Chicken pasta salad is seriously the best pasta salad to bring to your next barbecue, potluck, party, and more. This easy recipe combines chicken, pasta, veggies, sweet grapes, and an amazing, creamy dressing. Take one bite and you will find out why my pasta salad stands out from the rest!

Easy pasta salad with chicken

A good pasta salad is hard to beat, especially during the Summer. This chicken pasta salad is one of my absolute favorites! It’s like a tasty combination of chicken salad and pasta salad all rolled into one.

This recipe is my copycat version of a local restaurant called Plates and Palates. Their lemon tarragon chicken pasta salad is out of this world! They always have a line of people wanting to get their hands on this salad.

Loaded with cooked chicken, pasta, celery, grapes, green onion, almonds, and a wonderful lemon tarragon dressing, this pasta salad is full of flavor and texture.

I love making this pasta salad for lunches throughout the week, for potlucks, BBQ’s, picnics, and more.

Chicken pasta salad ingredients

One advantage to cooking at home is the ability to control your ingredients. You can adjust any of these to taste because it’s a very forgiving recipe.

• Pasta – I like using a smaller, bite-sized pasta like medium shells, rotini, bow-tie, or macaroni pasta. You can even use gluten-free pasta for this recipe.
• Cooked chicken – This is a great recipe to use leftover chicken. Rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, air fryer chicken, it all works great.
• Celery – About 2 stalks of celery diced small.
• Grapes – Halve the grapes to make them easier to eat. I like using red grapes but you can substitute with green grapes.
• Green onion – About 3 diced green onions.
• Slivered almonds – These can be omitted if you have a nut allergy.
• Mayonnaise – I like using Duke’s mayonnaise but feel free to use your favorite mayo.
• Sour cream – Sour cream adds a little tanginess.
• Vinegar – Use apple cider vinegar.
• Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice from one lemon. This adds a wonderful brightness and taste to the dressing.
• Sugar – A little sugar balances out all of the flavors in the dressing.
• Salt and pepper
• Herbs – Fresh tarragon and parsley are used in this dish. If you don’t have fresh you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.

How to make chicken pasta salad

1. Cook pasta – Boil the pasta according to box directions to al dente. Drain the pasta and then rinse under cold water.
2. Assemble salad – Place pasta, chicken, celery, green onion, grapes, and slivered almonds in a large bowl.
3. Dressing – Make the dressing by placing the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley, and tarragon in a blender or food processor. Pulse until creamy and combined.
4. Combine – Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to combine. Serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Heather’s recipe tips for chicken pasta salad

• Make sure to dice the celery, onion, and chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.
• Be sure to rinse the boiled pasta under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking.
• If you are making this chicken pasta salad ahead of time, coat with half of the dressing, cover and chill. When ready to serve, toss in the rest of the dressing.

Recipe variations for pasta salad with chicken

Pasta salads are so easy to adjust for tastes and dietary needs. Here are a few variations you can try.

Dressing – You can substitute the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.

Nuts – If you have a nut allergy in your house, feel free to leave out the almonds.

Vegetables – Try adding more vegetables like diced bell peppers, chopped broccoli florets, or cucumbers.

Fruit – You can try adding in diced apples, dried cranberries, or even diced pineapple.

Protein – Don’t like chicken? You can substitute with tuna, diced ham, diced deli turkey, or leave out the meat.

How to store leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can add in a little extra dressing when ready to serve.

This pasta salad does not freeze well.

More easy salad recipes

• Grape salad
• Broccoli salad
• Potato salad
• Cucumber salad
• 5 cup salad