Description
A quick and flavorful BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad made with juicy chicken, colorful veggies, black beans, and a creamy BBQ-mayo dressing. Perfect for beginners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño pepper, de-seeded, de-veined, and minced
- 1 pound small pasta shells
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 cup corn
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for 4–6 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through (165°F internally).
- Remove chicken from the pan. In the same skillet, sauté red onion and jalapeño for 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Cook pasta shells in salted boiling water until al dente, about 1 minute less than package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Chop cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl with the dressing. Add sautéed onion and jalapeño, bell peppers, corn, black beans, and cilantro.
- Toss everything gently until well combined and the pasta is coated evenly. Chill before serving or enjoy warm.
Notes
- You can use rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Greek yogurt can replace mayonnaise for a lighter version.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze components separately if prepping ahead for freezing.
- Raw bell peppers add crunch—no need to cook them.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 607
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 933mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 73g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 30mg