Asian Pasta Salad with Chicken — Big juicy chicken chunks and texture galore from the rainbow of crispy veggies! Fast, easy, fresh and healthy!! Great for picnics, potlucks, and easy dinners!!
Easy Asian Pasta Salad Recipe
I love watching what people buy at the deli counter. And unfortunately what they usually overpay for. Chinese chicken salad is definitely a popular item.
DIY is always best and this Asian noodle salad is a fast and easy recipe the whole family will love, ready in 20 minutes, and it’s one of the best pasta salads I’ve eaten in ages.
There are so many wonderful flavors because the sauce the chicken cooks in, which then gets tossed with the pasta and vegetables, is packed with the quintessential Chinese chicken salad flavors: soy sauce, sesame, rice wine vinegar, honey, lemon and it keeps the chicken perfectly moist, tender, and coats the pasta and vegetables beautifully.
There’s texture galore from all the veggies. Carrots, cabbage, sugar snap peas, bell peppers, edamame. It’s like eating a salad minus the lettuce. Along with dry chow mein noodles, crunchy Fisher Natural Sliced Almonds, peanuts, and sesame seeds, it’s crunchy, hearty, and all the veggies really beefs up the yield.
It’s healthy, perfect for summer parties, potlucks, picnics, or busy weeknights. It makes a big batch, which is great for planned leftovers and lunches.
What’s in Asian Pasta Salad?
To make this Asian noodle salad, you’ll need:
- Rotini pasta
- Honey
- Rice wine vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
- Lemon juice
- Ground ginger
- Chicken breasts
- Purple cabbage
- Sugar snap peas
- Edamame
- Carrots
- Yellow bell pepper
- Chow mein noodles
- Fisher Natural Sliced Almonds
- Peanuts
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
How to Make Asian Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
Add the diced chicken to an oiled skillet and cook until 90% done. Pour the sauce over the chicken and let it bubble away until thickened.
Add the sauce and the cooked chicken to the pasta, then add the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine, then serve.
Can I Prep Asian Pasta Salad in Advance?
Yes, this Asian pasta salad will stay fresh up to 3 days in the fridge. However, it’s best within 24 hours of making it (the pasta gets soggy over time).
Tips for Making Asian Pasta Salad
This Asian noodle salad is versatile because you can serve it warm or chilled, making it great for picnics and parties.
Use the vegetables I used or improvise and toss in your favorites. If you’re missing a couple of the veggies or nuts I used, that’s likely okay. Go with what you have.
If you’re vegetarian, you’re welcome to omit the chicken from this Asian noodle salad. Just be sure to cook the sauce in a skillet anyways because it needs to thicken up before being tossed with the other ingredients.
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Chinese Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar may be substituted
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil for sauce + 1 tablespoon for cooking chicken
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, I use reduced sodium
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 cup purple cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- ½ cup edamame, cooked and shelled
- ½ cup carrots, diced small or shredded
- ½ cup yellow or orange bell peppers, diced small (another color may be substituted)
- ½ cup chow mein noodles, add dry, don’t cook
- ½ cup Fisher Natural Sliced Almonds
- ¼ cup peanuts
- ½ cup green onions, sliced thin (about 2 green onions using both green and white)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, place in a large bowl, and set aside.
- To a medium bowl or large measuring cup, add the honey, rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons sesame oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger, salt, pepper, and stir to combine; set sauce aside.
- To a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon sesame oil, add chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, flipping intermittently so all sides cook evenly. Cooking time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts and sizes of pieces. Chicken should be about 90% cooked through.
- Carefully add the sauce, noting that it may bubble up in the first few seconds.
- Allow sauce to bubble at a medium-fast boil for about 5 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and reduced some, and chicken is cooked through. Stir sauce and flip chicken intermittently throughout. You’ll still have quite a bit of sauce in the pan after 5 minutes which is good because there’s a lot of pasta and vegetables to coat.
- Add chicken and sauce from the pan to the bowl of pasta.
- Add the cabbage, sugar snap peas, edamame, carrots, bell peppers, chow mein noodles, nuts, onions, sesame seeds, and stir well to combine.
- Dish can be served warm immediately or can be served as a cold pasta salad.
Notes
- Will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve cold or reheat gently prior to serving if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Pasta Salad Ideas:
ALL OF MY EASY PASTA SALAD RECIPES!
