Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
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If Caesar salad and pasta salad had a summer fling, this chicken caesar pasta salad recipe would be the result. It’s creamy, crunchy, cheesy, and packed with all the classic Caesar flavors we love, but hearty enough to count as dinner.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
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This is one of those recipes that disappears fast at potlucks, cookouts, and “what are we eating for lunch all week?” moments.
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The best part? It’s ridiculously easy. A little stovetop cooking, a little chopping, toss everything together, and let the fridge do the rest. By the time it’s chilled, the pasta has soaked up all that creamy Caesar goodness and the flavors come together perfectly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This pasta salad checks all the boxes. It’s filling without feeling heavy, easy to prep ahead, and loaded with texture from the crisp romaine, juicy tomatoes, crunchy croutons, and tender chicken. The Caesar dressing keeps everything creamy and flavorful without needing a bunch of extra ingredients or complicated steps.
It’s also super flexible. Serve it as a main dish for lunch or dinner, or bring it along as a side for parties, barbecues, and family gatherings. Or be like me and eat it standing at the fridge with a fork straight from the bowl.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Caesar salad dressing
- Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs (pictured: chicken breasts)
- Garlic powder
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Garden rotini pasta
- Cherry tomatoes
- Romaine lettuce
- Baby spinach
- Shaved parmesan cheese
- Croutons
Step By Step Directions
In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the garlic powder, pepper, and paprika. Toss until evenly coated.
Heat a large skillet and saute the chicken until browned and cooked through.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse briefly with cool water to stop the cooking.
In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked pasta, chicken, tomatoes, romaine, spinach, parmesan cheese, and croutons.
Pour the dressing over the top and toss everything together until evenly coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least until completely chilled.
Tips & Tricks
- If you want extra crunch, save a handful of croutons to sprinkle on right before serving. They soften a little as the salad chills (which honestly some people love ) but adding fresh ones at the end gives it that classic Caesar texture.
- Rotisserie chicken works great here if you want to save time. Just toss it with the seasonings before mixing it into the salad for a little extra flavor.
- I also like to use smoked chicken thighs for a little twist on it sometimes!
- You can also swap the garden rotini for regular rotini, bowties, or penne if that’s what you have on hand.
Storage
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The lettuce will soften a bit as it sits, but the flavor stays delicious. If you’re making this ahead for a party, you can wait to add the croutons until just before serving to keep them crisp.
More Delicious Pasta Salad Recipes
- BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
- Amish Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Recipe Ramen Noodle Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
- Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
- Macaroni Salad Recipe
- See all our best pasta salad recipes!
How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 16 ounces garden rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 cup croutons
- 16 ounce bottle Caesar salad dressing
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the chicken, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika. Toss until evenly coated.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl combine the cooked pasta, chicken, tomatoes, romaine, spinach, parmesan cheese, and croutons.
- Pour the Caesar dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- For extra crunch, add additional croutons just before serving.
- Rotisserie chicken can be used instead of cooking fresh chicken.
- This salad is best served chilled.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Tools We Love
- Stainless Steel Serving Spoons – Are you a large spoon or small spoon person? My husband teases me because I use a teaspoon for everything.
- Mixing Bowl Set – Classic, basic, mixing bowls that everyone should have in your kitchen. You’ve seen me use them on the cooking show at least seventy bajillion times. Ish.
More Great Summer Recipes
- Strawberry Sweet Tea Recipe
- Tomato Sandwich Recipe
- Lime Bars Recipe
- Cilantro Lime Grilled Steak
- Pineapple Margarita Recipe
Final Thoughts
This Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is one of those easy recipes that somehow tastes way more impressive than the effort involved. Creamy dressing, tender chicken, crunchy croutons, fresh veggies, pasta… it’s basically comfort food pretending to be a salad, and honestly I support that energy completely.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely. In fact, it tastes even better after chilling for a couple hours.
Yes! This recipe was designed to be easy, and bottled dressing works perfectly.
Chicken breast or thighs both work well. Thighs give a little more flavor while breast stays leaner.
Definitely. Bacon, avocado, red onion, or hard boiled eggs are all delicious additions.
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