Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is flavor packed and it's a full meal in a bowl! Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken meets Pasta Salad for an epic match up. It's one of my favorite Spring and Summer recipes and is loaded with protein, carbs and veggies.
This recipe was inspired by Zoe's Kitchen Tossed Greek Salad, but I wanted to do a Caesar version. I thought pasta in a salad was so weird until I actually ate it. This recipe has the perfect amount of pasta added in, and I promise you're going to love it!
As a side note, my husband does not like pasta salad, and loved this recipe. For another man approved pasta salad, try this Grinder Pasta Salad with deli meats and cheese.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Easy to Make. Super simple instructions to follow with step by step photos.
- Quick. Ready to eat in under 45 minutes with marinating time.
- Filling. No need for sides or main courses, because we've got protein, carbs and veggies all in one bowl.
- Creative. This recipe is unique and everyone is always impressed by it.
If you love Caesar Salad, try this Chicken Caesar Sandwich and Bacon Chicken Caesar Salad too!
Ingredients:
Lettuce: I love Romaine hearts for this recipe because they stay super crisp.
Pasta: I used regular rotini pasta (not tri-color) for this recipe and it was the perfect size.
Caesar Dressing: I wanted to save time and used store bought Marzetti Caesar, which was delicious!
Croutons: Use store bought or try my homemade crouton recipe, which is what I used for this recipe.
*Find the full recipe ingredients and quantities in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Want to skip the store bought dressing? Try my homemade Caesar Dressing without Raw Eggs.
- Other pastas that will work well are Orecchiette, Small Shells, or Fusilli.
- Instead of cooking the chicken, you could get a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin, then chop the meat into pieces and add it in.
For more healthy dinner ideas, try these Salmon Lettuce Wraps, Greek Chicken Tzatziki Bowls, Lemon Chicken Thighs and Potatoes, and Teriyaki Chicken Burgers.
How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad:
Step 1: Slice each chicken breast in half, through the width, to create two thinner chicken cutlets. You should have 4 cutlets total. Add them into a bowl and sprinkle in salt, pepper, spices, olive oil and squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Toss to coat each chicken breast with marinade. Allow them to sit in the bowl at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the chicken breast for about 4 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. As the chicken is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil on the stovetop for the pasta.
Step 3: Tent the chicken with foil for 3-5 minutes, then remove and dice up into bite sized pieces. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Boil the pasta until al dente (according to package instructions), then pour into a colander and rinse with cold water. Shake well several times to remove as much water as possible.
Step 5: To assemble the salad: Add the lettuce, pasta, onion, ½ the parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing to the bowl. Toss to combine.
Step 6: Top the salad with diced chicken, croutons and remaining parmesan. Serve with additional dressing on the side (for those who like a lot) and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Biggest Tip: Keep the lettuce and pasta extremely dry for the best taste. I kept mine really dry and this even tasted good the next day.
- Shred the cheese from a block for the best taste.
- Don't overcook the pasta. It tastes best al dente, firm when bitten into. Also, I don't recommend using more than 1.5 cups of pasta. It's the ideal ratio of lettuce to pasta.
- Allow to chicken to cool on the counter for at least 10 minutes before adding into the salad. We don't want it wilting the lettuce or melting the cheese.
- If prepping ahead, prep the entire salad except for the lettuce and croutons, and add those before serving.
For more Pasta Salad recipes, check out this Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad, High Protein Pasta Salad, Street Corn Pasta Salad, and Tortellini Pasta Salad.
More Chicken Breast Recipes You'll Love:
If you tried this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 salads 1x
Description
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is flavor packed and it's a full meal in a bowl! Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken meets Pasta Salad for an epic match up. It's one of my favorite Spring and Summer recipes and is loaded with protein, carbs and veggies.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, about 1 lb
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- juice from ½ a lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 and ½ cup dry rotini pasta (regular, not tri-color)
- 1 large head of romaine hearts
- ½ a small yellow onion, sliced thin
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded from the block
- ¾ cup Caesar dressing (I used Marzetti's)
- 1 cup croutons, homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast in half, through the width, to create two thinner chicken cutlets. You should have 4 cutlets total. Add them into a bowl and pour in salt, pepper, spices, olive oil and squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Toss to coat each chicken breast with marinade. Allow them to sit in the bowl at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
- In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the chicken breast for about 4 minutes on each side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. As the chicken is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil on the stovetop for the pasta.
- Tent the chicken with foil for 3-5 minutes, then remove and dice up into bite sized pieces. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Boil the pasta until al dente (according to package instructions), pour into the colander and rinse with cold water. Shake well several times to remove as much water as possible.
- To assemble the salad: Add the lettuce, pasta, onion, ½ the parmesan, and Caesar dressing to the bowl. Toss to combine.
- Top the salad with diced chicken, croutons and remaining parmesan. Serve with additional dressing on the side (for those who like a lot) and enjoy!
Notes
- Biggest Tip: Keep the lettuce and pasta extremely dry for the best taste. I kept mine really dry and this even tasted good the next day.
- Shred the cheese from a block for the best taste.
- Don't overcook the pasta. It tastes best al dente, firm when bitten into. Also, I don't recommend using more than 1.5 cups of pasta. It's the ideal ratio of lettuce to pasta.
- Allow to chicken to cool on the counter for at least 10 minutes before adding into the salad. We don't want it wilting the lettuce or melting the cheese.
- If prepping ahead, prep the entire salad except for the lettuce and croutons, and add those before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinating Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: skillet stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Leave a Reply