Blackened Chicken Avocado Pasta Salad with Tomatillo Dressing
Spicy blackened chicken, silky avocado, and a creamy roasted tomatillo dressing pack so much flavor into this chicken avocado pasta salad.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 583kcal
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.
Notes
Storing Instructions
Store pasta salad in refrigerator up to 6 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 6 oz pasta salad | Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 483mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1086IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 2mg