Zesty Tex Mex Chicken Pasta Salad
This Tex Mex chicken pasta salad is so delicious. It’s a southwest pasta salad with chicken and this is a flavorful dinner salad just bursting with color and flavor! This is the perfect salad for a summer BBQ, so add this favorite summer salad recipe to the menu and you won't be disappointed.
Servings: 8
Equipment
- Pot Large
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 Pound rotini pasta
- 1 ½ Cups chicken cooked and chopped, I used rotisserie chicken
- 1 Can corn 15 ¼-Ounce, drained
- 1 Can black beans 15 ½-Ounce, drained and rinsed
- 7 Ounces green chilies chopped
- 1 Can black olives 6 ½-Ounce, sliced
- 1 Cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 bell pepper green, diced
- ⅓ Cup cilantro chopped
- ⅓ Cup red onion diced
- 1 Cup Mexican blend cheese shredded
For the Dressing:
- 2 avocados diced
- ½ Cup sour cream or Mexican crema
- ⅓ Cup mayonnaise
- 3 limes juiced
- 1 Package ranch seasoning I used spicy ranch flavor
Instructions
- Cook the pasta as per the directions, drain, rinse and put it in a large bowl.
- In a large serving bowl, combine all the pasta ingredients and gently stir together.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and stir to combine. It's fine if some of the avocados get a little mashed but make sure there are plenty of big chunks left it as well.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir to combine.
Notes
Cooking the pasta: I like to cook pasta to al dente (how my Nonna made it!) This means it is cooked but with a little bite to it. If you prefer softer pasta, give it a couple extra minutes. This is largely down to personal preference.
Use fresh ingredients: Use the freshest ingredients in this Tex Mex pasta salad for the best results. The corn and beans are fine if they’re canned but the avocado, lime, green pepper, and so on, are better fresh.
Embrace the spice: You might like to spice this southwest pasta salad with chicken up a little. In that case you can add some chopped jalapenos or your favorite chili pepper to the mix.
Use fresh ingredients: Use the freshest ingredients in this Tex Mex pasta salad for the best results. The corn and beans are fine if they’re canned but the avocado, lime, green pepper, and so on, are better fresh.
Embrace the spice: You might like to spice this southwest pasta salad with chicken up a little. In that case you can add some chopped jalapenos or your favorite chili pepper to the mix.
Nutrition
Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 1281mg | Potassium: 771mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 3mg
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