This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad is full of tasty vegetables, bowtie pasta, and tangy dressing. You’ll love the way this delicious dish tastes and how easy it is to make.
If you love flavorful salads, then you have to try this Italian pasta salad (VIDEO) or this pesto pasta salad (VIDEO).
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I just love this Greek Chicken Pasta Salad because it’s so versatile and you can put it together for a side dish for dinner, a lunchtime meal, or contribute it to a potluck. Bursting with mouth-watering flavors, it will become a favorite with everyone you share it with.
- TASTE: The sweet tomatoes, salty olives, and briny feta cheese add so much to the pasta and other veggies. With savory chicken and zesty dressing, this salad is irresistible.
- TEXTURE: Al dente pasta is a nice contrast to the crunchy cucumber and juicy chicken and tomatoes. Altogether, these ingredients marry together deliciously.
- TIME: This dish will take less than 20 minutes to make.
- EASE: This recipe is nice and easy. You can also prep the ingredients ahead of time for quick assembly.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta- Smaller pasta types, such as bowtie pasta, are a good choice for this salad.
- Chicken- You can use chopped chicken breast or cut up a rotisserie chicken for the meat in this salad.
- Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes add great sweetness to balance the tangy dressing and savory chicken.
- Olives- You can use any olives you like, but kalamata olives add just the right amount of salty, briny flavor.
- Cheese- Feta has a dry, crumbly texture and salty flavor that is perfect in Greek salads.
- Dressing- You can either use store-bought or make your own Greek salad dressing.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Try this salad with another dressing- This cilantro lime dressing would go great as well, or try this buttermilk ranch dressing.
- Substitute other cheeses- Besides feta cheese, you can make this salad with blue cheese, goat cheese, halloumi, parmesan, or shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add a different protein- If you prefer a different protein, substitute some salmon, shrimp, or steak in place of the chicken.
- Substitute the pasta- Make this Greek Chicken Pasta Salad with quinoa instead of pasta for a gluten-free dish. Or you can use another grain, such as bulgur.
How to Make Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
- Cut up the vegetables. Half the tomatoes and chop the bell pepper, cucumber, and onion.
- Cook the pasta. Cook the bowtie pasta according to the package directions until it is al dente. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Cut the chicken. Chop the chicken into small cubes. Drain the olives.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add the chicken, vegetables, olives, and feta cheese crumbles.
- Dress the Greek pasta salad. Drizzle your homemade or store-bought Greek dressing over the salad and toss until it is well incorporated. Serve.
Pro Tip: Place the pasta in a colander to drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and keep the pasta from getting mushy.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the vegetables to a uniform size- Keep the chopped veggies around the same size so that one doesn’t overpower the others. It also makes it easier to get everything in a forkful.
- Cook the pasta al dente- You want the pasta to be a little firmer so that it doesn’t break apart when tossed with the other salad ingredients.
- Rinse the pasta- Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to halt the cooking process so the pasta doesn’t become too soft.
- Serve immediately- It’s best to serve this pasta salad as soon as it’s ready as the cut vegetables will start to leach water over time.
FAQs
That crumbly cheese found in Greek salads in feta cheese. It is a sharp, tart cheese that is soaked in brine to give it a deliciously salty flavor. It’s hard, making it easy to crumble into salads.
Traditionally, a Greek salad is made with cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, red onion, and feta cheese. This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad includes diced chicken and bowtie pasta for an even more satisfying dish.
Serving Suggestions
This delicious Greek Chicken Pasta Salad goes great with everything. You can serve it with seafood, meats, bread, and other salads.
- Meats: Serve this salad with chicken lettuce wraps, grilled chicken kabobs, a cast iron ribeye steak, or barbecue pork ribs.
- Seafood: Enjoy this Greek Chicken Pasta Salad with air fryer salmon, baked shrimp, beer battered cod, or grilled cilantro lime salmon.
- Breads: Pair this dish with some sourdough bread, rustic bread, focaccia-bread, or khachapuri (Georgian cheese bread).
- Salads: Serve this great salad with others at barbecues and potlucks, like this tri color pasta salad, cucumber and radish salad, chicken salad with grapes, or couscous arugula salad.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prepare the pasta, chop the chicken and vegetables, and make the dressing ahead of time. Store everything separately in the refrigerator for a day before assembling and serving.
Storing: This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. As the salad sits, the flavors and herbs from the dressing will infuse the pasta and chicken, bringing out even more flavor.
Freeze: It’s best not to freeze this salad as a whole, but you can freeze the chicken, pasta, and cheese in freezer ziplock bags for up to 3 months.
More Tasty Salads!
Full Recipe Instructions
Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes cherubs
- 1 English cucumber diced
- 1 Orange bell pepper
- 1/2 small red onion
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives drained
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Greek salad dressing
Instructions
- Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and chop the cucumber, bell pepper, and onion.
- Now cook your pasta al dente or according to the package. Once the pasta is cooked pour it into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking. 
- No place to cook pasta into a large bowl along with the chopped vegetables, cooked chicken, drained olives, and feta cheese
- Now pour the homemade Greek salad dressing (or store-bought) over the pasta salad ingredients and stir everything until well incorporated.
Notes
- Chop the vegetables to a uniform size- Keep the chopped veggies around the same size so that one doesn’t overpower the others. It also makes it easier to get everything in a forkful.
- Cook the pasta al dente- You want the pasta to be a little firmer so that it doesn’t break apart when tossed with the other salad ingredients.
- Rinse the pasta- Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to halt the cooking process so the pasta doesn’t become too soft.
- Serve immediately- It’s best to serve this pasta salad as soon as it’s ready as the cut vegetables will start to leach water over time.
- Storage and shelf life- This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. As the salad sits, the flavors and herbs from the dressing will infuse the pasta and chicken, bringing out even more flavor.
Nutrition
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