This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad is a flavorful and delicious dish that is easy to make. It’s made with tasty vegetables, bowtie pasta, and tangy dressing. Whether you serve it as a side dish for dinner, a lunchtime meal, or contribute it to a potluck, it’s sure to be a favorite with everyone.
If you enjoy flavorful salads, be sure to also try our Italian pasta salad and pesto pasta salad.
Recipe Details
I love this Greek Chicken Pasta Salad because it’s so versatile. You can serve it as a side dish, a lunchtime meal, or bring it to a potluck. It’s bursting with mouth-watering flavors that everyone will enjoy.
- TASTE: The sweet tomatoes, salty olives, and briny feta cheese add delicious flavors to the pasta and vegetables. The savory chicken and zesty dressing make this salad irresistible.
- TEXTURE: The al dente pasta provides a nice contrast to the crunchy cucumber and juicy chicken and tomatoes. All the ingredients come together in a delightful combination of textures.
- TIME: This dish can be made in less than 20 minutes.
- EASE: This recipe is easy to make, and you can even prep the ingredients ahead of time for quick assembly.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta- Smaller pasta types, such as bowtie pasta, work well in this salad.
- Chicken- You can use chopped chicken breast or rotisserie chicken.
- Tomatoes- Cherry tomatoes add sweetness to balance the tangy dressing and savory chicken.
- Olives- Kalamata olives provide a salty and briny flavor.
- Cheese- Feta cheese has a dry and crumbly texture, and its salty flavor is perfect in Greek salads.
- Dressing- You can use store-bought Greek salad dressing or make your own.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Try a different dressing- You can use cilantro lime dressing or buttermilk ranch dressing instead of Greek dressing.
- Substitute other cheeses- Besides feta cheese, you can use blue cheese, goat cheese, halloumi, parmesan, or shredded cheddar cheese.
- Add a different protein- If you prefer, you can substitute salmon, shrimp, or steak for the chicken.
- Substitute the pasta- You can make this salad with quinoa instead of pasta for a gluten-free option. You can also use other grains like bulgur.
How to Make Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
- Cut up the vegetables- Half the cherry tomatoes and chop the bell pepper, cucumber, and onion.
- Cook the pasta- Cook the bowtie pasta according to the package instructions until 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 crumbled feta cheese.
- Dress the Greek pasta salad- Drizzle the Greek salad dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well incorporated. Serve.
Pro Tip: Place the cooked pasta in a colander, rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process, and prevent it from becoming mushy.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the vegetables to a uniform size- Keeping the chopped veggies around the same size ensures that one doesn’t overpower the others and makes it easier to get everything in a forkful.
- Cook the pasta al dente- Cook the pasta to be slightly firm so that it doesn’t break apart when mixed with the other salad ingredients.
- Rinse the pasta- After cooking, drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent it from getting too soft.
- Serve immediately- It’s best to serve the salad immediately to maintain the crunchiness of the vegetables.
FAQs
The crumbly cheese in Greek salad is feta cheese. It has a sharp, tart flavor and is soaked in brine to give it a salty taste. Feta cheese is hard and can easily crumble, making it perfect for salads.
A traditional Greek salad is made with cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, red onion, and feta cheese. This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad adds diced chicken and bowtie pasta for a more satisfying dish.
Serving Suggestions
This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad pairs well with a variety of dishes. It can be served with seafood, meats, bread, and other salads.
- Meats: Serve this salad with chicken lettuce wraps, grilled chicken kabobs, ribeye steak, or barbecue pork ribs.
- Seafood: Enjoy this salad with air fryer salmon, baked shrimp, beer-battered cod, or grilled cilantro lime salmon.
- Breads: Pair this dish with sourdough bread, rustic bread, focaccia bread, or khachapuri (Georgian cheese bread).
- Salads: Serve this salad alongside other salads at barbecues and potlucks, such as 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 them separately in the refrigerator for up to a day before assembling and serving.
Storage: This Greek Chicken Pasta Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. As it sits, the flavors from the dressing will infuse the pasta and chicken, enhancing the taste.
Freezing: It’s best not to freeze the salad as a whole, but you can freeze the chicken, pasta, and cheese in airtight freezer bags for up to 3 months.
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Full Recipe Instructions
Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
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