BLT Chicken Pasta Salad (Printable)

Hearty salad featuring smoky bacon, grilled chicken, cherry tomatoes, and crisp romaine tossed with pasta shells in a light creamy mayo dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta & Proteins

01 - 8 oz medium pasta shells
02 - 2 cups cooked grilled chicken breast, diced
03 - 6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 ½ cups romaine lettuce, chopped
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - ½ cup red onion, finely diced

→ Dressing

07 - ⅓ cup light mayonnaise
08 - 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
09 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
10 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - ½ tsp garlic powder
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely.
02 - Whisk together light mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, grilled chicken, crumbled bacon, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
04 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently until evenly coated. Serve immediately or refrigerate 20 minutes for flavors to meld.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The satisfying crunch of bacon against tender pasta creates texture in every single forkful
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you spent all afternoon planning it
02 -
  • The lettuce will wilt if you dress this too far in advance, so add those greens last if making ahead
  • Chilling the salad mellows the onion flavor, which might be exactly what you want
03 -
  • Cook your bacon in the oven on a wire rack to get perfectly even crispiness without the mess of stovetop splattering
  • Let the grilled chicken rest for five minutes before dicing, or the juices will escape and leave you with dry meat
Go back