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This herby chicken pasta salad is a combination of all my favorite summer ingredients. It’s packed with juicy chicken, fresh crunchy vegetables, a fresh and simple balsamic vinaigrette, and absolutely perfect for a potluck, or meal prep lunch for the week.
You all loved the tomato balsamic panzenella so much I made another version with pasta salad and chicken. I was crunched for time when making this, so simplified the salad dressing, but feel free to salt the tomatoes and use the juice (and other ingredients) like in my Panzanella Salad Dressing. I’m meal prepping this for lunch this week, but this would be also delicious for dinner, potluck, or BBQ. Enjoy!!!
Video tutorial:
Herby Chicken Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This herby chicken pasta salad is a combination of all my favorite summer ingredients. It’s packed with juicy chicken, fresh crunchy vegetables, a fresh and simple balsamic vinaigrette, and absolutely perfect for a potluck, or meal prep lunch for the week.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 lb chicken thighs – boneless skinless
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 bunch chopped cilantro – chopped. about 2 tablespoons
- black pepper
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil – grapeseed, canola, or sunflower oil
For the Salad
- 8 ounces pasta – short
- 4 ounces mozzarella balls
- 4 persian cucumbers
- 3 tomatoes
- 1/4 cup cilantro – chopped
- 1/4 cup basil – chopped
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the chicken ingredients – cut all the cilantro (for both the salad and the chicken, setting aside 1/4 cup of cilantro for the salad), chop the garlic, then cut the chicken into 1″ pieces. Mix the chicken with the 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, garlic, balsamic vinegar, black pepper, and kosher salt. Give everything a mix and let marinate while you work on the rest of the recipe.
- In a medium sized pot, bring water up to a boil. Once boiling, add kosher salt and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water when finished.
- Sear the chicken on medium high heat for about 8-9 minutes or until fully cooked.
- While the chicken is cooking, wash the cutting board with soap, then begin to prep the remaining ingredients. Cut the tomatoes, cucumbers, mozzarella balls, and basil.
- Make the dressing by combing all the ingredients in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and whisk until emulsified.
- Add the cooked chicken, cooked pasta, all the chopped vegetables, herbs, and cheese to a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 the dressing, give everything a good mix, and add additional dressing as desired. Taste, add final additional seasoning as desired (more salt or pepper), and enjoy
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Salad, Summer, BBQ
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