Tomato and Mozzarella Pesto Pasta Salad — Tender pasta, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella are coated in Parmesan cheese and DELICIOUS pesto sauce!
Italian Chicken Pasta Salad — Easy, ready in 20 minutes, and healthy! Bursting with fresh flavors from juicy tomatoes, cucumber, basil, parmesan, and tender chicken tossed in a tangy lemon vinaigrette!
BLT Pasta Salad — EASY, ready in 15 minutes, feeds a crowd, and PERFECT for potlucks and parties. Creamy ranch dressing perfectly coats the pasta and BACON. Guaranteed family FAVORITE!
Smoky Chicken, Peppers, and Spinach Pasta Salad – Juicy chicken, crisp bell peppers and pasta with smoked paprika! Fast, easy, healthy and a hit with everyone! Great for picnics, potlucks, or easy weeknight dinners!
Mandarin Orange Chicken Pasta Salad – EASY, ready in 30 minutes, and packed with Asian-inspired flavors!! Juicy sesame chicken, pasta, and lots of healthy vegetables! PERFECT for potlucks, picnics, parties, and planned leftovers!!
Chicken Orzo Salad – Juicy chicken tossed with orzo, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and a super flavorful lemon vinaigrette! Easy, healthy, ready in 30 minutes, and a perfect way to use your garden fresh veggies!
Taco Pasta Salad — EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and loaded with great Mexican-inspired ingredients including corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and more!! Perfect for picnics, parties, and potlucks!!
Post is brought to you by Fisher. The recipes, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own. #ThinkFisher
Amazing colors!
This chicken pasta salad looks amazing! I love all the great flavors in here!
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Thank you!
This chinese chicken pasta salad looks so light and refreshing – perfect for summer!
You are rocking the savory recipes, Averie! I just realized I missed a whole bunch! Catching up! This salad looks fantastic. I need a salad that can be a meal on it’s own. Pinned!
Thanks for pinning and yes in April and May I did quite a bit of savory and it was a nice change for everyone I think!
I’m becoming repetitive: I am loving your savory recipes! Seriously every one you make I want. This one especially!!
Well thank you for being repetitive! I totally appreciate the savory support!
This salad looks so refreshing on a hot day! I love easy salads like this that come together quickly and taste fabulous. Can’t beat it for a quick weeknight meal or side dish!
This salad looks amazing!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
Sounds like a great flavor combo.
As always love all the colors, the flavors, the texture, and the photos are so perfect that I would make this now and eat it for breakfast!
Love it! Beautiful healthy salad!! Perfect for summer!!
This looks healthy and delicious! Edamame is becoming one of my favorites, love how you added it in this salad, great idea!
I never buy deli salads because I always fear how long they’ve been sitting around. I love this salad all it’s beautiful
colors especially that purple cabbage…gorgeous…can’t wait to make this and eat it throughout the week for lunches.
LMK if you try it!
I’ll look at the deli counter salads for ideas and then make something similar at home–it’s usually the sauce/dressing that needs some healthful tweaking. This looks great–I’ve been on a chili-lime-cilantro kick with my salads this past week so it’s time to mix it up again. Gotta give this a try!
Nothing wrong with a chili-lime-cilantro kick :) But this is a totally different flavor profile and a great changeup!
It rained all day–final phase of landscape project derailed. This recipe brightened up dinner though–so colorful and flavorful with plenty of crunch. I used up the last of my fresh ginger and found some black sesame seeds hidden in the freezer. We loved it (always do!) and have leftovers for a quick lunch tomorrow.
Thanks for trying the recipe and the ginger and black sesame seeds would be perfect! Great recipe to use up those random bits you have on-hand and both of those things I know would be great in here! Sorry about the rain…ugh!! I hate it when Mother Nature stands in the way of progress!
Averie – I’m drooling over here! I love the colorful array of vegetables and nuts in this dish. This would be one of those dishes that I make and enjoy throughout the week. Thank you!
The deli counter winds up being full of extra oils, salts, and sugars. And I usually prefer the way my version tastes anyway! I pretty much use the deli counter to buy deli. That’s it.
This salad looks amazing. I love the bits of crunch thrown in with the dressing, not to mention those great chunks of chicken!
The deli counter winds up being full of extra oils, salts, and sugars. <--- Amen! :)