If you love Caesar salad and hearty pasta dishes, you’re going to flip for this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad!
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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is a satisfying twist on the classic—featuring tender pasta, juicy rotisserie chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, and crunchy croutons, all tossed in creamy Caesar dressing.
Finish it with a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper. It’s the perfect make-ahead lunch, picnic side, or light summer dinner. Every bite is cool, creamy, and packed with bold Caesar flavor!
This simple salad is made with rotisserie chicken, store bought croutons, and a bottle of Caesar dressing for easy shortcuts. You don’t have to tell anyone how simple it was to make!
What you’ll need
Find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!
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- Large Mixing Bowl
- 8 ounces short cut pasta– I LOVE the Sfoglini brand, they have such fun shaped pasta you can’t find anywhere else. Rotini, bowties, radiator, or penne all work well in this.
- 2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed- I used rotisserie chicken. You can use leftover chicken or cook your chicken breast in your favorite seasonings. Here’s an easy air fryer chicken recipe.
- 6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
- 5 ounce bag croutons– or make your own, if you prefer. I have an easy Air Fryer Crouton recipe here.
- 2 hearts of romaine, chopped
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 12 ounces Caesar dressing– your favorite brand
- Salt and Black pepper to taste
How to make it
Cook the pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta.
2. Prep the ingredients
While the pasta cooks, chop the romaine lettuce, cube the cooked chicken, cook and crumble the bacon, and shred the parmesan if needed.
3. Mix the salad
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chicken, chopped bacon, chopped romaine, parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss everything together until well coated.
4. Add the crunch
Right before serving, fold in the croutons so they stay crispy.
5. Serve and enjoy!
Serve immediately, or chill for 30 minutes if you prefer it cold. This pasta salad is filling enough for a light dinner or perfect as a hearty side dish.
Tips
- Toss just before serving to keep the romaine crisp and the croutons crunchy.
- Storage: This is best enjoyed the same day, but if you have leftovers store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Switch it up: Try this with grilled shrimp, salmon, or steak instead of chicken. Add cherry tomatoes or halved soft boiled eggs.
- Use short pasta shapes like rotini, penne, or farfalle—they hold onto the dressing and mix beautifully with the other ingredients.
- Cook pasta al dente so it doesn’t get mushy after being tossed with dressing.
- Cool pasta completely before adding the lettuce and dressing. Warm pasta can wilt the greens and thin out the dressing.
You might also like
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
- The Best Pasta Salad
- Watermelon Salsa
- Columbia Restaurant’s 1905 Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta such as rotini, penne, or bowties
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast cubed (rotisserie chicken works great!)
- 6 strips of bacon cooked until crispy and chopped
- 5 oz bag of croutons
- 2 hearts of romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 12 ounces Caesar dressing use your favorite brand or homemade
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta.
- Prep the ingredients: While the pasta cooks, chop the romaine lettuce, cube the cooked chicken, cook and crumble the bacon, and shred the parmesan if needed.
- Mix the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chicken, chopped bacon, chopped romaine, parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Toss everything together until well coated.
- Right before serving, fold in the croutons so they stay crispy.
- Serve immediately, or chill for 30 minutes if you prefer it cold. This pasta salad is filling enough for a light dinner or perfect as a hearty side dish.
Notes
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-
- Toss just before serving to keep the romaine crisp and the croutons crunchy.
- Storage: This is best enjoyed the same day, but if you have leftovers store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Switch it up: Try this with grilled shrimp, salmon, or steak instead of chicken. Add cherry tomatoes or halved soft boiled eggs.
- Use short pasta shapes like rotini, penne, or farfalle—they hold onto the dressing and mix beautifully with the other ingredients.
- Cook pasta al dente so it doesn’t get mushy after being tossed with dressing.
- Cool pasta completely before adding the lettuce and dressing. Warm pasta can wilt the greens and thin out the dressing.
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