Description
This High Protein BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad is creamy, tangy, and meal-prep friendly—loaded with grilled chicken, black beans, corn, and a Greek-yogurt BBQ dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked pasta (rotini or penne)
- 1 ½ cups shredded grilled chicken
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons light mayo (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a small bowl, whisk Greek yogurt, BBQ sauce, and mayo (if using). Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, black beans, corn, red onion, celery, and cilantro.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Stir, garnish with extra cilantro if you like, and serve chilled.
Notes
- Rotisserie chicken works great if you’re short on time.
- For extra smoky flavor, use a smoky BBQ sauce.
- If the salad thickens after chilling, stir in 1–2 tablespoons water to loosen it.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 3–4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boil + Mix
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg