High Protein Chicken Pasta Salad with Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing

Here is my favorite chicken pasta salad recipe, with a creamy greek yogurt dressing, tender rotini pasta, and a mix of fresh vegetables, crumbled bacon, and tangy feta cheese.

This pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics, or easy weeknight dinners when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. I love making a big batch on Sunday so we have quick lunches ready for the whole week. Plus, it actually tastes better the next day once all the flavors have had time to blend together!

What Kind of Greek Yogurt Should I Use?

For this creamy pasta salad dressing, you’ll want to reach for full-fat Greek yogurt rather than the low-fat or non-fat versions. The full-fat variety gives you that thick, creamy texture that coats the pasta beautifully and holds up well when mixed with all those fresh veggies. If you only have regular yogurt on hand, it’ll work in a pinch, but Greek yogurt is strained to remove excess liquid, which means it won’t make your pasta salad watery as it sits in the fridge. Look for plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt – flavored varieties will throw off the savory balance of your dressing.

Options for Substitutions

This pasta salad is super adaptable, so feel free to swap things around based on what you have:

• Greek yogurt: If you don’t have Greek yogurt, regular plain yogurt works fine – just drain it through a cheesecloth for 30 minutes to thicken it up. Sour cream is another good option.
• Buttermilk: No buttermilk? Mix 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Pasta: Any short pasta shape works great here – rotini, penne, farfalle, or shells all hold the dressing well. Whole wheat or chickpea pasta are good alternatives if you want more protein or fiber.
• Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is a time-saver, but grilled, baked, or even leftover chicken all work. You could also use turkey or skip the meat entirely for a vegetarian version.
• Feta cheese: Try crumbled goat cheese, shredded cheddar, or cubed mozzarella if feta isn’t your thing.
• Vegetables: The veggie mix is totally flexible – swap in cucumber, snap peas, carrots, or whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand. Just keep the proportions similar for the best texture.
• Fresh herbs: Dried herbs work in a pinch – use 2 teaspoons dried parsley and 3/4 teaspoon dried dill instead of the fresh amounts.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with pasta salad is adding the dressing while the pasta is still hot, which causes the noodles to absorb too much liquid and leaves you with a dry, bland salad – always let your pasta cool for at least 10 minutes and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Overcooking your pasta is another common issue, so aim for al dente texture since the noodles will continue to soften as they sit in the dressing, and remember that pasta salad tastes best when the pasta still has a slight bite to it.

Don’t dump all your dressing in at once – reserve about a third of it to stir in right before serving, as pasta salads tend to dry out in the fridge and that extra dressing brings everything back to life.

Finally, make sure your chicken is properly seasoned and cooled before mixing it in, and if you’re using rotisserie chicken, shred it instead of chopping it into large chunks so the flavors distribute more evenly throughout the salad.

What to Serve With Chicken Pasta Salad?

This chicken pasta salad is pretty much a complete meal on its own since it’s loaded with protein, veggies, and pasta, but I love serving it alongside some warm garlic bread or dinner rolls for a cookout or potluck. If you’re making it for a summer gathering, pair it with other picnic favorites like watermelon slices, potato chips, or a simple cucumber and tomato salad. For a lighter side, some fresh fruit like grapes or strawberries works great to balance out the creamy, savory flavors. You could also serve it with some iced tea or lemonade to keep things refreshing, especially on a hot day.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours as the flavors blend together. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You might need to stir in a splash of buttermilk or water before serving if the dressing gets absorbed into the pasta.

Make Ahead: This is a great make-ahead dish for meal prep or parties. You can prep all the ingredients the night before and toss everything together a few hours before serving. If you’re making it more than a day ahead, consider keeping some of the dressing separate and adding it right before serving to keep everything fresh and creamy.

Serve: Pasta salad is best served cold or at room temperature. If you’ve had it in the fridge, let it sit out for about 15 minutes before serving so the flavors come through better. Give it a good stir and taste it – you might want to add a little extra salt, pepper, or a drizzle of olive oil to freshen it up.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3300-3600
• Protein: 145-165 g
• Fat: 135-150 g
• Carbohydrates: 340-360 g

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1 cup greek yogurt (I prefer Fage Total 5% for a thicker, creamier base)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1.25 cups buttermilk
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp parsley
• 2.5 tsp dill
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

For the salad:

• 1 lb pasta (I always use Barilla rotini to hold the dressing in the spirals)
• 2.5 cups chicken (shredded or cut into 1/2-inch bite-sized cubes)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved lengthwise)
• 1.5 cups broccoli (cut into small 1/2-inch florets)
• 1 cup corn
• 1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 8 strips bacon (cooked until crispy and crumbled)

Step 1: Prepare the Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing

• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1.25 cups buttermilk
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp parsley
• 2.5 tsp dill
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

In a medium bowl, whisk together the greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and buttermilk until smooth and well combined.

Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar, whisking until fully incorporated.

Stir in the garlic powder, parsley, dill, sugar, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.

Mix thoroughly to ensure all seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the dressing.

Set aside at room temperature while you prepare the other components.

I like to make the dressing first so the flavors have time to meld together before tossing with the pasta.

Step 2: Cook the Pasta and Prepare the Fresh Components

• 1 lb pasta
• 2.5 cups chicken
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1.5 cups broccoli
• 1 red bell pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.

While the pasta cooks, prepare all the fresh ingredients: halve the cherry tomatoes lengthwise, cut the broccoli into small 1/2-inch florets, dice the red bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces, and ensure your chicken is shredded or cut into 1/2-inch bite-sized cubes.

When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly and spread it out on a sheet pan or large bowl to cool for 3-5 minutes.

This brief cooling prevents the warm pasta from breaking down the creamy dressing.

Step 3: Assemble and Dress the Salad

• cooled pasta from Step 2
• chicken from Step 2
• cherry tomatoes from Step 2
• broccoli from Step 2
• 1 cup corn
• red bell pepper from Step 2
• most of the creamy greek yogurt dressing from Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, shredded chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, corn, and diced red bell pepper.

Pour most of the creamy greek yogurt dressing over the mixture (reserve a small amount to add before serving) and toss everything together until well coated.

I prefer to hold back a bit of dressing initially because as the salad sits in the refrigerator, the pasta continues to absorb moisture, so you can adjust the consistency just before serving.

Step 4: Add the Feta and Bacon Finish

• 1 cup feta cheese
• 8 strips bacon

In a small bowl, combine the crumbled cooked bacon with the feta cheese, mixing gently so the feta stays in nice chunks.

Fold this mixture into the dressed pasta salad, being careful not to crush the feta.

The bacon adds a wonderful smoky contrast to the creamy dressing, and keeping it separate until the end ensures it stays crispy rather than getting soggy.

Step 5: Chill and Finish

• reserved creamy greek yogurt dressing from Step 1

Transfer the assembled salad to a serving bowl or storage container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

This allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the pasta to fully absorb the dressing.

Just before serving, stir in the reserved dressing from Step 1 to refresh the creaminess and ensure a perfect consistency.

High Protein Chicken Pasta Salad with Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing

Delicious High Protein Chicken Pasta Salad with Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Servings 12 servings

Calories 3450 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the dressing

• 1 cup greek yogurt (I prefer Fage Total 5% for a thicker, creamier base)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1.25 cups buttermilk
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2.5 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp parsley
• 2.5 tsp dill
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

For the salad

• 1 lb pasta (I always use Barilla rotini to hold the dressing in the spirals)
• 2.5 cups chicken (shredded or cut into 1/2-inch bite-sized cubes)
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved lengthwise)
• 1.5 cups broccoli (cut into small 1/2-inch florets)
• 1 cup corn
• 1 red bell pepper (seeded and diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 8 strips bacon (cooked until crispy and crumbled)

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and buttermilk until smooth and well combined. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar, whisking until fully incorporated. Stir in the garlic powder, parsley, dill, sugar, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix thoroughly to ensure all seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the dressing. Set aside at room temperature while you prepare the other components. I like to make the dressing first so the flavors have time to meld together before tossing with the pasta.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, prepare all the fresh ingredients: halve the cherry tomatoes lengthwise, cut the broccoli into small 1/2-inch florets, dice the red bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces, and ensure your chicken is shredded or cut into 1/2-inch bite-sized cubes. When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly and spread it out on a sheet pan or large bowl to cool for 3-5 minutes. This brief cooling prevents the warm pasta from breaking down the creamy dressing.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, shredded chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, broccoli florets, corn, and diced red bell pepper. Pour most of the creamy greek yogurt dressing over the mixture (reserve a small amount to add before serving) and toss everything together until well coated. I prefer to hold back a bit of dressing initially because as the salad sits in the refrigerator, the pasta continues to absorb moisture, so you can adjust the consistency just before serving.
• In a small bowl, combine the crumbled cooked bacon with the feta cheese, mixing gently so the feta stays in nice chunks. Fold this mixture into the dressed pasta salad, being careful not to crush the feta. The bacon adds a wonderful smoky contrast to the creamy dressing, and keeping it separate until the end ensures it stays crispy rather than getting soggy.
• Transfer the assembled salad to a serving bowl or storage container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the pasta to fully absorb the dressing. Just before serving, stir in the reserved dressing from Step 1 to refresh the creaminess and ensure a perfect consistency.