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This super speedy Chicken Pasta Salad is a packed with flavour and crunch. A little Coronation Chicken vibe, it’s ready in just 15 minutes, this makes a delicious summer lunch, dinner or buffet dish.
We all know that a simple pasta salad dish is a quick win for so many reasons, here’s a new spin on the favourite.
I am pleased to say this is not just a boring soggy lettuce and mayo combination… oh no. We have tested this recipe over and over again to fine-tune this easy-but-interesting Chicken Pasta Salad.
I LOVE the taste of Coronation Chicken, so I wanted to recreate my own version of something similar for this 15 minute recipe.
We’re adding a combo of the main ingredients with a wonderful quick dressing that includes curry powder, lemon juice and mango chutney. SO GOOD!
Why you’ll love this Chicken Pasta Salad recipe
⭐️ Super speedy and SO EASY
⭐️ Perfect for using up leftover roast chicken
⭐️ Great for packed lunches or picnics
About this Chicken Pasta Salad
We are making this easy Chicken Pasta Salad with ready-cooked chicken for speed. So that could be shop-bought in a packet or, even better, leftover roast chicken from a previous day’s meal.
However, you could cook some chicken from scratch for this recipe, which would make this recipe more affordable, but it will just affect the cooking time as you’d need to factor this in (but cooking chicken doesn’t take long.)
You can also vary the amount of chicken you use according to your own preference, budget and what’s available, but just for reference – I would normally use x4 chicken breasts (or x1 per person).
Also, I am a firm sultana hater, which are traditionally in Coronation Chicken recipes, so I have substituted these for apple instead. This gives a lovely texture and a hint of fresh flavour, but of course, just add sultanas if you prefer!
Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Ready-cooked chicken – About 400g or 1 x breast each
- Dried pasta bows – also known as farfalle
- Celery – Cut into small chunks
- Apples – I used Granny Smiths, no need to peel
- Red onion – You could use spring onion, or scallions if you prefer
- Mild curry powder – Don’t leave this out, it’s SO GOOD!
- Mayonnaise – I used reduced fat
- Lemon – Juice only
- Mango chutney
- Flaked almonds – If you have time, toast in a frying pan first for added flavour
How to make Chicken Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, then rinse it in very cold water. Add everything to a bowl.
2. Give everything a good stir, then sprinkle over flaked almonds and serve.
Substitutions
- Pasta – I have gone for farfalle in this recipe but really you can choose your favourite or what you have in.
- Mayonnaise – You could swap this for Greek yoghurt for a lighter alternative, both in flavour and calories. It’s nice and creamy so it works well.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days.
If you don’t serve this as soon as it’s cooked, you’ll find that the dressing absorbs into the pasta and dries out a little. It won’t affect the taste, but you may just want to add a spoonful of extra mayo or yoghurt when you eat it again.
In the freezer I’m not a big fan of freezing pasta as it can go quite mushy when defrosted and reheated.
This recipe in particular would be too dry to freeze, but that’s not to say I wouldn’t give it a go if I had plenty that would otherwise go to waste!
Top tips for making this Chicken Pasta Salad
Draining your pasta
Make sure that your pasta is drained well after cooking – this will avoid a soggy salad!
Add the lemon juice
Be sure to include lemon juice as it keeps the apple from going brown.
Toasting the almonds
I toasted the flaked almonds in a small frying pan for added flavour and colour before sprinkling them over to serve.
Chicken Pasta Salad FAQs
Yes, you could serve this warm by not rinsing the pasta in cold water. It will be tasty, but perhaps not quite as crunchy.
I sure do! My classic Tuna Pasta Salad takes just 10 minutes to throw together and is super delicious. Look out for my Pesto Pasta Salad and my Orzo Pasta Salad on the blog too.
This is a full meal on its own, but if you want to you could double carb with dough balls or garlic bread to make your dish go further.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Chicken Pasta Salad {15 Minute Meal}
Ingredients
- 400 g Cooked chicken, See notes.
- 250 g Farfalle pasta, Dried pasta bows.
- 4 Celery sticks, Finely chopped.
- 2 Apples (I used Granny Smiths), Finely chopped.
- 1 Red onion, Finely chopped.
- 1 tsp Mild curry powder
- 100 g Mayonnaise, I used reduced fat.
- 1 Lemon, Juice only.
- 50 g Mango chutney
- 50 g Flaked almonds
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Boil your pasta for 12-15 minutes or according to the pack instructions. Once cooked drain and rinse in very cold water.
- Mix with all of the other ingredients (apart from the flaked almonds).
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
