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Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad

September 17, 2020 by Great Grub, Delicious Treats

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If you are looking for the most amazing Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad, look no further. You are going to absolutely love the fresh bright flavors in this recipe. Skip the mayo and other heavy ingredients and bite into this creamy delicious healthy chicken salad recipe.

A serving of southwest chicken pasta salad in a white bowl with blue trim.

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad

This Southwest chicken pasta salad is incredibly easy to make. Utilizing a rotisserie chicken, you are already saving time and money. Cut the chicken while the pasta is cooking and this dinner is a fast meal that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad - a pan full of shredded rotisserie chicken.

Can I Use Other Pasta?

Absolutely. I like using elbow macaroni because I think it gives the best noodle size to get a little bit of everything in one bite. You can any type of pasta you like or have on hand, for instance, penne, bow tie, and rotini pasta, just to name a few. Use different noodles every time to have fun with the recipe. Try using veggie flavored pasta to add a twist on the flavor of the recipe. You can also make this chicken pasta salad gluten free or lower in carbs if you use special noodles.

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad - rotisserie chicken, corn, black beans, cilantro, green onions in a bowl

Can I Make This Pasta Salad Without Mayo?

I love that this recipe does not have mayonnaise in it. I have found that a lot of people love the creaminess of this type of chicken pasta salad but they do not want to have mayonnaise in it. This recipe for pasta said without mayo is made creamy because of the avocado and sour cream that is in it. If you prefer to skip these, your pasta salad will not be creamy but will still taste absolutely amazing.

How Long Does Pasta Salad Long?

Typically, if the southwest chicken pasta salad is stored properly, it will last up to 7 days. Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is best to make sure that the chicken pasta salad does not spend too much time outside of being refrigerated to make sure it lasts as long as possible.

Can I Freeze Pasta Salad?

I love to freeze pasta salad. It is a great way to extend the life of the pasta. Freeze the pasta salad in an airtight container or in freezer bags. Freeze the pasta salad in small freezer bags to have the perfect lunch size portions. This lets you take a small amount out of the freezer instead of all of the leftovers. This will help your pasta salad last longer.

Can I Use Chicken Breast in This Recipe

While I love to use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe for its convenience, you can also cook chicken especially for this recipe. You can cook chicken breast or a mixture of chicken breast and chicken thighs. You can also use leftover chicken that you may already have on hand.

What to Serve with Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad

This recipe can easily be used as the full meal since it has a little bit of everything. However you can also serve it with a side salad or a side dish of roasted vegetables.

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad - a spoonful of chicken pasta salad on a spoon.

Ingredients To Make Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad

  • Rotisserie chicken
  • Lime juice
  • Cumin, garlic salt
  • Chili powder, pepper
  • Corn
  • Black Beans
  • Green Onions
  • Cilantro
  • Rotel®
  • Elbow macaroni
  • Avocado
  • Green Chunky salsa or regular chunky salsa

(Actual measurements are in the recipe card below.)

How To Make Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad

  • In a medium saucepan, add shredded chicken, garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, pepper, lime juice, corn, black beans and Rotel. Stir.
  • Heat thoroughly over medium flame.
  • Add shredded chicken mixture to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients, except salsa, stir.
  • Stir in desired amount of salsa.
  • Top with diced avocado, if desired, and serve warm or cold.

Try This Delicious and Easy Pasta Salad Recipe Today

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad- 3 picture collage of chicken pasta salad in a bowl with cilantro, tomatoes, green onions and sour cream on top.

Here are a few more delicious salad recipes that can be found on the blog:

  • Macaroni Salad
  • Hot Corn Salad
  • Bow Tie Pasta Tuna Salad
  • Chicken Curry Pasta Salad, plus many, many more.

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad

Great Grub, Delicious Treats
This is a hearty and delicious pasta salad with tender rotisserie chicken and all the flavoring of the southwest. Easy and delicious.
4.60 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 478 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Rotisserie chicken, shredded, about 2 cups
  • 10 oz can Rotel®, original
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 15 oz can whole corn, drained
  • 15 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 8 oz elbow macaroni, cooked per package directions
  • 15 oz jar Pace® Chunky Green Chile or 16 oz Pace®chunky salsa
  • Optional: diced avocado, sour cream

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, add shredded chicken, cumin, garlic salt, chili powder, pepper, lime juice, corn, black beans and Rotel. Stir.
  • Heat thoroughly over medium flame.
  • Add shredded chicken mixture to a large bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir.
  • Top with diced avocado and sour cream, if desired.
  • Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Nutritional values are approximate.
 
Please note that these values can change with different brands and any modifications made to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements.

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 40gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 1407mgPotassium: 728mgFiber: 8gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 688IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Easy Rotisserie Chicken Recipes, Rotisserie chicken, Rotisserie Chicken Recipes
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A close up of southwest chicken pasta salad in a white bowl with blue trim.
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Filed Under: All Recipes, Main Meals, Salads Tagged With: Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe, Rotisser Chicken Recipes, Rotisserie Chicken

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa C

    September 20, 2020 at 7:05 am

    The recipe was delicious. I winged the missing ingredient amounts and it was a big hit. I used low sodium rotel, no salt added black beans and corn and the recipe was still very flavorful.

    • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

      September 20, 2020 at 9:13 am

      Awesome! I’m so glad you all enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing! :)

  2. John Briick

    September 18, 2020 at 4:55 pm

    I want to make this, but the directions are rather sloppy. The article calls for cumin & chili powder, yet in the recipe itself these ingredients aren’t evel listed. How much of each do I use? And what type of Rotel tomatos, there are many.

    Thanks
    John

    • Great Grub, Delicious Treats

      September 18, 2020 at 5:23 pm

      Thank you so much John for letting me know I left out those measurements. I corrected the recipe ingredients to include the amounts needed and I used the original brand of Rotel. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe. :)

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Welcome to Great Grub, Delicious Treats! Hello, my name is Terri and I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm a self taught cook/foodie at heart, mom to three kids, photographer and have a love for amazing food. I left my full time job of being a hospice admissions RN, which was super tough and extremely sad, and at times, very rewarding to be there for the patients and families to blog full time which I absolutely love. I hope you enjoy, and check out, all of the delicious recipes on my site while you're here! And don't forget to sign up to receive every new recipe right to your email. Thanks again for stopping by! :)

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Welcome to Great Grub, Delicious Treats! Hello, my name is Terri and I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm a self taught cook/foodie at heart, mom to three kids, photographer and have a love for amazing food. I left my full time job of being a hospice admissions RN, which was super tough and extremely sad, and at times, very rewarding to be there for the patients and families to blog full time which I absolutely love. I hope you enjoy, and check out, all of the delicious recipes on my site while you're here! And don't forget to sign up to receive every new recipe right to your email. Thanks again for stopping by! :) Read More…

Two slices of breakfast pizza on a white plate.
6 tomatillos 4 jalapenos, stems removed 3 serranos, stems removed 2 cloves garlic, roasted ¼ onion ¼ cup water 2 teaspoons salt 2 avocado, diced ⅓ cup cilantro In a medium saucepan, add oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic cloves and roast until soft. Remove and add to blender or Vitamix. In the same saucepan, add tomatillos, jalapenos, serranos and onion. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil over medium high heat until soft and the color has changed to a pale green. Remove tomatillos and continue boiling the peppers until pale green, if needed. Drain water, reserving ¼ cup. Add the cooked ingredients, salt and ½ cup water. Blend until combined and smooth. Lastly, add avocados and cilantro and blend until smooth. Serve with your favorite chips or top tacos, burritos, beef, chicken or your favorite Mexican recipes.

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