This chicken macaroni salad is the perfect solution for a super duper easy lunch in almost no time.
Macaroni salad (pasta salad in general) is one of the easiest ways to assemble a complete meal in one dish. You can add different ingredients to include different textures and flavors.
You can use rotisserie chicken in case you have some leftover or you don’t want to cook the chicken and cut the cooking time.
Lately, I’m doing my best to meal prep my entire week. One of the recipes that I like to have in my fridge is my infallible Pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken). This is the chicken that I used for this salad.
In the recipe chart, you can see how easy it is to prepare the chicken in case you want to use uncooked chicken.
What it’s in this chicken macaroni salad?
As I said before you add almost anything to this salad. This is one of those all-you-have-in-your-fridge recipes. It’s perfect for leftovers.
Because I wanted to keep this “simple” I added my basics:
- Macaroni: Because macaroni salad, you know.
- Onion: They are the base of a good salad. You get a mild-spice aftertaste and a pleasant crunch. I prefer to cut the onions thinly to avoid big chunks.
- Sweet corn: For a touch of yellow and sweetness.
- Avocado: My favorite ingredient. If I could I would add avocado to every single one of my meals, definitely, I would do it. Avocado and chicken is one of the easiest combinations for salad. They work so well and you can make any variations. Also, When you use avocado you can lower the amount of mayo that a macaroni salad usually has. This way you end up with a health-ish kind of dish.
- Chicken: The heart of this salad. As I said before, this is a great recipe to use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Finally, I like to spice a bit my mayo with some mustard, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and I see you in the next recipe!
Chicken Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni
- ⅓ cup sweet corn
- 1 onion cut into dices
- 1 ripe Avocado cut into dices
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp mayo
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and Black pepper
For the chicken
- 250 gr chicken breast
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni according to their package instructions. Let it chill.
- Mix all the ingredients for the chicken marinade ( Worcestershire sauce, oregano, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste) and marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes. In a pan over medium heat, cook the chicken for 8- 10 minutes each side until fully cooked. Cut the chicken into cubes.
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing.
- In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients for the salad including the chicken cut into cubes. Pour the dressing and stir well to coat all the ingredients. Serve.
I’m Maria and I love cooking—and mostly EATING—food from all around the world. I’ve been sharing my abuela’s secret Latin-American recipes for the last 7 years with the world on this blog. I’ve been a full-time food blogger for many years and I’m always trying new delicious meals that don’t require a culinary degree or a Michelin-star chef. I also love traveling, cats, and knitting.