Southwestern Pasta Salad

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Southwestern Pasta salad consists of chicken, veggies, pasta, and a flavorful dressing. Add this delicious side dish to any meal, potluck, gathering, or holiday!

If you’re looking for more easy potluck recipes, you may want to try this delicious Bacon Ranch chopped salad or our pineapple loaf cake.

WHY WE LOVE THIS SALAD

Pasta salads are so simple and always a hit in our family. They require very little time in the kitchen, are delicious, and go with just about any meal. This southwestern pasta salad is made with cooked chicken. You can easily use a rotisserie chicken to cut down on time. Like we said, simple!

KEY INGREDIENTS

Uncooked pasta
Cooked chicken
Canned corn, drained
Roasted red peppers, chopped
Chopped red onion
Fresh cilantro
Olive Oil
Lime juice
Honey
Ground cumin
Chili powder
Mayonnaise
dash of pepper

SWAPS

We used Cellentani pasta in this salad, but you can easily use elbow macaroni or shells. Don’t like cilantro? Leave it out! You could easily swap the chicken for shrimp.

HOW TO PREPARE

Cook pasta according to the directions on the pasta. Set aside.
Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl and add pasta.
In a separate bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well.
Pour over salad ingredients and combine.

TIP

Add more honey if you want to make the dressing a bit sweeter!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use Gluten-Free Pasta?

Of course! This can easily be made with gluten-free pasta.

Can I cut this recipe in half? It’s just the two of us.

Yes, this southwestern pasta salad can easily be halved.

STORING

This pasta salad gets better with time! You can easily make it a day or two ahead of serving. It keeps well in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.