Nashville Hot Chicken Pasta Salad

I’ve been absolutely obsessed with my homemade Nashville hot seasoning. So, using it in this Nashville hot chicken pasta salad was a natural fit and guys — it’s sooooooo good!

You can put this chicken pasta salad recipe together in less than 20 minutes and it’s a perfect side dish or main course. Take it to your next potluck or neighborhood barbecue and be prepared to pass along the recipe; everyone is going to want it.

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Alternatives For This Recipe

Shrimp Salad: Try substituting the chicken for shrimp in this pasta salad, it’s really good.
Consistency: If you prefer a creamy chicken pasta salad, try adding a half of a cup of milk to the dressing before mixing it into the salad.
Chicken: While I prefer to brown up chicken breasts for this recipe, if you’re running short on time you can also use a rotisserie chicken and just debone and pull it apart.

4 Tips For Making Pasta Salad

Cooking the pasta: Don’t overcook the pasta. Limp pasta makes for an awful pasta salad. Try cooking it to just past al dente, drain it and allow it to finish cooking from the steam in a covered pot

Seasoning the pasta: Ensure you season the pasta water with plenty of salt when boiling it. Otherwise, the pasta will just be sort of bland.

Dressing the pasta: Be sure to add the dressing to the pasta when it’s warm. Warm pasta will absorb the dressing, and make it more way more flavorful than adding the dressing to cold pasta.

Using the right pasta: Don’t use a noodle like spaghetti or fettuccine, they don’t do well for pasta salad. Instead, see below for better pasta choices.

What Is The Best Pasta For Pasta Salad?

A nice sturdy pasta will work best and you’ll want to select one that has plenty of surface area. This helps the dressing to properly coat it. For this Nashville hot chicken salad I recommend one of the follow:

Fusilli or Rotini: The two look similar but there is a difference. Fusilli is made from pieces of pasta that are twisted together, rotini on the other hand is extruded into a similar shape. Both work excellent.

Cavatappi: This corkscrew shaped pasta is a favorite of mine for smoked mac n cheese. it also works well in any cold chicken pasta salad.

Farfalle: Otherwise known as “bow tie” pasta, this is another great option for Nashville hot chicken pasta salad. It does a great job holding the sauce, and it’s easy on the eyes.

How To Make Nashville Hot Chicken Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 12 mins. | Cook Time: 10 mins. | Serves: 8-10

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb Fusilli pasta
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 1/2 tbsp Nashville hot seasoning
1/2 tsp granulated sugar

Step 1: In a large pot of boiling water, add the pasta and cook until just past al dente, per the box instructions. When done, drain the pasta, cover and set aside allowing it steam and finish cooking.

Step 2: While the pasta is boiling, cut the chicken breasts into half inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in a skillet with vegetable oil over medium high heat till browned and cooked through. Set aside.

Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and Nashville hot seasoning.

Step 4: Transfer the warm cooked pasta into a large bowl and add the mayo mixture, along with the celery, pepper, onion and sugar. Using a large spoon, fold the ingredients together.

Step 4: Serve warm with pickled red onions.