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This distinctive Orange Chicken Pasta Salad combines the flavors of Chinese takeout with a refreshing pasta salad! The result’s an excellent straightforward facet dish with a mix of scrumptious and thrilling savory flavors.

Why you’ll love this hen pasta salad recipe
- Easy to make: Using frozen orange hen and a easy dressing makes prep for this pasta salad past straightforward!
- Bursting with taste: This Asian pasta salad combines the idea of the traditional American facet dish with Asian-inspired flavors like sesame and cilantro and contemporary herbs.
- Great for crowds: You can simply double and even triple this recipe so there’s loads of pasta salad to go round.
- Versatile: Great as a hearty facet, this straightforward pasta salad can be served as a essential dish.
A giant bowl of pasta salad is certainly one of my favourite summer time facet dishes! Whether I’m searching for a companion to a Saturday night time meal or one thing crowd-pleasing for a barbecue or picnic on a scorching summer time day, a pleasant hen pasta salad at all times does the trick.
This recipe takes the traditional hen pasta salad idea and turns it right into a refreshing Asian pasta salad! It’s past straightforward to make and it’s certain to impress your family and friends.
Packed with taste, this recipe rivals my Dill Pickle Pasta Salad or this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad with regards to distinctive spins on the standard facet dish!


Ingredients you will want
- Pasta: My go-to pasta form for this dish is fusili corti bucati as a result of the tight curls are excellent for holding numerous the yummy dressing, however any brief lower pasta form (like rotini pasta or bowtie pasta) works superb.
- Frozen Orange Chicken: Most grocery shops could have frozen orange hen with the frozen meals, however if you happen to can’t discover any, you might additionally order out of your favourite takeout place as just a little cheat!
- Veggies: For balanced vitamin and additional taste, I add a broccoli slaw combine, purple bell pepper, and thinly sliced inexperienced onions. Cherry tomatoes, purple pepper or diced purple onion could be scrumptious in right here too!
- Cilantro: Chopped contemporary cilantro is the right garnish, nevertheless it can be served on the facet or omitted and swapped for parsley if cilantro isn’t your factor.
Tip: make this a wholesome hen pasta salad by grilling hen breast as an alternative of utilizing the frozen orange hen!
No mayonnaise dressing!
This excellent pasta salad incorporates a do-it-yourself dressing with out mayonnaise! Here’s all the things you’ll want:
- Oil: A mixture of olive oil and sesame oil ensures a hearty and scrumptious dressing with numerous taste.
- Soy Sauce: For a lift of savory umami taste.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Cuts by means of a few of the heavier savory flavors with some acidity. White wine vinegar can be used as an alternative.
- Honey: Adds a pleasant sweetness that compliments the tangy orange hen.
- Garlic and Ginger: Provide some extra savory and refreshing taste.
- Tahini: This non-compulsory ingredient can be utilized to thicken the dressing if you happen to’re searching for a creamy dressing if creamy pasta salad is extra your factor.


How to make hen pasta salad
- Cook pasta: Boil a big pot of salted water, then prepare dinner the pasta to al dente in response to bundle instructions. Drain and put aside. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to forestall sticking.
- Prepare the orange hen: While the pasta cooks, put together the hen in response to the instructions on the bundle. Once it’s crispy, chop into chew sized items and toss within the sauce.
- Make the dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk collectively all components for the dressing till effectively mixed.
- Toss all of it collectively: Add the al dente pasta, hen, and dressing to a big bowl and toss till all the things is coated within the dressing.
*For an in depth record of components and directions, please reference the recipe card down beneath.
How to serve this pasta salad
I like to recommend serving this pasta salad at room temperature, or whereas nonetheless heat. It’s doable to serve it as a chilly hen pasta salad as effectively, however the flavors develop higher once they’re at room temp or hotter. To be sincere, I’m not loopy about chilly pasta salad!


How to retailer pasta salad
Store leftovers within the fridge in an hermetic container for two to three days.
This dish can be made forward of time after which left at room temperature for half-hour or so earlier than serving. If you make it forward of time, save a little bit of the pasta salad dressing so as to add proper beforehand.
Because this dressing doesn’t have any dairy-based components, you may as well freeze the pasta salad for a number of months. Allow it to thaw within the fridge in a single day earlier than serving.
More facet dish recipes you’ll love
If you’re an enormous fan of pasta salads, do that flavorful and thrilling Taco Pasta Salad, a Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad, or this Gluten Free Mediterranean Pasta Salad!
Some different implausible facet dish choices for the summer time are these Air Fryer Potato Wedges, a batch of daring Buffalo Cauliflower, or this wholesome and scrumptious Green Beans Almondine. Round it out with a Cookie Cake for dessert!
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PIN IT to your hen recipes, facet dish recipes, or pasta salad recipes board to put it aside for later!
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Orange Chicken Pasta Salad
Tangy and savory, this Orange Chicken Pasta Salad combines Chinese takeout with a light-weight and refreshing pasta salad facet dish!
Servings: 6
Calories: 508kcal
Prevent your display from going darkish
Instructions
Cook the pasta in response to bundle directions till al dente. Drain and switch the cooked pasta to a sheet pan. Drizzle with a beneficiant quantity of olive oil and toss to coat. Set apart to chill
Cook the frozen orange hen in response to the bundle directions till crispy and totally cooked. Once cooked, put aside to chill barely and roughly chop the bigger items of hen. Then toss the hen within the sauce from the bundle.
While the pasta and hen are cooking, whisk collectively the sesame oil, olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, and ginger in a small bowl
Add the pasta to a big mixing bowl with the slaw combine, purple pepper, and sesame ginger dressing. Toss to mix, then fold within the orange hen, inexperienced onions, and cilantro. Then, serve!
Notes
- Serve heat or room temperature at any time when doable. This pasta salad could be served chilly as effectively.
- Make this a day or so forward of time and solely add about half to 2/3s of the dressing, then toss the remainder of the dressing with the salad when it’s time to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 682mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 934IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition data is approximate and was calculated utilizing a recipe vitamin label generator.



