Orange Chicken Pasta Salad
I love when a salad can really be a whole meal. This Orange Chicken Pasta Salad with Poppyseed Dressing is really a meal-in-one. Plus, it tastes like summer! It’s not too heavy and the orange poppyseed dressing sets it all off without drowning out all the other flavors!
BBQ Side Dish
This pasta salad could also be a BBQ side dish. You could leave out the diced chicken and serve this as just a side to some BBQ grilled chicken. Actually, I think it would go beautifully with my Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Chicken. The citrus flavors in each of these would really complement each other. Also note the lettuce is optional in this. You can leave it out altogether or substitute with chopped broccoli or baby spinach.
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) box rotini pasta
2 cups fully cooked chicken breast, diced into chunks
3 cups diced romaine lettuce (or baby spinach), chopped
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained well
1 cup roughly chopped pecans
1 (12 oz) bottle orange poppyseed dressing* 
*Cook’s Notes: You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken, canned chicken or the grilled chicken (like the one pictured above) that is in the refrigerated or frozen section of your grocery store. This salad works great with any leftover chicken you may have. If you can’t find orange poppyseed dressing (I bought this at Kroger), just go with regular poppyseed dressing.
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well, then cool.
In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, diced chicken, chopped lettuce, mandarin oranges and chopped pecans.
Pour poppyseed dressing on top of salad.
Stir gently to combine well.
You can serve immediately or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours. 
Stir again before serving!
Enjoy!
- 1 16 oz box rotini pasta
- 2 cups fully cooked chicken breast diced into chunks
- 3 cups diced romaine lettuce (or baby spinach) roughly chopped
- 1 15 oz 15 oz can mandarin oranges, drained well
- 1 cup roughly chopped pecans
- 1 12 oz bottle orange poppyseed dressing
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well, then cool.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, diced chicken, chopped lettuce, mandarin oranges and chopped pecans.
- Pour poppyseed dressing on top of salad.
- Stir gently to combine well.
- You can serve immediately or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours.
- Stir again before serving!
You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken, canned chicken or the grilled chicken (like the one pictured above) that is in the refrigerated or frozen section of your grocery store. This salad works great with any leftover chicken you may have. If you can't find orange poppyseed dressing (I bought this at Kroger), just go with regular poppyseed dressing.
Hi Brandie,
The Orange chicken pasta sounds delicious! Where can we find Orange poppyseed dressing?
Thank you
Hi Diana, I purchased it at Kroger. I also saw it at Walmart. But, if you can’t find it, the regular poppyseed dressing still works good!
Print link doesn’t work…
Hi Sherry! I just tested it and it’s working. It might’ve been a temporary hiccup. Can you try again? 🙂
Oh, my Brandie, you read my mind. This is something I can easily make and I LOVE salads with chicken and mandarin oranges so I know this salad with the pasta will be scruptious! Thank you so much for sharing..
Thank you Claudine!! Hope you love it as much as I did! I probably ate too much (if I’m being honest – LOL!)
Brandie, I have a two recipes for Orange Poppy Seed Dressing that I got many many years ago from an online group that I belonged to. The group is now extinct, but I can send it to you if you’d like. It is easy to do and quick. It makes 1 1/2 cups which I think would be equal to the 12 ounce bottle of dressing. One recipe uses cornstarch for the thickener and the other recipe uses powdered fruit pectin for the thickener. I just wanted to check with you before posting it I don’t want to do anything wrong. Let me know if you would be interested.
Hi Claudine! Of course I would love it! If you wouldn’t mind, I’ll add it into this post in case anyone wants to make it themselves. I always appreciate a good recipe share!
Hello, Was the dressing recipe ever posted? 1 Would love to have it and cannot find it ❤
I checked out the same dressing you used …$30.00 (yes – that is correct) for 2 – 12 oz bottles…no Kroger here in CT
That is ridiculous! I paid less than $2 at the store. My local Walmart carries it. But, it will still taste really good with regular poppyseed dressing. I promise!! 🙂 If you want, you could even stir in some of the juice from the mandarin oranges into the regular poppyseed dressing to kick up the orange flavor! 🙂
That looks delicious! I love salads that can stand in for full fledged meals . Pinned
I love receiving your recipes. I have been cooking for 60 years and still love to try new meals. In 60 years I thought I had tried everything. NOT. Since we are such salad lovers I cannot wait to try the Orange Chicken Pasta Salad. Great for family and for sharing with friends and potlucks. Thanks..