This tasty chicken caesar pasta salad is a fun twist to a classic chicken caesar salad. It is a more filling option to serve as a main dish and includes a delicious homemade caesar dressing recipe.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- We love that this recipe can work both as a satisfying main course or the perfect side dish.
- We include an easy homemade Greek yogurt caesar dressing recipe. It requires simple dressing ingredients (no anchovy paste needed!).
- Pasta salad recipes are great for the summer months and make the perfect dish for a BBQ side. We love that it is an easy meal!
- This good caesar salad with pasta can also be a great meal prep option.
Ingredient Notes
For the salad:
- Pasta of choice - there are several pasta options you can choose from for this recipe to meet your specific needs. Regular pasta, whole wheat pasta, a gluten-free pasta (such as Banza chickpea pasta or Jovial brown rice pasta). There are also several shapes you can choose from. We like to use bow-tie pasta, but other good options would include rotini pasta, penne pasta, or cavatappi pasta. You can typically find all of these options at a grocery store.
- Crisp romaine lettuce - crisp lettuce provides the main base for this salad. You can buy heads of romaine, romaine hearts, or pre chopped romaine to cut down on preparation time.
- Chopped chicken breast - again, you have several options to choose from here! We like to use Bare chicken nuggets (just throw them in the air fryer to get extra crispy!). However, you can use other juicy chicken options such as any grilled chicken of choice or use rotisserie chicken. Make sure your seasoned chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fresh cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
- Freshly grated parmesan, for topping
- Optional: minced red onion, crunchy croutons (see this post for how to make delicious, homemade croutons)
For the creamy dressing:
We love this tangy caesar dressing recipe, but feel free to buy your favorite store-bought option for ease!
- Plain greek yogurt
- Minced garlic
- Fresh lemon juice
- Avocado or olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper
- Water - to reach desired consistency
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Medium bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk or fork
- Large pot and colander
- Cutting boards and knives
- Large bowl
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Start by preparing the creamy caesar dressing. Whisk the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, oil, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1 tbsp of water at a time until the dressing reaches your desired consistency. Set aside while you make the rest of the salad.
Step 2: Place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook until you have al dente pasta (about 10 minutes or according to package directions). Using a colander, drain the pasta and run it briefly under cold water (this will prevent the pasta from wilting the lettuce).
Step 3: While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken according to your preferred method. We like to use Bare chicken nuggets cooked in the air fryer, but you can also use store-bought rotisserie chicken or prepare boneless skinless chicken breasts according to your preferred method.
Step 4: Chop the romaine lettuce and place it into a large mixing bowl. Add the pasta to the bowl with the lettuce (make sure it is dried well). Add the chicken as well.
Step 5: Halve the tomatoes and add them to the mixing bowl. Grate fresh parmesan over the top, add any optional toppings, and toss together until well combined.
Dress each individual portion with the salad dressing to prevent the salad from getting soggy if you have leftovers. Enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- As mentioned above, feel free to choose your pasta and chicken of choice for this recipe.
- If you don't want to make a homemade dressing, feel free to choose a store-bought caesar dressing instead. We like the Lighthouse and Primal Kitchen options.
FAQ
We recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consuming within 3-4 days. If you used the Bare chicken nuggets for the chicken option, you may want to cook them fresh the next day as they may go soggy in the fridge.
This can be a gluten-free pasta salad with the choice of a gluten-free pasta such as Banza or Jovial pasta and using grilled chicken in place of Bare nuggets. It can be dairy-free with the use of a dairy-free caesar dressing and omission of the parmesan cheese. It can be made vegetarian with the omission of the chicken (can replace with crispy chickpeas).
If you like this recipe, check out some of our other favorite salads:
If you make this chicken caesar pasta salad recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or anchovy paste)
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons water, to reach desired consistency
For the salad:
- 8 oz pasta of choice
- 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 15 oz (~2.5 cups) chopped chicken breast (we like to use Bare chicken nuggets, but you can use any grilled chicken of choice or rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- Freshly grated parmesan, for topping
Instructions
- Start by preparing the creamy caesar dressing. Whisk the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, oil, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Whisk in 1 tbsp of water at a time until the dressing reaches your desired consistency. Set aside while you make the rest of the salad.
- Place a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the pot and cook until you have al dente pasta (about 10 minutes or according to package directions). Using a colander, drain the pasta and run it briefly under cold water (this will prevent the pasta from wilting the lettuce).
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken according to your preferred method. We like to use Bare chicken nuggets cooked in the air fryer, but you can also use store-bought rotisserie chicken or prepare boneless skinless chicken breasts according to your preferred method.
- Chop the romaine lettuce and place it into a large mixing bowl. Add the pasta to the bowl with the lettuce (make sure it is dried well). Add the chicken as well.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and add them to the mixing bowl. Grate fresh parmesan over the top, add any optional toppings, and toss together until well combined.
- Dress each individual portion with the salad dressing to prevent the salad from getting soggy if you have leftovers. Enjoy!
Notes
- This can be a gluten-free pasta salad with the choice of a gluten-free pasta such as Banza or Jovial pasta and using grilled chicken in place of Bare nuggets. It can be dairy-free with the use of a dairy-free caesar dressing and omission of the parmesan cheese. It can be made vegetarian with the omission of the chicken (can replace with crispy chickpeas).
NUTRITION
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad."
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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