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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad

    Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad

    Posted: Dec 30, 2018 Last Modified: Aug 5, 2022 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    This Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect easy cold meal prep idea or a dish for a potluck!

    This Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect easy cold meal prep idea or a dish for a potluck!

    This Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect easy cold meal prep idea or a dish for a potluck!

    No Heat Meal Prep

    At work, we have a microwave that cannot be on while the toaster oven is on. Usually, I don’t really care about waiting those few extra minutes, but sometimes I am HUN.GR.Y., so those extra minutes are precious!

    Plus, with the potluck work parties, I don’t want to waste time waiting for a microwave to free up and making sure the entire pasta dish is heated all the way through for the party. So here I am, with a delicious solution!

    This cold chicken spinach pasta salad is so easy to make, plus it’s a great base for a variety of pasta salads. The chicken can be swapped out with chickpeas to make this pasta salad vegetarian, and other vegetables such as cucumbers, peppers, etc can be added to the pasta salad to change it up!

    Related: Want more delicious cold lunch recipes ideas from the blog? Try this Peach Quinoa Salad, Cold Chicken Pasta with Broccoli and Peas, and Mango Chili Lime Chicken Meal Prep!

    This Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect easy cold meal prep idea or a dish for a potluck!

    What You’ll Need to Make This Chicken Pasta Salad Meal Prep

    • pasta — feel free to use your favourite pasta shape. I personally love bow-ties for this pasta salad as it looks adorable.
    • shredded chicken — take your pick on how to make your chicken. The Instant Pot method is easiest for me. You can even just shred some chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken and save the bones for homemade chicken stock.
    • spinach — I personally prefer baby spinach for this pasta salad.
    • my homemade creamy roasted garlic dressing (or dressing of your choice)
    • optional: chili flakes to top for a little extra heat.

    Tips for making this pasta salad perfectly

    • Pasta, if tossed in dressing when warm, will soak up all the dressing and become dry and gummy. To avoid this, shock the pasta once it’s done cooking in ice water to get it cold fast (and avoid the pasta from sticking together while you wait for it to cool).
    • Pasta salad get better with time! After mixing the pasta salad, chill it for at least 30 minutes before serving.
    • Not a fan of spinach? Swap for some cooked broccoli, kale, or another green veggie of your choice.

    How To Make This Pasta Salad

    • Following the direction on your box of pasta, cook pasta until al dente.
    • Cook your chicken breasts in your method of choice and shred it before setting it aside.
    • Once your pasta is almost done, prep a bowl of ice water to shock your pasta.
    • In a large bowl, toss together your spinach, shredded chicken, pasta, with creamy roasted garlic dressing (or a dressing of your choice).
    • Let chill before serving.
    This Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect easy cold meal prep idea or a dish for a potluck!

    Make Ahead Tips

    • Meal prep: store the salads in an airtight container in the fridge. Prepped salad will last for up to 5 days.
    • Freezer: You can freeze the cooked chicken so you can quickly whip up this pasta salad whenever you’re craving it. Cook extra and allow the chicken and bacon to cool before transferring into an airtight container and storing them in the freezer.
    This Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect easy cold meal prep idea or a dish for a potluck!

    Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad

    This Cold Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad is the perfect easy cold meal prep idea or a dish for a potluck!
    5 from 31 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 35 mins
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups pasta
    • 2 chicken breasts, shredded
    • 5 ounces spinach
    • 3-4 tbsp creamy roasted garlic dressing, or dressing of your choice
    • optional: chili flakes to top

    Instructions

    • Following the direction on your box of pasta, cook pasta until al dente.
    • Cook your chicken breasts in your method of choice and shred it before setting it aside.
    • Once your pasta is almost done, prep a bowl of ice water to shock your pasta.
    • In a large bowl, toss together your spinach, shredded chicken, pasta, with creamy roasted garlic dressing (or a dressing of your choice).
    • Let chill before serving.
    Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥
    Author: Carmy
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Meal Prep

    More Salad Recipes to Try

    • Quinoa Chicken Spinach Nergi Bowl
    • Chicken Pepperoni Pasta Salad
    • Quinoa Salad with Honey Garlic Sriracha Chicken
    • BLT Salad with Chicken
    • Grilled Chicken Salad with Blueberries
    • Spinach Strawberry Salad
    • Chicken Cobb Salad (Meal Prep)
    • Chopped Chicken Salad
    • Healthy Chicken Mason Jar Salad

    Other places to connect with me
    Instagram: @carmyshungry
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carmyycom
    Email: [email protected]

    • 486

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mindy

      January 05, 2019 at 7:35 am

      5 stars
      This was so good. Love the roasted garlic sauce!

