Too hot to cook? This Southwest Chicken Pasta is the perfect dinner solution!
On super warm days, the last thing that I want to do is cooking over a hot stove when it’s 100 degrees outside.
This recipe is easy to throw together in a matter of minutes and to make it even easier and you could use a rotisserie chicken if you don’t want to cook any chicken!
Add whatever vegetables your family likes to make this the perfect meal.
Our family likes to take the southwest spin on things and top it off with avocado, bell peppers, corn, cilantro lime ranch, and fresh limes.
Want even more recipe ideas that use already made chicken ?! Try these 45 Cold Chicken Recipes (Best Leftover Chicken Ideas)!
What could I replace the mayo with?
If you are not a mayo fan, don’t stress it. You could also make this recipe using plain Greek yogurt, or even a little ranch dressing.
You could also use a little bit of sour cream, but we wouldn’t recommend fully switching out the mayo for sour cream.
Related Recipe: In the mood for more Southwest flavor? Try this Southwest Chicken Salad!
What other noodles could I use for this recipe?
This recipe calls for rotini pasta, however, you could use any pasta you have on hand. Here are a few other pastas we recommend:
- bowtie
- macaroni
- shell
- ziti
- cavatappi
- rotelle
- spaghetti
Really any pasta you have on hand will work great. We just found it’s easiest for little eaters to stab the rotini pasta, with their forks.
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“I have so much time!” -No mom ever
Get My Meal Plans NOW!Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? Here are a few of our favorites:
- Protein Pasta
- Fresh Cajun Pasta
- One Pan Chili Beef Pasta Skillet
- Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Spinach and Tomato Pasta
- Best Creamy Pasta Salad
- Ranch Pasta Salad
- Chicken Pasta Casserole with Corn and Zucchini
Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes , diced
- 4.25 ounces olives, sliced
- 14 ounces corn, drained
- ½ red onion, diced
- 15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 ounce taco seasoning mix
- 4 ounces Colby Jack Cheese, cubed
Dressing
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons salsa
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ounce fiesta Ranch dip seasoning
Equipment
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to directions on package.
- While pasta is cooking, mix together (in a VERY large bowl) the cooked chicken, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, corn, onion, black beans, pinto beans, and taco seasoning.
- After pasta is finished cooking, mix it into the bowl with other ingredients (do not add cheese at this point because the hot pasta has a tendency to melt it, so wait to add the cheese until the pasta has completely cooled down).
- In a separate bowl, mix together dressing ingredients and fold into pasta/vegetable mixture. Stir until all ingredients are coated with dressing.
- Fold in cheese at this time and place in the fridge. I prefer to eat this after it has been in the fridge for at least 2-4 hours, but it tastes even better after staying in the fridge overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
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