Cold Chicken Pasta Salad with Mayo

Chicken Pasta Salad is a lovely meal made with tender chicken, apples, grapes, celery & pecans. It’s topped with a light dressing, grapes & chopped pecans!

Chicken Pasta Salad has many variations that I’ve been making for years! It’s one of my favorites once the weather warms up and the picnics begin. It’s easy to make and incredibly versatile. I like to serve it for dinner, then love eating leftovers for lunch the next day!

Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients

Pasta: I enjoy using 6 ounces (half a box) of bow tie pasta, but you can use other noodle varieties if desired.

Cooked chicken: Use 3 cups of cooked chicken to pack this salad with meat. Tip: this is a great way to use up leftover chicken or that rotisserie chicken in the fridge.

Red grapes: While you could use any grape variety, the red ones are a little more sweet and add a nice color to the bowl. We want 1 heaping cup of red grapes so that there’s plenty.

Celery: With two chopped stalks of celery, we can add crunchy and refreshing green bites throughout the pasta salad.

Apple: We want a diced apple (peeled or not peeled) to add more fruit and crunch to the dish. Use a sweet or a tart apple depending on how you want it to taste.

Pecans: Adding 1/3 cup of chopped pecans is a great way to get an earthy crunchy flavor. You can chop whole pecans yourself or buy them pre-chopped to save time.

Sour cream: Adding a tangy creaminess to the dish is 1/4 cup of sour cream.

Mayonnaise: With 1/4 cup of mayonnaise we can add more creaminess to the salad.

Seasonings: We want 1/4 teaspoon of all-purpose seasoning, a dash of onion powder, and salt and pepper can be added to taste.

How to Make Chicken Pasta Salad

Cook your pasta in salted water for 10 minutes.

Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water for several minutes to stop the cooking process.

In a large bowl, combine your cold pasta with the chicken, grapes, celery, and apple.

In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients for the dressing.

Top the pasta with the dressing and then toss to combine.

Serve salad chilled and keep your leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

What do you put in a cold chicken pasta salad?

There are a wide variety of pasta salad recipes, but this one is a little different. It has a light, refreshing flavor and the combination of chicken and fruit is fantastic. It’s a hearty salad that can be served as lunch and dinner, although it’s perfect for a side dish as well. Feel free to add in pineapple tidbits, cooked chilled peas, cheddar cheese cubes or anything else you think sounds delicious!

Should pasta salad be served cold?

Pasta salads with mayonnaise should be stored in the fridge and served cold. Not only do they taste better cold, but you don’t want to risk any harmful bacteria growing!

How long is Chicken Pasta Salad with Mayo good for?

Pasta salad is good for 3-4 days if kept stored properly in the fridge. Freshest is best, so enjoy it as soon as you can for the best results.

Can I freeze leftover chicken salad pasta?

Because this pasta salad recipe contains mayo, it is highly recommended not to freeze as it will not be good once thawed.

More Easy Pasta Salad and Chicken Recipes:

If you loved this chicken pasta salad, you’ll want to try some of our other favorite salad recipes too! Our Red White and Blue Pasta Salad is a festive crowd pleaser perfect for summer gatherings, and our Cucumber Tomato Salad is light, fresh and comes together in minutes. The Mandarin Orange Salad is a guaranteed potluck hit, and our Frito Corn Salad is crunchy, creamy and absolutely addictive!

For more easy chicken dinners, our Best Homemade Chicken Strips are golden, crispy and always a crowd pleaser, and our McDonald’s Copycat Chicken Nuggets are a guaranteed hit with the whole family. Our 5 Minute Chicken Salad is another quick and easy option perfect for lunch!

If you love a hands-off dinner, our Easy Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken is sweet, savory and practically makes itself in the slow cooker. Our Ranch Chicken Cheese Dip is a fan favorite that disappears fast at any gathering, and our Easy Smoked Chicken Legs are juicy, fall-off-the-bone delicious and worth every minute!

Chicken Pasta Salad is a lovely summer meal filled with tender chicken, apples, grapes, celery & topped with a light dressing & chopped pecans. You’re going to love this simple and delicious pasta salad recipe!