Cold Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe - Butter with a Side of Bread (2024)

Published by Jessica on June 3, 2021

Chicken Pasta Salad is a lovely summer meal filled with tender chicken, apples, grapes, celery & pecans. Our Pasta Salad recipe is topped with a light dressing, grapes & chopped pecans.

Chicken Pasta Salad has many variations that I’ve been making for years! It’s one of my favorites once the weather warms up and the picnics begin. It’s easy to make and incredibly versatile. I like to serve it for dinner, then love eating leftovers for lunch the next day.

Chicken Salad with Pasta

Chicken pasta salad is one of the best cold pasta salad recipes to enjoy during summer or warm nights. The combination of chicken, pasta, and fruit with the creamy dressing is delicious. The grapes add a burst of fresh sweetness to round out the flavors and everything pairs so well together that this chicken pasta salad with grapes is one everyone can enjoy.

Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients

• Pasta: I enjoy using 6 ounces (half a box) of bow tie pasta, but you can use other noodle varieties if desired.
• Cooked chicken: Use 3 cups of cooked chicken to pack this salad with meat. Tip: this is a great way to use up leftover chicken or that rotisserie chicken in the fridge.
• Red grapes: While you could use any grape variety, the red ones are a little more sweet and add a nice color to the bowl. We want 1 heaping cup of red grapes so that there’s plenty.

• Celery: With two chopped stalks of celery, we can add crunchy and refreshing green bites throughout the pasta salad.
• Apple: We want a diced apple (peeled or not peeled) to add more fruit and crunch to the dish. Use a sweet or a tart apple depending on how you want it to taste.
• Pecans: Adding 1/3 cup of chopped pecans is a great way to get an earthy crunchy flavor. You can chop whole pecans yourself or buy them pre-chopped to save time.

• Sour cream: Adding a tangy creaminess to the dish is 1/4 cup of sour cream.
• Mayonnaise: With 1/4 cup of mayonnaise we can add more creaminess to the salad.
• Seasonings: We want 1/4 teaspoon of all-purpose seasoning, a dash of onion powder, and salt and pepper can be added to taste.

How to Make Chicken Pasta Salad

1. Cook your pasta in salted water for 10 minutes.
2. Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water for several minutes to stop the cooking process.
3. In a large bowl, combine your cold pasta with the chicken, grapes, celery, and apple.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients for the dressing.
5. Top the pasta with the dressing and then toss to combine.
6. Serve salad chilled and keep your leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

What do you put in a cold chicken pasta salad?

There are a wide variety of pasta salad recipes, but this one is a little different. It has a light, refreshing flavor and the combination of chicken and fruit is fantastic. It’s a hearty salad that can be served as lunch and dinner, although it’s perfect for a side dish as well. Feel free to add in pineapple tidbits, cooked chilled peas, cheddar cheese cubes or anything else you think sounds delicious!

Should pasta salad be served cold?

Pasta salads with mayonnaise should be stored in the fridge and served cold. Not only do they taste better cold, but you don’t want to risk any harmful bacteria growing!

How long is Chicken Pasta Salad with Mayo good for?

Pasta salad is good for 3-4 days if kept stored properly in the fridge. Freshest is best, so enjoy it as soon as you can for the best results.

Can I freeze leftover chicken salad pasta?

Because this pasta salad recipe contains mayo, it is highly recommended not to freeze as it will not be good once thawed.

Check out our other popular salad recipes:

• Easy Chicken Salad Recipe
• Fiesta Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
• Fancy Fruit Salad
• Orange Cream Fruit Salad
• Chicken Pasta Salad
• Cranberry Jello Salad
• Tropical Jello Pretzel Salad
• Creamy Orange Fruit Salad
• Berries and Cream Salad
• Cream Cheese Grape Salad
• Berry Spinach Salad
• Copycat KFC Coleslaw recipe
• Garden Vegetable Caprese Salad
• Spinach Chicken Pasta Salad
• Pizza Pasta Salad
• Chinese Chicken Salad

Chicken Pasta Salad is a lovely summer meal filled with tender chicken, apples, grapes, celery & topped with a light dressing & chopped pecans. You’re going to love this simple and delicious pasta salad recipe!

More favorite recipes to try:

• Best Ever Zucchini Bread Recipe
• Moist Apple Bread
• Garlic Butter Spaghetti
• Steak Marinade with Brown Sugar
• Apple Side Dish
• White Chocolate Sugar Cookies