Roasted Chicken Corn Pasta Salad
This Roasted Chicken Corn Pasta Salad is packed with veggies, and is the easiest full meal to make in bulk ahead of time! This super hearty salad was inspired by my Tex-Mex Creamy Corn Chicken Salad, but with a pasta twist! This recipe features juicy roasted chicken, buttery paprika corn, colorful veggies, and your favorite pasta. Then, they’re all tossed in a creamy lemon-mayo dressing. It’s the kind of pasta salad that could be everything from a quick meal on its own, or as part of a party spread.
Chopped Chicken Corn Pasta Salad
If you know me, you know I love meal prepping weekly to get all my veggies in. This way, I’m sneaking all that fiber and nutrients with the side dishes that I’ll eat anyways. This week, I was able to pack 15+ veggies into one week of meal prepping!
One of the tasty dishes I made for the week is this Roasted Chicken Corn Pasta Salad. This fresh, hearty, and flavor-loaded pasta salad has everything: fresh veggies, flavorful chicken bites, and creamy lemon dressing. The best part of this recipe is the earlier you make it, the longer it marinates throughout the week. It’s a super tasty way to save so much time during the week.
Chicken Corn Pasta Salad Ingredients
- ½ cucumber diced
- ¼ red onion finely diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ½ yellow bell pepper diced
- 2 cups cooked pasta fusilli, penne, or any short pasta
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp Melted Butter optional, for basting
Butter Paprika Corn
- 1 cup corn fresh, frozen, or canned
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Lemon Dressing
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice more to taste
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Pan Roasted Chicken
If you want to really add some juicy flavors, you can also baste this chicken in a little bit of melted butter.
Of course, if you’re short on time, or need to use up some leftover, chopped rotisserie chicken can also be a great option.
Charred Paprika Corn
What adds another layer of flavor to this salad is the buttery charred paprika corn. Each kernal gives the salad a sweet, smoky flavor and a slight chew that makes this salad so interesting. Corn is so healthy as well, packed with fiber, antioxidants, plant proteins.
For this recipe, you can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels. Definitely don’t skip the charring! This extra step caramelizes the corn’s natural sugars for an extra layer of sweetness. The butter and paprika melts into the kernels and give them both a glossy finish and an extra savory, rich bite.
Best Pasta For Salad
It’s a pasta salad, so of course, there’s a base of pasta. For the best pasta for any pasta salad, I choose a short pasta shape. It’s easy to mix, and made for picking up sauces and dressings. These can be anything from fusilli and bow ties to penne and macaroni elbows.
Before adding them to salad, cook pasta according to package instructions. Then rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and wash off extra surface starch. Now, your pasta’s ready to add to your salad.
Creamy Lemon Dressing
The creamy lemon dressing for this pasta salad is a mayo-based variation of the easy Mediterranean lemon dressing I make all the time. It’s creamy yet super fresh, with a touch of savory garlic and smoky paprika that makes it extra addictive. It coats every noodle and veggie perfectly. The tangy, creamy flavor ties the veggies, chicken, and pasta together so well.
How To Make Roasted Chicken Corn Pasta Salad
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Pan-Fry the Corn: In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp of butter. Add the corn and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until golden and slightly charred. Remove and set aside.
- Season the Chicken: In a small bowl, mix olive oil, paprika, chili powder, oregano, parsley, rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over both sides of the chicken.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat a pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Pan-fry chicken for 6–7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Rest for 5 minutes, then slice.
Optional: baste with melted butter before resting and slicing for extra flavor. - Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, sautéed corn, cucumber, red onion, and peppers.
Add in sliced chicken and drizzle over the dressing. Toss everything until well coated. - Serve: Garnish with a pinch of paprika or extra corn on top. Chill for 15 minutes before serving.
Meal Prep with me weekly with these Make In Bulk recipes!
Roasted Chicken Corn Pasta Salad
By Tiffy Cooks
Ingredients
- ½ cucumber diced
- ¼ red onion finely diced
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- ½ yellow bell pepper diced
- 2 cups cooked pasta fusilli, penne, or any short pasta
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp rosemary
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp Melted Butter optional, for basting
Butter Paprika Corn
- 1 cup corn fresh, frozen, or canned
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Lemon Dressing
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice more to taste
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Pan-Fry the Corn: In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp of butter. Add the corn and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until golden and slightly charred. Remove and set aside.
- Season the Chicken: In a small bowl, mix olive oil, paprika, chili powder, oregano, parsley, rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub evenly over both sides of the chicken.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat a pan over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Pan-fry chicken for 6–7 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Rest for 5 minutes, then slice. Optional: baste with melted butter for extra flavor before resting and slicing.
- Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the Salad:In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta, sautéed corn, cucumber, red onion, and peppers. Add in sliced chicken and drizzle over the dressing. Toss everything until well coated.
- Serve: Garnish with a pinch of paprika or extra corn on top. Chill for 15 minutes before serving.
This Chicken Corn Pasta Salad was absolutely delicious and flavorful! So easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser!
This is delicious! I had a phase of eating the Tex mex chicken salad that Tiffy had earlier and to see a pasta twist, I knew I had to make it. I love all the vegetables that can be added to this and it can be meal too! I’m thankful for Tiffy’s recipes!
Hi! I live alone so I’m wondering how long this would last in the fridge? I wanna give it a try soo bad
Hi SK, this will last about 3-4 days in the fridge!
Tiffy