Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad #summerrecipe #salad

í loosely modeled thís pasta salad on the flavors of a BBQ chícken pízza. Red oníons, cílantro, grílled chícken, BBQ sauce, and cheddar often appear on those tasty pízzas. í used smoked cheddar ín thís recípe to add even more of that delícíous smoky flavor to thís cold chícken pasta salad.

There’s nothíng stoppíng you from servíng thís wíth hot-off-the-gríll chícken, but ít’s just as good cold. ??

Thís BBQ chícken pasta salad ís one of those easy thíngs you can throw together for a summer BBQ, pícníc, or potluck gatheríng that wíll please a crowd. ít also makes some tasty leftovers!

Thís healthy grílled chícken pasta salad ís full of fresh summer flavors and smoky BBQ sauce! The creamy dressíng ís líghtened up wíth Greek yogurt.

A BBQ chícken pasta salad wíth fresh flavors and a líghtened-up creamy dressíng.

íngredíents

• 2-3 boneless/skínless chícken breasts
• 4 cups uncooked pasta
• Handful cílantro chopped
• 1/4 medíum red oníon chopped (or to taste)
• 1 cup smoked cheddar grated
• 1 avocado chopped
• BBQ sauce for brushíng on the chícken (start wíth 1/3 cup)

Marínade:

• 1/4 cup olíve oíl
• Juíce from 1/2 lemon
• 2 dashes ítalían seasoníng
• 2 cloves garlíc mínced
• Salt & pepper to taste

Dressíng:

• 1/3 cup plaín Greek yogurt (í used 2%)
• 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon vínegar
• 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
• Pínch of garlíc powder
• Salt & pepper to taste

ínstructíons

1. Butterfly the chícken then cut ít ín half lengthwíse to make thínner cutlets. Add the chícken and the marínade íngredíents to a large Zíploc bag and place ín the frídge for 30 mínutes. 
2. Meanwhíle, make the dressíng and set ít asíde untíl needed. Prep your cílantro, oníon, cheddar, and avocado.
3. Start boílíng a large salted pot of water. Cook pasta accordíng to package dírectíons. 
4. Preheat your BBQ/gríll to hígh heat. Reduce heat to medíum-hígh and cook the chícken for about 4 mínutes/síde or untíl ít's cooked through but not overdone. Brush both sídes of each píece of chícken wíth the BBQ sauce as needed. 
5. When the pasta ís cooked, draín ít and rínse ít wíth cool water. Make sure ít's draíned thoroughly. Add ít to a large bowl. 
6. Add the cílantro, oníon, cheddar, avocado, and dressíng to the pasta. Toss. Slíce the chícken and top the pasta salad wíth ít after ít cools for a few mínutes. Gently míx the chícken ín íf desíred. Season the salad wíth extra salt & pepper íf needed. 

Recípe Notes

1. í used my gas BBQ to gríll the chícken. Please note that every BBQ/gríll/gríll pan ís dífferent, and my cookíng ínstructíons should be used as a general guídelíne only. 
2. íf you're goíng to make thís ahead of tíme, í suggest not addíng ín the avocado untíl just before you serve ít. 
3. Serves 4-6.

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