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Mix up chicken Caesar pasta salad in 30 minutes with crunchy lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons, tomato, and a quick homemade Caesar dressing. Serve this cold pasta salad as a side or a quick weeknight dinner.
Love pasta salad? Try BLT pasta salad or dill pickle pasta salad next!
Table of Contents
Your summertime menu just got easier because this healthy Caesar pasta salad with chicken will be your go-to side dish or weeknight meal.
It’s one of my favorite salads because the al dente pasta tossed with crisp romaine lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and creamy Caesar dressing is unmatched. Make it gluten-free and try it with this creamy vegan Caesar dressing as a dairy-free option.
Plus, baked or grilled chicken toss in it makes it a perfect dinner for summer nights.
Love to switch up classic salads? Try this Burrata Caprese Salad, Peach Burrata Salad, or Grilled Peach Salad.
This cucumber avocado salad, summer corn salad, and grilled zucchini salad are a delicious match for grilled chicken.
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for this chicken pasta salad with caesar dressing. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Pasta: I used gluten-free Rotini pasta, other short-grain pasta like penne pasta, fusilli pasta, or bowtie pasta. You can use whole wheat pasta too.
- Caesar dressing: a quick homemade Caesar is great, but store bought works too.
- Avocado: a ripe avocado adds a creamy texture and healthy fats.
- Cherry tomatoes: swap for diced tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
- Fresh romaine lettuce: traditional to Caesar salad and adds crunch. Try kale or spinach as an alternative.
- Chickpeas: they add fiber and crunch when roasted. Swap this for store bought croutons or make sourdough croutons from this salmon caesar salad recipe.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: it adds protein to make it a complete meal. Use grilled chicken breast or follow this guide for how to bake chicken breast at 425.
Recipe Variations
- Croutons: Swap the crispy chickpeas for store bought croutons or homemade croutons.
- No chicken: Omit the grilled chicken for a basic caesar pasta salad.
- Grilled chicken bacon pasta salad: Toss in some red onion and bacon crumbles.
- Add cheese: Toss in some shaved parmesan cheese.
- Gluten-free: use gluten-free pasta and croutons.
- Veggies: stir in shredded carrot.
Love Caesar salad? Try salmon Caesar salad or brussels sprout Ceasar salad next.
How to Make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this caesar salad chicken pasta. Skip to the recipe card for the printable version.
Step 1. Make the Dressing. Mix together the homemade caesar dressing ingredients in a bowl.
Step 2. Marinate Chicken. Add some of the dressing to a bag with chicken to marinate for 20 minutes.
Step 3. Mix the Pasta Salad. Cook the pasta according to the directions, drain, and mix with the salad ingredients.
Step 4. Cook Chicken. Grill or bake the chicken breasts for 15-18 minutes. You could also use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Step 5. Mix and Serve. Add the cooked chicken to the caesar pasta salad and toss. Finish with fresh parsley and cracked black pepper and serve.
Pre-Cooked Chicken Tip
Skip the marinating and cooking the chicken and use leftover cubed chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken to save time.
Recipe FAQs
A short cut pasta like penne, bow tie or rotini are best for pasta salads. Go even further and choose one that has a lot of twists and grooves like the bucatini pasta in this mexican street corn pasta salad.
This caesar pasta salad is GREAT as is, but you could also add chopped bacon, hard boiled eggs, kale, spinach, or croutons.
While you’re getting fresh greens and protein from the chicken, Caesar salad can be high in calories because of the dressing, croutons and . Healthy is also way subjective, but I love this pasta salad variation because it includes a homemade dressing, chickpeas for fiber, and chicken for protein.
The classic salad includes romaine, parmesan, croutons, chicken, and Caesar dressing.
How to Store
- Prep in advance: make the dressing, pasta and chickpeas up to 5 days in advance. Toss half the dressing with the pasta then prep the veggies and finish mixing. This saves tons of time!
- Traveling with it? If you’re taking it to a party, leave the last half of the dressing and chickpeas off in separate containers. Top and toss right before serving.
- Store in the fridge: Cover tightly and store for up to 3 days. Note the avocado can turn brown after being cut and the lettuce won’t be quite as crunchy.
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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
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Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 3-4 Tablespoons milk any kind
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
- 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 12 ounces short cut pasta (I used Rotin), gluten-free if needed
- 1 head (3 cups) romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 avocado cut into chunks
- 1 cup chickpeas or croutons
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- To top: fresh cracked black pepper, shaved parmesan cheese, and/or chopped parsley
Instructions
- Combine the Caesar dressing ingredients in a medium bowl.3/4 cup mayo, 3-4 Tablespoons milk, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 3 cloves garlic, 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, Salt and pepper to taste
- If you're making your own chicken, add 1/3 cup of dressing to a large bowl or plastic bag. Add the chicken breast and toss to coat. Marinate it in the fridge for 20 minutes.1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- While it's marinating, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Wash and chop the romaine and tomatoes. Peel and chop the avocado. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.12 ounces short cut pasta
- Brush the grill grates with the oil of your choice. Heat a gas or charcoal grill over medium-high heat (400-425°F). When it's hot, remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess marinade. Grill the chicken with the lid closed for 9-10 minutes, flipping halfway through. The internal temperature should reach 160°F when you pull it off the grill, with a target temperature of 165°F as it rests for 10 minutes. See notes for baked chicken or pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
- Add cooked pasta, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and chickpeas (or croutons) to a large bowl. Chop the chicken and add it on top. Pour the remaining dressing on top and toss to coat. Top with fresh cracked black pepper, parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley. Serve right away or chill and serve cold.1 head (3 cups) romaine lettuce, 1 avocado, 1 cup chickpeas, 1 pint cherry tomatoes
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this today for lunch and it was delicious! If eating for a whole meal, this is more like 4 servings instead of 10. I added hard-boiled egg for more protein on mine and it was great. Good tip to get the Tessamae Cesar Dressing.