Chicken Pasta Salad with Sesame Dressing
Chicken pasta salad is perfect for when dinner needs to get on the table fast. This version has a sesame-tamari dressing with honey and garlic that’s a lot more interesting than a mayonnaise dressing, and it pairs so well with the spinach and whole wheat pasta that I usually make a double batch just to have it ready later in the week.
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This salad comes together in about 20 minutes and works as a main course or a side, which makes it an easy one to keep in your rotation. It’s also one of the best ways to use up leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken, so if you’ve got some sitting in the fridge, this is where it goes.
Recipe Highlights
- Ready in about 20 minutes,
- Uses leftover or rotisserie chicken, so it’s an easy weeknight or next-day meal
- Keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days, so it’s a good one to make ahead for lunches
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta. You can use your favorite pasta in this recipe. We like whole-wheat rotini pasta, penne pasta, or bow tie pasta for their different textures. The nooks and crannies are perfect for holding onto all of those delicious flavors.
- Chicken. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover grilled chicken breast or rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or you can make a batch of shredded chicken.
- Soy Sauce. This is the base of the dressing and can be swapped with tamari sauce or coconut aminos for a gluten-free dressing.
- Sesame oil. This brings a lot of the flavor to the dressing. If you leave it out, the salad will taste noticeably milder, drizzle of toasted sesame oil at the end can help make up for it if you’re substituting a neutral oil.
- Rice Vinegar. It can be substituted with white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Honey. Substitute honey one-for-one with maple syrup or brown rice syrup.
How to Make Chicken Pasta Salad with Sesame Dressing
Prepare all ingredients: Rinse and dry the spinach, cut or shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, slice the onions, and make the dressing.
- Cook pasta according to the package directions until it’s al dente and cooked through but still slightly firm to the bite. Overcooked pasta can turn mushy once it’s tossed with the dressing. Drain and rinse the pasta, rinse it in cold water, and set it aside.
- Place the cooked pasta, spinach, chicken and onions into a large bowl.
- Shake up the dressing and pour it over the ingredients in the bowl.
- Mix everything together and serve the pasta salad at room temperature or cold.
Chicken Pasta Salad Your Way
This dish follows the pasta builder formula with an Asian-inspired flavor: pasta + protein + vegetables + sauce. Swap any piece, and you’ve got a new dinner. Here are some suggestions to get you started.
Protein. Swap the chicken for shrimp, thinly sliced pork or beef, or a block of roasted tofu for a vegetarian version.
Vegetables. Baby spinach is the base here, but shredded carrots, sliced red bell pepper, chopped red onion, or edamame all work well tossed in.
Sauce & Flavor. The tamari-sesame-ginger dressing is what makes this “Asian-inspired” rather than a plain pasta salad. Swap it for a lemon juice, garlic and olive oil dressing with a splash of dijon mustard and you’ve got a completely different bowl. If you prefer a creamy pasta salad, add a tabelspoon of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt or sour cream to the dressing.
Finish. Sesame seeds and green onion here. Toasted almonds or peanuts add crunch if that’s what you’re after.
I usually make this the day after I’ve grilled chicken for something else. There’s rarely a reason to cook chicken just for this salad. When I don’t have any on hand, I use tofu instead. It soaks up all the flavor in the dressing.
If you like building dinner this way, my Pasta Dinner Builder walks through the same formula with different flavor profiles. You can get it here for free.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this simple pasta salad as a side dish garnished with green onions and chopped fresh cilantro as a side dish with burgers, shrimp cakes or as a main with a side of air fryer broccoli and cauliflower.
Storing and Using Leftovers
Store Asian chicken pasta salad in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. If the salad seems dry after being stored, stir in a little olive oil and tamari sauce to loosen it back up. Use leftover pasta salad for lunch or as a side dish for dinner.
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Chicken Pasta Salad with Sesame Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Tamari Sauce
- 2 tablespoons [sesame oil]
- 2 tablespoons cup [rice wine vinegar]
- 3 tablespoons [olive oil]
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 Garlic Clove Crushed
- 4 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta such as fusilli rotini, shells, penne or bowties
- 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken or 3/4 pound boneless chicken breast.
- 4 green onions diced
- 6 ounces baby spinach
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions
- While pasta is cooking combine the dressing ingredients (tamari sauce through crushed garlic clove) in a small jar and shake well, or add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk with a fork.
- Place the cooked and drained pasta into a bowl, add the chicken, onions and spinach.
- Pour the dressing over salad, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve at room temperature or place in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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