Tex Mex Chicken Pasta Salad

This is the perfect salad for a summer BBQ – let’s hope we have plenty of sunny days this summer so you can make this often. It’s a riot of amazing colors and flavors.

If you love Italian food, you might also want to try these ricotta beef stuffed pasta shells, this pink pasta sauce or any of these baked pasta recipes.

Why You’ll Love It

Such a delicious salad: With tender chicken, vibrant vegetables, aromatic cilantro, spicy chilies, and cheese, this pasta salad offers some incredible flavors.
Easy to prepare: All you need to do is toss cooked pasta with the other ingredients, whisk the dressing ingredients together, and combine everything together.
Simple to customize: You can use any kind of pasta, any veggies, any seasonings, and even a different protein depending on what you have on hand.
A versatile salad: It’s completely portable so you can bring it with you for lunch. Or you can double or triple this salad for a summer BBQ if you’re feeding a crowd. It’s highly versatile.

Tex Mex Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Chicken: Chicken is the protein of choice in this salad for a summer BBQ. Cook your own chicken or use canned. I like to use rotisserie chicken because it’s just so convenient!
Vegetables: I used corn, green chilies, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and green bell pepper, for plenty of vibrant color.
Shredded cheese: Adds another flavor and texture to the dish.
Avocados: The main ingredient in the creamy dressing.
Mayonnaise: I recommend full-fat mayo for the richest flavor (or spicy mayo!)
Sour cream: Adds a nice tang to the salad dressing.
Lime juice: For a zesty touch.

How to Make Tex Mex Chicken Pasta Salad

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Cook the pasta: Cook the pasta, following the directions on the package and then rinse it and put it in a large bowl.
Mix in the other ingredients: Stir the remaining salad ingredients with the pasta.
Add the avocado dressing: Combine the avocado with the other dressing ingredients, and then toss this with the salad and serve.

Substitutions and Variations

Pasta: You can use rotini noodles or any shape you like such as penne, macaroni or bowtie.
Green chilies: Choose from canned green chilies or a green chili salsa. You could even use fresh green chilies.
Cheese: Any kind of cheese works here too. A Mexican blend would be great in this Tex Mex chicken pasta salad. Sharp cheddar would also be good.
Sour cream: Substitute Mexican crema if you can get it or, if not, just use sour cream.
Ranch seasoning: You can use a regular ranch seasoning packet, but I used the spicy ranch seasoning in this salad for extra “bite”!
Vegetarian version: If you don’t want meat, you can simply omit the cubed rotisserie chicken or replace it with sliced grilled Portobello mushrooms or even marinated tofu.
Vegetables: Change the vegetables in this Tex Mex chicken pasta salad if you prefer others. The green pepper can be swapped for red bell pepper. You might like to add raw broccoli and cauliflower florets (broken up small) or even shredded or diced cooked beets.

Serving Suggestions

As a side dish: Enjoy this salad alongside meat from the grill or smoker, perhaps a tomahawk reverse seared steak or else some baby back ribs.
As part of a picnic: Serve up more picnic favorites like million dollar deviled eggs and some of these picnic recipes along with something sweet like circus animal sugar cookies.

How to Store Tex Mex Pasta Salad with Chicken

Store: This Tex Mex chicken pasta salad will keep for about 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this salad.