This Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad is quick, delicious, and full of amazing flavor. It's the perfect family dinner for a warm day!
Too hot to cook? This Southwest Chicken Pasta is the perfect dinner solution!
On super warm days, the last thing that I want to do is cooking over a hot stove when it’s 100 degrees outside.
This recipe is easy to throw together in a matter of minutes and to make it even easier and you could use a rotisserie chicken if you don’t want to cook any chicken!
Add whatever vegetables your family likes to make this the perfect meal.
Our family likes to take the southwest spin on things and top it off with avocado, bell peppers, corn, cilantro lime ranch, and fresh limes.
Want even more recipe ideas that use already made chicken ?! Try these 45 Cold Chicken Recipes (Best Leftover Chicken Ideas)!
What could I replace the mayo with?
If you are not a mayo fan, don’t stress it. You could also make this recipe using plain Greek yogurt, or even a little ranch dressing.
You could also use a little bit of sour cream, but we wouldn’t recommend fully switching out the mayo for sour cream.
Related Recipe: In the mood for more Southwest flavor? Try this Southwest Chicken Salad!
What other noodles could I use for this recipe?
This recipe calls for rotini pasta, however, you could use any pasta you have on hand. Here are a few other pastas we recommend:
- bowtie
- macaroni
- shell
- ziti
- cavatappi
- rotelle
- spaghetti
Really any pasta you have on hand will work great. We just found it’s easiest for little eaters to stab the rotini pasta, with their forks.
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Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Protein Pasta
- Fresh Cajun Pasta
- One Pan Chili Beef Pasta Skillet
- Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Spinach and Tomato Pasta
- Best Creamy Pasta Salad
- Ranch Pasta Salad
- Chicken Pasta Casserole with Corn and Zucchini
Serves: 12
Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
This Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad is quick, delicious, and full of amazing flavor. It's not too spicy, but has the most amazing flavor and seasoning to it.
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 8 minutes mins
Total Time 28 minutes mins
PrintPin
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts cooked and cubed
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 4.25 ounces olives sliced
- 14 ounces corn drained
- ½ red onion diced
- 15 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces pinto beans rinsed and drained
- 1 ounce taco seasoning mix
- 4 ounces Colby Jack Cheese cubed
Dressing
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons salsa
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ounce fiesta Ranch dip seasoning
Instructions
Cook pasta according to directions on package.
While pasta is cooking, mix together (in a VERY large bowl) the cooked chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, corn, onion, black beans, pinto beans, and taco seasoning.
After pasta is finished cooking, mix it into the bowl with other ingredients (do not add cheese at this point because the hot pasta has a tendency to melt it, so wait to add the cheese until the pasta has completely cooled down).
In a separate bowl, mix together dressing ingredients and fold into pasta/vegetable mixture. Stir until all ingredients are coated with dressing.
Fold in cheese at this time and place in the fridge. I prefer to eat this after it has been in the fridge for at least 2-4 hours, but it tastes even better after staying in the fridge overnight.
Notes
This makes enough for 12 large servings and will require that you use a very large bowl to mix it together. If you need a smaller amount, you can easily cut this recipe in half or even in thirds.
Nutrition
Calories: 492 kcal · Carbohydrates: 60 g · Protein: 24 g · Fat: 18 g · Saturated Fat: 6 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 44 mg · Sodium: 687 mg · Potassium: 653 mg · Fiber: 10 g · Sugar: 6 g · Vitamin A: 1024 IU · Vitamin C: 26 mg · Calcium: 138 mg · Iron: 3 mg
Equipment
Pot
Large Mixing Bowl
Recipe Details
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
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Join The Discussion
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Theresa @DearCreatives says:
Sounds yummy! Can't wait to try this recipe.
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sdr says:
This looks fantastic but can you think of a way to substitute the mayo (I've tried but even in recipes I just can't stand the flavor)?
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Camille (SixSistersStuff) says:
You could try Greek yogurt (I have actually done that and it's really good!) or you could use Miracle Whip (but it will have a different taste). I hope that helps!
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Karen Coghlan says:
I love the Southwest flavors,,, and pasta salad nothing else comes close to satisfying hunger... Can't wait to try this...
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Emily says:
Could you substitute pre made/prepared chipotle ranch dressing for the fiesta ranch dip mix? I could not find it at my local market but have the pre made stuff. How should I change measurements?
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Cyd says:
The fiesta ranch dip seasoning gives it the flavor it needs. You could also use ranch dressing mix packet. If you are using chipotle ranch dressing, you may have to taste test it as you go so you will know when it has the right amount of zesty flavor you like.
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Jill M. says:
Made this for a function of about 50 so I doubled it and it made so much I had to use my big stock pot to put it in!
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Becki says:
This is fantastic! We fell in love with it after the first bite.
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Dianna says:
I have never seen Fiesta Ranch Dressing.... is it a mix or in a bottle in the Salad Dressing section? Is there something you can add to regular Ranch if it is not available?
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Momma Cyd says:
Its from Hidden Valley and it comes in an envelope by the ranch seasoning mixes (by the salad dressing).
About The Author:
Camille Beckstrand
Camille Beckstrand is married to Jared and they have 4 kids. She is a certified life coach that loves helping women become "unstuck" in their lives and is the host of the podcast "Moms On The Rise". She also loves a good true crime podcast, a big plate of cheesy loaded nachos, and going on adventures with her family.
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