      Reply
      • Lori

        April 27, 2022 at 6:52 pm

        Where can I buy roasted garlic sauce

        Reply
        • Carmy

          April 27, 2022 at 8:51 pm

          Hi! I make my own :) link: https://carmyy.com/homemade-creamy-roasted-garlic-dressing/

          Reply
    2. Gloria

      January 08, 2019 at 4:07 pm

      5 stars
      This looks like a delicious salad. The perfect way to start healthy eating for the New Year. I love combining pasta with tuna. I could eat this for lunch or dinner a couple of times a week.

      Reply
    3. Debra

      January 10, 2019 at 9:26 am

      5 stars
      Great tips on cooking the pasta. I will definitely try the ice bath because mine always comes out gummy! I agree, this is awesome for a potluck so you don’t have to wait for space in the oven…and it definitely helps the hostess out too!

      Reply
    4. Marisa Franca

      January 12, 2019 at 11:43 am

      5 stars
      What a great looking salad. This would be a wonderful lunch or a light dinner. I bet it even packs nicely for a picnic. I love the addition of the hot pepper flakes. Very tasty but easy to make. An ideal recipe.

      Reply
    5. Annemarie

      January 12, 2019 at 7:21 pm

      5 stars
      I love cold pasta dishes. They are perfect for picnics, lunches, and summer dinners. And this recipe would be great for leftover chicken which makes it even better! (Cook once, eat twice. :) )

      Reply
    6. AMBER

      April 23, 2019 at 1:57 pm

      5 stars
      So easy and so delicious!! A new favorite meal!

      Reply
      • Carmy

        April 24, 2019 at 6:36 pm

        Woohoo! So happy to hear that you enjoyed! :)

        Reply
    7. Anne Lawton

      July 11, 2019 at 7:42 am

      5 stars
      This is a great ! A full meal all in one bowl and I love that it’s portable too!

      Reply
    8. Maggie

      July 11, 2019 at 5:41 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my word! I need this Chicken Spinach Pasta Salad in my life. I have to rethink dinner tonight. lol.

      Reply
    9. Kallie

      July 12, 2019 at 11:59 am

      Could you use a Rotisserie Chicken for the shredded chicken?

      Reply
      • Carmy

        July 12, 2019 at 3:27 pm

        Yup! This pairs well if you have leftover chicken and want to make it into a “new” meal :)

        Reply
    10. Julie

      July 12, 2019 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      I looooove pasta salad – it’s my favorite summer dish. This looks like the perfect way to make it a main dish by adding a protein and some veggies. So good!

      Reply
    11. Alisha Rodrigues

      July 13, 2019 at 3:43 am

      5 stars
      Pasta salads are always a favorite…. This looks so good with all the healthy ingredients and simple flavors

      Reply
    12. Ana F.

      July 13, 2019 at 11:34 am

      5 stars
      This salad was delicious! So easy to make and healthy too. Love the sauce! Thanks for the recipe

      Reply
      • Carmy

        July 13, 2019 at 5:10 pm

        Woohoo! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the lovely comment!

        Reply
    13. jenni lebaron

      July 13, 2019 at 10:37 pm

      5 stars
      I love the idea of no heat meal prep. I think the idea of adding this creamy roasted garlic dressing to the mix too. Delicious through and through!

      Reply
    14. Daniela

      July 14, 2019 at 8:22 pm

      5 stars
      What a deliciously fab pasta salad!!! Perfect for these warm summer months. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    15. Kylee Ayotte

      July 14, 2019 at 8:34 pm

      5 stars
      That roasted garlic sauce really took this to another level. My family and I loved this!

