Chicken Pasta Salad

A quick and easy cold Pasta Salad made with already cooked chicken, crispy smoked bacon, tomatoes, and creamy avocadoes, all in a lightly sweetened garlic mustard mayonnaise-based dressing.

Course pasta salad

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken and avocado pasta salad, chicken and tomato pasta salad, chicken caesar pasta salad, cold chicken pasta salad

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 465kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Pasta Salad
16 ounces elbow macaroni
3 cups cooked chicken
6 slices bacon cooked crispy and crumbled
1 cup grape tomatoes halved
2 green onions thinly sliced
1 avocado peeled seeded and diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic pressed
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the elbow pasta (al dente) according to package directions and drain well.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, pressed garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the drained pasta, cooked chicken, crumbled cooked bacon, halved tomatoes, and green onions. In a small bowl, gently toss the diced avocado with the lemon juice and add it to the bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat. For best results, serve promptly.

Notes

You can use any cooked diced or shredded chicken including but not limited to rotisserie chicken breast, poached, grilled, or baked.
Cook the pasta slightly al dente which means slightly undercooked or a little bit firm so it holds up well to being stirred with other ingredients and a moderately thick mayo dressing.
The dressing can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to combine.
Do not skip the step of gently tossing the avocado with lemon juice. This really slows down the avocado browning process.
You can prepare the salad up to 1 day in advance however for best results do not dice or add the avocado and the bacon until right before serving.
For a change of pace try adding roasted chopped asparagus, blanched peas. fresh chopped basil, or fresh chopped dill.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The salad should stay fresh fresh for up to 2 days as long as the avocado does not brown.

Nutrition