This High Protein Chicken Cobb Pasta Salad takes everything you love about a classic Cobb salad and tosses it with rotini for a lunch or dinner that actually fills you up.
Every bowl gets chicken breast, turkey bacon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, tomatoes, romaine, cucumber, red onion, blue cheese, and fresh chives.
The dressing is where it gets good: Greek yogurt, light mayo, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard come together for something creamy that coats the pasta without drowning out all those other flavors.
With 31 grams of protein per serving, this one holds its own as a main dish, not just a side.
It’s perfect for meal prepping your lunches for the week, bringing to a cookout, or serving up on a summer night when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
Store it in a container with a tight lid to keep it fresh in the fridge, or portion it into individual containers so your weekday lunches are grab and go.
Between the pasta, chicken, eggs, veggies, and dressing, you get so much texture in every bite. Just give it some time to chill before serving so the flavors can really soak in.
Why You’ll Love This High Protein Chicken Cobb Pasta Salad
High in Protein
Each serving has 31 grams of protein from chicken breast, turkey bacon, eggs, Greek yogurt, and blue cheese.
Filling Main Dish
Pasta, chicken, eggs, avocado, and vegetables make this substantial enough to serve for lunch or dinner.
Meal Prep Friendly
Divide the chilled salad into covered containers for several prepared lunches.
Classic Cobb Salad Ingredients
This recipe has the familiar mix of chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese, romaine lettuce, and red onion.
Creamy Homemade Dressing
Greek yogurt and light mayonnaise form the base of the dressing, while vinegar, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard add acidity.
A large mixing bowl gives you enough room to stir the pasta salad without crushing the avocado. A wire whisk helps smooth the dressing.
Ingredient Substitutions
Rotini Pasta
Use bow tie pasta, penne, or elbow macaroni in place of rotini. Choose a pasta shape that holds the dressing well.
Chicken Breast
Use chopped rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked turkey instead of chicken breast.
Turkey Bacon
Use cooked center-cut bacon or diced turkey ham.
Blue Cheese
Use reduced-fat feta, shredded cheddar, or chopped provolone if you do not care for blue cheese.
Romaine Lettuce
Use chopped iceberg lettuce, green leaf lettuce, or baby spinach.
Greek Yogurt
Use plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream. The dressing may have a thinner or richer texture.
Red Wine Vinegar
Use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Avocado
Leave out the avocado if the pasta salad will be stored for more than one day. Add fresh avocado shortly before serving instead.
Fresh Chives
Use sliced green onions or chopped fresh parsley.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links where I make a small commission if you purchase anything after clicking a link. There is no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Chicken Cobb Pasta Salad
Recipes are written with one action per step for accessibility. Short lines. Fewer rereads. A calmer kitchen on mobile or desktop.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast chopped
- 4 slices turkey bacon cooked and chopped
- 3 large hard boiled eggs peeled, and chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
- ½ cup cucumber diced
- ½ cup reduced-fat blue cheese crumbles
- ⅓ cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 medium avocado diced
- 2 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
For the Cobb Dressing:
- ½ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon light Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rotini pasta according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta in a colander. Rinse the pasta under cold water. Drain the pasta well.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, water, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Using a wire whisk, mix until the dressing is smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled pasta, chicken, turkey bacon, eggs, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, cucumber, blue cheese, red onion, avocado, and chives.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture.
- Stir gently until the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Stir gently before serving.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Cool the pasta fully – Warm pasta can soften the lettuce and avocado. Let it cool before adding the remaining ingredients. Add the avocado last – Fold it in after the other ingredients to reduce mashing. Prepare ingredients ahead – Cook the chicken, turkey bacon, eggs, and pasta in advance to make assembly easier. Keep lettuce crisp – For meal prep, store the romaine separately and stir it into each serving before eating.Storing
Store in the refrigerator – Place the pasta salad in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Store avocado separately – For the freshest texture and color, add diced avocado shortly before serving. Stir before serving – The dressing may settle or thicken in the refrigerator. Stir the salad and add up to 1 tablespoon of water when needed.Nutrition
Shop My Kitchen Favorites
Find the kitchen tools, cooking essentials, and everyday products I use and recommend in my Amazon Storefront.
You May Also Like
