every afternoon we have a hectic schedule of homework, dinner, a sport, packing lunches for the next day, then our bedtime rituals.
Knowing that we were going to be hitting the ground running as soon as the kids got home from their first day of school, I made a crockpot chicken dinner to take some of the stress out of the busy dinner hour. Since I had some great chicken stock left over, I decided to make my favorite chicken pasta salad recipe that we could easily divide up between the six of us for lunches the next day.
Your kids (and you too) could bring a trail mix cookie in their lunch too, as a sweet, but healthy way to end their meal. By the way, if you love chicken salads, you may also like this shredded chicken salad recipe.
Jump to:
Why do People put Grapes in Chicken Salad?
It all started in 1863 in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Liam Gray, the founder of Town Meats, was the first person known to mix leftover chicken with grapes, mayonnaise and tarragon, and it’s been a hit ever since.
Adding grapes to the salad is a great way to use up any leftover grapes. They add a sweet flavor and juicy crunch, while providing you with fiber, potassium, vitamins, and antioxidants.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
You’ll love this pasta salad with chicken even though it seems to have an unusual collection of ingredients:
- Always a hit at parties: Since this salad with pasta has so many different ingredients in it than a usual salad, people are curious and want to give it a try — and they end up loving it.
- Perfect for picky eaters: This salad has so many things in it that picky eaters will eat — like pasta, grapes, carrots, chicken.
- Looks beautiful: With all of the various colorful ingredients in this dish, it looks almost too good to eat.
If you want to try another salad with a protein in it, you should try this tuna pasta salad recipe.
🥘 Ingredients
Even though it’s a unique combination of ingredients, they are all really easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Chicken breasts: This is the main protein for this salad.
- Bowtie pasta: I like to use the Wacky Mac bowtie pasta because the kids like the fun shape and colors and I like the healthy ingredients. You can use Barilla Plus farfalle if you have a child that is skeptical of anything that is green (like my younger son).
- Grapes: Make sure you get seedless grapes so they’re easier to eat as part of the salad.
- Greek yogurt or sour cream: Use whichever one you prefer. If you want to keep it healthy, but prefer the flavor of sour cream, choose the light version.
- Orange juice: It gives the pasta a refreshing taste without overpowering the other ingredients.
See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities
🔀 Substitutions
Chicken: If you have leftover cooked chicken or prefer to use a rotisserie chicken, you can use that instead of having to boil chicken.
Celery: In case you don’t have celery on hand, you can use cucumbers or any of these other substitutes for celery.
🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
Here are some things you can add to make this a dish that you’ll enjoy.
- Spicy: Add cayenne pepper or paprika.
- Additional vegetables: Frozen peas or corn will give the pasta salad additional color and texture.
- Extra crunch: Try nuts like almonds or walnuts and diced apples.
If you like Tex Mex flavors, check out this Santa Fe chicken salad recipe.
🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
You only need a couple of items to make this flavorful bow tie pasta salad.
- 5 or 6 quart pot: When boiling the chicken, a 5-quart pot will allow for any potential boil-over, while the 6-quart pot will make stirring and boiling more manageable. You can also use either size pot for boiling the pasta.
- Mixing bowls: This set is helpful because you need different sizes to mix the salad ingredients together and the sauce ingredients together.
🔪 How to Make Chicken Pasta Salad
Here are the steps to make this salad with a rainbow of colors, plus some helpful tips.
Step 1: Boil the Chicken and Pasta
Boil the chicken breasts in 2 cups chicken broth plus 3 cups water for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.. You can use a rotisserie chicken instead to save time.
In a separate pot, boil the pasta.
Step 2: Prepare the Ingredients
While the chicken and pasta are cooking, dice the onions, celery and red bell pepper. Also, wash the grapes and shred the carrots.
Step 3: Drain and Season Chicken and Pasta
When the chicken and noodles are done, drain them separately.
Put the pasta in a bowl and toss it with just a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking together.
Let the chicken cool slightly and then dice it. Next, season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
The chicken absorbs more of the flavor from the seasonings than the other ingredients so you get the most flavor mileage if you keep the chicken separate for this step.
Step 4: Combine the Ingredients
After that, add the chicken and all of the vegetables and grapes to the pasta bowl.
Mix everything together.
Step 5: Make the Sauce
Combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and orange juice in a bowl, making sure to stir well.
Step 6: Add the Sauce
Then, add the sauce to the pasta mixture.
Stir it in until all the pieces are coated.
You will notice that the recipe doesn’t make a lot of sauce. That’s intentional.
My kids don’t care for mayonnaise so I use just enough sauce to keep the salad from being dry.
Step 7: Refrigerate and Enjoy
You can serve this right away, but for best results, refrigerate at least one hour and up to 24 hours before serving.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use any pasta shape you prefer, such as penne or rotini.
Cook the pasta al dente (a little firm when you bite it) and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down quickly.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for about 3-4 days.
🙏 Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chicken Pasta Salad:
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📋 Recipe
Chicken Pasta Salad
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Equipment
- 5 or 6 quart pot
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 12 ounces Wacky Mac veggie bows or Barilla Plus farfalle pasta
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 carrots shredded
- 2 cups red seedless grapes
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Boil chicken in 2 cups chicken broth plus 3 cups water for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Prepare pasta according to package directions.1 pound chicken breasts, 2 cups chicken broth, 12 ounces Wacky Mac veggie bows or Barilla Plus farfalle pasta, 3 cups water
- While the chicken and pasta are cooking, dice the onions, celery and red bell pepper. Also, wash the grapes and shred the carrots.2 stalks celery, 1 medium onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 cups red, 2 carrots
- When the chicken and noodles are done, drain them separately. Put the pasta in a bowl and toss it with just a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Season chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper.1 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt
- Combine pasta, seasoned chicken, celery, onion, bell pepper, carrots, and grapes in large bowl. Mix well.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, yogurt or sour cream, and orange juice. Mix well.1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, 2 tablespoons orange juice
- Fold mayonnaise sauce into pasta mixture, stirring well to coat all the ingredients with sauce.
- For best results, refrigerate at least one hour and up to 24 hours before serving.
Notes
Recipe FAQs
Can I use a different type of pasta? Yes, you can use any pasta shape you prefer, such as penne or rotini. How do I cook the pasta so it doesn’t get mushy? Cook the pasta al dente (a little firm when you bite it) and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down quickly. How should I store leftover pasta salad? Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for about 3-4 days.Nutrition
My 1st time to try a pasta salad! I’m excited to make this. Thank you for the recip!
I don’t know why, but I love chicken and grapes together so I know I would love this salad. I need to learn to make my own mayo without sugar in it.