Light BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad

Originally posted April 23, 2015.

Tender chicken, crunchy vegetables and a sweet, tangy barbecue vinaigrette come together for the perfect pasta salad.

I'm sure many of you have come home from work with no idea what to make for dinner. "Do we have left overs?", "Is there food in the fridge?", "What can I create with the scarce ingredients from our pantry?" Believe me, I've been there. After a long day of work and errands, the last thing I want to do is go to the grocery store.

Luckily, cooking is all about being creative...plus, I have a husband that will eat anything I make him. This nutritious, tasty pasta salad uses simple ingredients and comes together quickly.

This Light BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad is bursting with flavor in every bite. Enjoy for dinner and pack the leftovers for lunch!

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED?

• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 15oz can of whole kernel corn
• 10oz penne pasta (or preferred - Fusilli, Rotini, Gluten-Free)
• ½ red bell pepper- chopped
• ½ medium red onion- chopped
• ½ cup of your favorite bbq sauce
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt/pepper to taste

HOW DO I MAKE LIGHT BBQ CHICKEN PASTA SALAD?

The best part of this recipe, is that so much can be easily customized to your preference.

Cook the chicken breast according to how you like. Grilled, boiled or baked...all are perfect. Once fully-cooked, the chicken will be shredded anyways. If you don't like red onion, I sometimes swap this out for green onions.

Next you will begin to cook the pasta, based on package instructions. (I use gluten free pasta, but you can use whatever your heart desires. Penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, etc). Then, open/drain the can of corn and chop the bell pepper & onion.

To create the bbq vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until everything is well integrated.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain well, and pour into a large bowl. Add shredded chicken, veggies, bbq vinaigrette, and mix well. Add additional salt/pepper if desired.

The sweet, tangy, spicy barbecue vinaigrette comes together in a snap. I prefer to keep the vegetables uncooked, so they have a crunchy texture and a nice contrast to the soft pasta. It ended up to be a hit with our family!

Moral of the story, don't be afraid to be inventive in the kitchen...you may just come up with your best recipe yet! Be sure to print the recipe card below!

If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my Gluten Free BBQ Garden Pizza and Leftover BBQ Meatball Croissant Sliders!

Light BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad

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Ingredients

• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 15oz can of whole kernel corn
• 10oz penne pasta (or preferred)
• ½ red bell pepper- chopped
• ½ medium red onion- chopped

Vinaigrette

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• ½ cup of your favorite bbq sauce
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt/pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook your chicken breast according to your preference. Grilled, boiled or baked. Once fully-cooked, shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. Begin to cook the pasta, based on package instructions.
3. Open/drain the can of corn. Chop the bell pepper & onion.
4. To create the bbq vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until everything is well integrated.
5. Once the pasta is cooked, drain well, and pour into a large serving bowl.
   Add chopped chicken, veggies, bbq vinaigrette, and mix well.
6. Add additional salt/pepper if desired.