Description
This Southwest chicken pasta salad is quick, delicious and full of amazing flavor, for an ideal Tex-Mex spin on a classic pasta salad.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 pound boneless, skinless 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)
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 Tablespoon salsa
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ounce fiesta Ranch dip seasoning
Instructions
- Step 1: Cook pasta according to directions on package.
- Step 2: 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.
- Step 3: 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).
- Step 4: In a separate bowl, mix together dressing ingredients and fold into pasta/vegetable mixture. Stir until all ingredients are coated with dressing.
- Step 5: 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
This makes enough for 12 large servings and will require that you use a very large bowl to mix it together. If you need a smaller amount, you can easily cut this recipe in half or even in thirds.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 492 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 687 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg
Keywords: Southwest chicken pasta salad, Tex-Mex pasta salad, chicken pasta salad