BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad (Printer-friendly)
Smoky BBQ chicken tossed with protein pasta, colorful veggies, and zesty yogurt dressing for a filling meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
03 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce, plus extra for drizzling
→ Pasta
08 - 9 oz high-protein pasta (chickpea, lentil, or whole wheat penne)
→ Vegetables
09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
11 - 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
12 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
13 - 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
14 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Dressing
15 - 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
16 - 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
17 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
18 - 1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
19 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
20 - Salt and pepper to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides evenly with smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Brush generously with BBQ sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes before dicing into bite-sized pieces.
03 - While the chicken cooks, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the high-protein pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, diced chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, red onion, cucumber, black beans, and chopped cilantro. Toss gently to distribute all ingredients evenly.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, BBQ sauce, lime juice, honey or agave syrup, chili powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth and well blended.
06 - Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Drizzle with additional BBQ sauce and garnish with extra cilantro if desired before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It packs 34 grams of protein per serving without tasting like health food, which is a rare and beautiful thing.
- The smoky, tangy, slightly sweet dressing pulls every ingredient together so nothing feels like filler.
02 -
- Letting the chicken rest before dicing is non negotiable, because cutting too early lets all those juices run straight onto your cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
- Rinsing high protein pasta under cold water removes the slightly chalky surface texture that chickpea and lentil noodles can have, making a huge difference in the final mouthfeel.
03 -
- Salt your pasta water generously, even though the noodles will be rinsed, because that internal seasoning is the one thing you cannot fix later.
- Brush the BBQ sauce onto the chicken only in the final minutes of cooking, because adding it too early causes the sugars to burn and turn bitter before the chicken is done.