Description
A creamy, smoky pasta salad tossed with BBQ chicken, fresh veggies and a BBQ‑ranch style dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 250 g (≈ 8‑9 oz) short pasta (rotini, fusilli, shells)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange (or yellow) bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup corn (fresh, grilled or frozen, thawed)
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained & rinsed
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil)
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- Optional: ½ jalapeño (minced), ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water; set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet or grill pan, heat oil over medium‑high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook 4–6 minutes per side (or until cooked through).
- Remove chicken; let rest briefly, then chop into bite‑sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper (and jalapeño, if using).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, chicken, bell peppers, corn, black beans, red onion, and cilantro (if using).
- Pour the BBQ‑mayo dressing over the salad. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld (or serve immediately chilled).
Notes
- You can grill the chicken (or even use leftover BBQ chicken) instead of pan‑cooking.
- If you want to lighten it, substitute half the mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
- Add avocado just before serving to avoid browning.
- For best flavor, make ahead and chill; the dressing develops more depth overnight.
- Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ≈ 1 cup
- Calories: ≈ 605 kcal
- Sugar: ≈ 16 g
- Sodium: ≈ 934 mg
- Fat: ≈ 27 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈ 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈ 23 g
- Trans Fat: ≈ 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: ≈ 73 g
- Fiber: ≈ 7 g
- Protein: ≈ 18 g
- Cholesterol: ≈ 30 mg