This refreshing chicken pasta salad is loaded with raw veggies and a delicious savory Asian marinade. Make a batch for easy work week lunches or for serving at a party.
PREP TIME 15 minutesminutes
Additional Time 10 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 12 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 37 minutesminutes
YIELD 8servings
Ingredients
Asian Chicken Marinade
1/4cupcanola oil
1/4cupwhite vinegaror rice wine vinegar
1/4cupsoy sauce
2tbspchili sesame oil
Juice from 1/2 lime
6tablespoonsbrown sugar
1/2teaspoonground ginger
1tspminced garlic
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
Asian Chicken Pasta Salad
2poundschicken tenderloins
1poundorzo pasta
2large carrotsdiced
1red pepperdiced
2celery stalksdiced
4green onionsends trimmed and white and greens chopped
1bag prewashed baby spinachroughly chopped
1/2cupslivered almondstoasted
Sesame seeds for garnishoptional
Instructions
Prepare the Marinade
Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade in a medium sized mixing bowl. Divide it in half. Marinate the chicken in one half and reserve the other half to dress the final pasta salad.
Marinate & Cook the Chicken
Let the chicken marinate in half the prepared marinade for at least 30 minutes.
To cook the chicken, heat the oven broiler to HIGH. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it onto a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 7 minutes and then turn the chicken. Cook for an additional 5 minutes to brown the other side. Chicken should be 180°F when tested with a food thermometer.
Let the chicken cool and then chop into bite-sized pieces.
Prepare the Orzo Pasta Salad
To make the orzo pasta salad, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain completely and rinse with cold water. Pour the cooked orzo into a large mixing bowl.
Top the orzo with the chopped carrot, red pepper, celery, and green onions. Pour the reserved dressing over the salad and toss to coat completely. Store the pasta salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Assemble and Serve the Pasta Salad
To assemble, pour the baby spinach into a large serving dish. Add the orzo salad and toss gently to combine. Add the chunks of cooked chicken to the bowl and stir them in. Top with the almonds and sesame seeds for garnish.
Alternatively, you could serve the salad on individual plates with the baby spinach serving as the bottom layer, topped with a scoop of the pasta salad, and then 2 - 3 chicken tenderloins laid on the top. Garnish with almonds and sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead Tips
This is a fantastic make ahead recipe for work week lunches or for serving at a party because everything tastes great once the flavors have mingled.Be sure to store the baby spinach, cooked chicken, and assembled orzo pasta salad in 3 separate containers. Only mix them together before serving. This keeps the vegetables fresh and crispy.