Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad is full of chicken, black beans, corn, avocado, and Rotel tomatoes all tossed in a creamy, smoky dressing. There’s tons of southwestern flavors in this pasta salad. Makes a great summer potluck side or light meal.
I love the flavor of chipotle peppers. They are fabulously smoky and have some heat, but not too much. If you use just 2 chipotle peppers, this pasta salad will have just a little kick. Use 3 or even 4 if you want it spicier. A little lime juice perks up all the flavors.
A combination of sour cream and mayonnaise forms the base for the chipotle dressing and makes it ultra creamy. You can use all mayo if you like or a combination of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.
How To Make
(More detailed instructions in recipe card below.)
- Make the dressing. Stir all dressing ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Mix dressing with pasta. Pour dressing over pasta and mix together.
- Add remaining ingredients. Season the taste with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe Tips
Leave the chicken out if you want it to be vegetarian.
Any type of pasta shape can be used. Elbows, shells, farfalle, cavatappi, and penne all work well.
The add-ins for this recipe are adaptable. I like red onion, black beans, corn, cilantro, avocado, and Rotel tomatoes. Leave any out that you don’t like. Some shredded Mexican cheese or Cotija cheese are also delicious. You can also add some chopped bell pepper or olives. Use fresh tomatoes and a can of diced green chiles instead of Rotel tomatoes.
Make In Advance
Make it at least 1 hour before serving it so the flavors have tie to blend. You can make it a day in advance, but I recommend adding the avocado last minute so it doesn’t turn brown.
How To Serve
This pasta salad goes great with burgers, bbq, grilled chicken, tacos, quesadillas, you name it.
More Pasta Salad Recipes To Try
- Jalapeno Popper Pasta Salad
- Texas Caviar Pasta Salad
- Shrimp and Dill Pasta Salad
- Tex-Mex Pasta Salad
- Caesar Pasta Salad
Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Chipotle Dressing
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta, cooked in salted water according to package directions
- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cooked corn, fresh, canned or frozen
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Stir all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Place cooked pasta in a large bowl. Pour dressing over pasta and stir to coat the pasta.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Originally published June 18, 2021.
This pasta salad was delicious and a hit at my friend’s barbecue! I added more pasta instead of chicken to make it vegetarian-friendly and added a little more chipotle sauce because it’s just so good!
I love this pasta salad. Sometimes I add shrimp instead of chicken.
Very delicious
So happy you liked it!