Spicy blackened chicken, silky avocado, and a creamy roasted tomatillo dressing pack so much flavor into this chicken avocado pasta salad.
Cookout season has arrived and with it comes the need for all the side dishes! This is just about the most loaded pasta salad you’ll ever meet.
And you won’t want it any other way. We’ve got protein in the form of blackened chicken, tons of pasta, avocado, fresh mozzarella, and the most incredible roasted tomatillo dressing that kicks everything up a level.
No other pasta salad need even apply this summer.
You won’t need more than an hour prep time to whip up this pasta salad and you can even prep most of it ahead of time and just store in the fridge until cookout time.
Just be warned, it’s way too easy to sneak forkfuls of this goodness.
This Pasta Salad features…
- A creamy roasted tomatillo cilantro dressing
- Juicy grilled blackened chicken cubes
- Silky avocado, fresh mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes
Making the Pasta Salad
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Tomatillos
- Vegetable oil
- Greek yogurt
- Mayonnaise
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- Spices
- Chicken thighs
- Pasta
- Avocados
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sweet pepper
- Mozzarella cheese
Choosing Your Chicken
I recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this salad. This cut of chicken is fast to cook up on the grill and turns out super tender and juicy every time.
If you don’t have thighs on hand, boneless skinless chicken breasts will work great instead, however, you may need to adjust the cook time slightly if they are thicker breasts. Always use a kitchen thermometer to test the internal temperature of meat.
Tips for Perfect Pasta Salad
- Roast tomatillos – roasting the tomatillos breaks them down and will help them puree beautifully into the dressing.
- Puree dressing in blender or food processor – both a blender or a food processor will get the dressing perfectly smooth.
- Slice avocado just before serving – wait to slice the avocado until just before serving to keep it from turning brown.
- Cook pasta to al dente – cook the pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente so it holds up in the salad.
- Rinse pasta in cold water to cool – this stops the cooking process and cools down the pasta for the salad.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.
- Skip the chicken – leave out the chicken for a vegetarian salad and replace it with more vegetables.
- Use a different pasta shape – try small shells, elbows, cavatappi, or spirals.
- Try another cheese – feta, goat cheese, cheddar, or pepperjack all work great.
- Add different veggies – try adding a handful of baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumber, or a small minced jalapeno for some heat.
Stovetop and Oven Instructions
Follow these instructions for how to cook the chicken indoors instead of on the grill.
- Stovetop: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet (or brush over a large cast iron grill pan) Once pan is hot, add chicken and sear on both sides until chicken registers 165F, adding more oil to pan as needed. Note: if you are using a thicker cut of chicken, such as a chicken breast, I recommend searing chicken on both sides, then finish cooking in a 400F oven 5-10 minutes.
- Oven: Arrange chicken in a single layer on a greased sheet pan. Bake at 400F 20-25 minutes until chicken registers 165F. Optionally, broil chicken 1 inch from heat 2-3 minutes to crisp up the outside.
Trust me, this is one pasta salad that will not be boring on your cookout table this summer! The blackened chicken cubes really pull their weight with all that smoky goodness that pairs just beautifully with the silky avocado and creamy tomatillo dressing.
Forget side dish material, this is the whole freaking main course.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Try these other flavor-packed pasta salads next!
Blackened Chicken Avocado Pasta Salad with Tomatillo Dressing
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Ingredients
Tomatillo Dressing
- 6 medium tomatillos, quartered
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup firmly-packed fresh cilantro
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
Blackened Chicken
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 medium thighs)
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb pasta (penne, shells, elbows, etc)
- 2 medium avocados, pitted and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium sweet pepper, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Tomatillo Dressing
- Preheat oven to 400F. Toss tomatillos, vegetable oil, and salt and pepper to taste until evenly coated on a small greased sheet pan.
- Roast tomatillos at 400F 15-20 minutes until tomatillos are softened. Allow to cool slightly.
- Combine roasted tomatillos, yogurt, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend dressing on high speed until smooth and creamy. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
Blackened Chicken
- In a small bowl, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Place chicken thighs on a plate and rub spice mixture all over until evenly coated.
- Lightly grease the grates of a grill and preheat to 400F. Add chicken to grill and cook, turning occasionally until chicken registers 165F.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside for a moment.
Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta, rinse in cold water to cool, and place in a large bowl.
- Add blackened chicken, avocado, tomatoes, sweet pepper, mozzarella, and dressing to pasta and fold until evenly coated. Season pasta salad with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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