Name: Pasta Salad with Creamy Dressing and Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1.5 LBs. chicken thighs; 2 cups pasta ((dry)); 2 red bell peppers; 2 medium cucumbers; 1 cup plain yogurt; 4 TBSP mayonnaise; ¼ cup avocado oil ((sub for olive oil)); 4 tsp honey; 0.5 oz parsley; 2 TBSP smoked paprika; 1 TBSP garlic powder; 1 TBSP oregano; 1 TBSP black pepper; salt to taste; ¼ cup lemon juice; ½ cup diced onion

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This Pasta Salad with Creamy Dressing and Chicken is incredibly delicious and easy to make. This is the salad you want to make for a quick meal prep lunch. Pasta salad is one of my favorites; I can eat it year-round. I like that it is so easy to prepare and can be customized.

Why You Will Love This Salad

Flavorful. The cooked chicken thighs, the pasta, and the creamy mayo yogurt dressing combine to make this salad so tasty. Everyone will love it, including kids.

Customizable. You can use another kind of pasta, like chickpea pasta and cherry tomatoes instead of bell peppers. You can also make this salad vegan by using a vegan protein source.

Ingredients Needed For Pasta Salad with Creamy Dressing and Chicken

Chicken thighs are an excellent protein source. You can replace chicken thighs with chicken breast.
Pasta is a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. You can substitute chickpea pasta for pasta.
Cucumber is high in fiber, and vitamin K. Cucumber can be substituted with zucchini.
Bell peppers are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C and a good source of fiber. You can substitute cherry tomatoes for bell peppers.
Plain yogurt is an excellent protein source with probiotics and essential nutrients like vitamin B12 and zinc.
Mayonnaise. I used avocado oil mayo.
Avocado oil is a good source of healthy fats. Substitute avocado oil for olive oil.
Onion
Lemon juice is a good source of vitamin C. Lemon juice can be substituted with white vinegar.
Honey adds a little sweetness to the salad dressing.
Parsley
Seasonings: I used smoked paprika, oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, and salt

How To Make Pasta Salad with Creamy Dressing and Chicken

Please cook the pasta by following the instructions on the box.

Cut chicken thighs into cube sizes and transfer to a bowl. Add plain yogurt, avocado oil, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, and combine with your hands or spoon.

Heat avocado oil in a non-stick pan. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, and cook for 12-15 minutes or until fully cooked and brown.

Wash and cut the bell peppers and cucumber. Finely chop the onion.

In four 32 oz mason jars, add plain yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, avocado oil, honey, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt and combine at the bottom of the jars.

Add cucumber, bell pepper, cooked pasta, onion, cooked chicken thighs, and parsley to the jars and store them in the refrigerator for up to four days.

When ready to serve, add to a bowl, combine, and enjoy! For a detailed recipe, please look at the recipe card below.

Commonly Asked Questions

What can I replace the pasta with? Romaine lettuce or spring mix would be an excellent substitute for pasta. You can also use quinoa.

How can I make this salad vegan? To do so, please remove the chicken thighs, use a vegan protein option like chickpeas or tofu, substitute maple syrup for honey, and use a vegan yogurt.

Can this salad be eaten cold or warm? Because of the creamy dressing, I suggest you eat it cold. However, you can store the meat in a separate container and heat it before serving.

More Salad Recipes You Will Love

Quinoa Chickpea Spring Salad with Lemon Dressing

Quick and Easy Chickpea Corn Salad

Green Bean, Zucchini, Chickpea, Salmon Salad with Dijon Lemon Dressing

Quinoa Salmon Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Pasta Salad with Creamy Dressing and Chicken

Recipe by Fayette Nyehn

This Pasta Salad with Creamy Dressing and Chicken is incredibly delicious and easy to make. This is the salad you want to make for a quick meal prep lunch. Pasta salad is one of my favorites; I can eat it year-round. I like that it is so easy to prepare and can be customized.

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Servings 4

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Ingredients

1.5 LBs. chicken thighs
2 cups pasta (dry)
2 red bell peppers
2 medium cucumbers
1 cup plain yogurt
4 TBSP mayonnaise
¼ cup avocado oil (sub for olive oil)
4 tsp honey
0.5 oz parsley
2 TBSP smoked paprika
1 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP black pepper
salt to taste
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup diced onion

Instructions

Please cook the pasta by following the instructions on the box.
Cut the chicken thighs into cubes. Add 3 tbsp plain yogurt, 1 tbsp avocado oil, 2 tbsp smoked paprika, ½ tbsp oregano, ½ tbsp black pepper, ½ tbsp garlic powder, and salt to taste and combine with a spoon or your hands.
Heat a non-stick pan with avocado oil, add the chicken thighs, and cook for 12-15 minutes or until fully cooked and brown.
Wash and cut the cucumbers and bell peppers. Finely chop the onion.
In four 32-oz mason jars, add 1 tbsp plain yogurt, 1 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp avocado oil, 2-3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp honey, ¼ tsp oregano, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp black pepper, and salt to taste at the bottom of each jar.
Add ½ cup cucumber, ½ cup bell pepper, ¾ cup cooked pasta, 1-2 tbsp onion, ¾ cup cooked chicken, and fresh parsley to each jar.
When you are ready to serve, transfer one jar of mixture to a bowl, combine, and enjoy!