      Reply
    16. Lorie

      July 14, 2019 at 8:58 pm

      5 stars
      Carmy—this is the best, so simple but seriously a great way to get away from the same old, same old, which is the issue I seem to have.

      Reply
    17. Jagruti Dhanecha

      July 15, 2019 at 3:11 am

      5 stars
      The highlight of this pasta is roasted garlic sauce, my daughter loves pasta and always look out for an easy yet tasty recipe, sharing with her now.

      Reply
    18. Natalie

      July 15, 2019 at 9:55 am

      5 stars
      This is great idea and the recipe. I always have chicken leftovers from Sunday dinner and don’t know how to use it. Now I have a idea. This goes on my to try list asap. Loos fantastic!

      Reply
    19. Hayley

      August 18, 2019 at 10:01 pm

      5 stars
      I had leftover barbecue chicken and used it in this pasta! I made the garlic dressing, and it’s literally to die for. My husband said he’d eat it on ANYTHING. So excited for my lunches this week! Thank you for this amazing recipe!

      Reply
      • Carmy

        August 18, 2019 at 10:03 pm

        I am so glad this was a hit! Enjoy :)

        Reply
    20. Hannah

      September 24, 2019 at 12:58 pm

      Anyone know the nutritional facts on this?

      Reply
      • Carmy

        September 24, 2019 at 2:19 pm

        Hey Hannah,

        I have an estimate of the nutritional data for the dressing here: https://carmyy.com/homemade-creamy-roasted-garlic-dressing/. Unfortunately I don’t have the data for this recipe on its own it depends on how much/what type of pasta you use and how much dressing you prefer to add. Hope this helps :)

        Reply
    21. Brandi

      November 17, 2019 at 9:05 pm

      I am wondering if I make this ahead of time for lunches, will the spinach get soggy? There is nothing I hate more than soggy/slimy spinach. This looks delicious though and I can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Carmy

        November 18, 2019 at 11:28 am

        It doesn’t feel soggy to me! However, if you’re considered, you can sub it for broccoli or something sturdier!

        Reply
    22. Debra

      January 29, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe, my family would rather have Cesar dressing and it worked amazingly.
      We also added bacon, Delicious!

      Reply
      • Carmy

        January 29, 2020 at 5:38 pm

        Bacon sounds like such a delicious addition to this pasta! Thanks for leaving a rating :)

        Reply
    23. Gloria

      April 24, 2020 at 8:53 am

      5 stars
      I am so looking forward to summer salads….and the end of this season. I will be celebrating with a huge BBQ. This is a great salad for the mix.

      Reply
    24. Donn

      April 28, 2020 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      I love how versatile this recipe is, we used some leftover rotisserie chicken and a half can of leftover chickpeas (because why not), and it was just perfect in its simplicity!

      Reply
    25. george

      June 06, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      Is the 5 oz of spinach er container or total ounces needed for all 5 containers.

      Reply
      • Carmy

        June 06, 2020 at 6:25 pm

        Total, but you’re welcomed to add as much as you’d like!

        Reply
    26. Amanda

      July 24, 2020 at 10:36 am

      I’m a college student trying to try new recipes and this has become one of my favorite lunches! I find myself coming back to this pin constantly (I should probably print it out at this point).

      Reply
      • Carmy

        July 24, 2020 at 12:31 pm

        I’m so happy that this has become a favourite!! Thank you for sharing :)

        Reply
    27. LC

      May 24, 2021 at 10:22 pm

      5 stars
      I made the recipe but added red and orange peppers and tri colored rotini. I did not have time to refrigerate and used cold rotisserie chicken. My husband used bottled Ranch and I used Skinnygirl Honey Dijon and will make this recipe again.

      Reply
      • Carmy

        May 24, 2021 at 10:30 pm

        Thank you for the 5 stars LC! :)

        Reply
    28. Dorothysasseville

      June 02, 2021 at 1:46 pm

      This was delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply
      • Carmy

        June 02, 2021 at 5:55 pm

        Happy you enjoyed!

        Reply

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