Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta Salad
Jalapeño Popper Chicken Pasta Salad is a high protein pasta salad with creamy, spicy jalapeño popper flavor. Serve it for lunch, meal prep, potlucks, or an easy summer dinner.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces protein rotini pasta
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast chopped
- 4 strips turkey bacon cooked and chopped
- ¾ cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup celery finely chopped
- ⅓ cup sliced green onions
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ cup pickled jalapeños chopped
Jalapeño Popper Dressing:
- ½ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
- 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoon light Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon pickled jalapeño juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon water (if needed)
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the rotini pasta according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta in a colander. Rinse the pasta under cold water. Drain well.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, light mayonnaise, pickled jalapeño juice, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Using a wire whisk, mix until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled pasta, chicken, turkey bacon, cheddar cheese, celery, green onions, fresh jalapeños, and pickled jalapeños.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture.
- Stir until the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Stir the pasta salad before serving.
Add 1 tablespoon of water or pickled jalapeño juice if the pasta salad seems too thick after chilling.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Let the cream cheese soften - Softened cream cheese mixes into the yogurt more evenly and helps prevent small cream cheese lumps in the dressing. Chop the mix-ins fairly small - Smaller pieces of chicken, bacon, celery, and jalapeño spread through the pasta salad more evenly. Adjust the heat level - Jalapeños vary in heat. Taste a small piece before adding them if you prefer a milder pasta salad. Keep a little pickled jalapeño juice - Save some juice from the jar in case the pasta absorbs moisture while chilling. It can loosen the dressing while adding more tang.Storing
Refrigerate - Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Before serving - Stir the pasta salad after refrigeration. If the dressing has thickened, add a small amount of water or pickled jalapeño juice until it reaches the consistency you prefer,Nutrition
Serving: 1.5CupCalories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 26gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 489mgPotassium: 352mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 460IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 1mg
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