When you want something filling but not heavy, a pasta salad with chicken is hard to beat. Tender pasta, juicy chicken breast, and crisp veg come together into a bowl that’s simple… and honestly really satisfying.
Lettuce, cucumber, and fresh herbs keep it bright, and the yogurt-lemon dressing makes everything feel light and balanced instead of weighed down. It’s the kind of pasta salad that works for lunch, a picnic, or a genuinely good lunchbox situation.
In my kitchen, salads like this usually happen on those days when time’s tight but there’s already cooked chicken in the fridge. While the pasta water is coming up to a boil, I slice the cucumber into thin half-moons and hunt down the crunchiest lettuce leaves. The lemon zest in the dressing does that little mood-lift thing—like someone cracked a window for a minute. Then it’s all about rhythm: cool the pasta, shred the chicken, shake the dressing until smooth. Once it all hits the bowl, the textures just click—springy pasta, juicy chicken, fresh crunch. No fuss, no garnish drama.
In this recipe, you’ll find
- Why you’ll love this pasta salad with chicken
- Tips before you start
- What to look for when choosing ingredients
- Secrets for the best light pasta salad with chicken
- How to serve light pasta salad with chicken
- Nutrition perks
- Recipe variations
- Questions & answers
- Common mistakes
Light Pasta Salad with Chicken (Greek Yogurt Lemon Dressing)
Ingredients
- 250 g Short pasta (penne or fusilli) dry
- 300 g Chicken breast cooked and chilled
- 1 pc Cucumber large, firm
- 80 g Lettuce leaves well dried
- 150 g Plain Greek yogurt thick, unsweetened
- 1 tsp Mustard Dijon or mild
- 2 tsp Lemon juice to taste, 1–2 tsp
- 1 pinch Lemon zest from 1/4 lemon
- 1 tsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Fresh herbs (dill or parsley) finely chopped
- 1 to taste Salt for pasta water, cucumber, and dressing
- 1 to taste Black pepper freshly ground
- 30 g Hard cheese (optional) grate right before serving
Equipment
- 4–5 l pot
- Colander
- Large mixing bowl
- Knife and cutting board
- Small jar with a lid (for the dressing)
- Spatula or large spoon
Method
- Bring 3 l water to a boil in a pot over high heat and add 1 tbsp salt. Add 250 g short pasta and cook until al dente 8–10 minutes, stirring. Drain, rinse quickly under cool water 10 seconds, then spread out in a thin layer to cool.
- Cook 300 g chicken breast at a gentle simmer over medium heat 15–18 minutes with a bay leaf and peppercorns. Take off the heat, cover and let it sit for 10 minutes, then cool and shred into strands about 5–7 mm thick.
- Slice 1 large cucumber into thin half-moons (2–3 mm), lightly salt, and leave for 5 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Squeeze dry with your hands or press through a sieve. Tear 80 g lettuce into 3–4 cm pieces and dry well so the dressing stays creamy.
For the dressing, add 150 g thick yogurt, 1 tsp mustard, 1–2 tsp lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to a small jar with a lid. Add 1 tsp olive oil and zest from 1/4 lemon, then shake 20–30 seconds until smooth and lump-free.If the dressing feels too thick, loosen it with 1–2 tsp pasta water—but only once it’s cold.- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, chicken, cucumber, and lettuce. Add the dressing in batches (about 2 tbsp at a time) and gently toss with a spatula 30–40 seconds so you don’t crush the leaves. Taste for salt; add 1 tbsp extra yogurt or a pinch more pepper if needed.
- Chill the salad for 10–15 minutes so the dressing coats the pasta and chicken evenly. Right before serving, add 1–2 tbsp chopped herbs and, if you like, 30 g grated hard cheese. Serve chilled—don’t leave it sitting near the stove or under heat lamps.
Notes
Private Notes
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Let us know how it was!
Why you’ll love this pasta salad with chicken
There’s something really nice about a lunch that feels light, but you’re not hungry again an hour later. Unlike the classic mayo-heavy potato/pasta salads you see at BBQs, the dressing here is creamy without being cloying. Chicken brings the protein, pasta keeps it satisfying, and the cucumber + herbs add that fresh crunch. Best part: it all comes together in one bowl in basically no time.
- Filling, but not heavy
- Soft, tangy yogurt dressing
- Crisp veg in every bite
- Easy to pack and take with you
- Holds its texture well
- Tastes great cold or slightly warm
Tips before you start
I once rushed this at lunchtime and mixed warm pasta with yogurt—my dressing went runny in 2 minutes. Lesson learned: the pasta should feel cool to the touch, basically room temp. Another small thing that helps a lot: shred the chicken into strands instead of cubing it, so it spreads evenly through the salad. Grab a big bowl, a colander, and a small jar for the dressing and you’ll keep things quick (and not destroy the kitchen).
- Let the pasta cool to room temperature
- Shred the chicken into strands, not cubes
- Salt the cucumber, then squeeze it dry
- Shake the dressing in a jar for 20 seconds
- Pat the lettuce dry with a towel
What to look for when choosing ingredients
For this salad I always go for thick, unsweetened Greek yogurt. It gives you that creamy feel without the heaviness of mayo, and it keeps the dressing nicely spoonable. For the pasta, pick a short shape with ridges—anything like penne or fusilli—because the dressing clings better and every bite tastes properly seasoned.
Greek yogurt
Go for 8–10% or a well-strained one; runny yogurt will thin the dressing and the salad will “swim.”
Short pasta (penne/fusilli)
Ridges hold onto the dressing. Cook it al dente so it doesn’t turn soft once it’s dressed.
Chicken breast
Poach it with bay leaf and peppercorns if you’re cooking it from scratch. Once chilled, it’s much easier to shred.
Cucumber
Slice thinly, salt for 5 minutes, then squeeze—this keeps the salad from getting watery.
Lemon
Add a little zest plus 1–2 tsp juice; too much acidity will overpower the yogurt.
Lekka sałatka makaronowa z kurczakiem (sos jogurtowo-cytrynowy)
Ingredients
- 250 g Kurze Nudeln (Penne oder Fusilli) trocken
- 300 g Hähnchenfilet gekocht und abgekühlt
- 1 Stk Gurke groß, fest
- 80 g Salatblätter gut getrocknet
- 150 g Griechischer Naturjoghurt dick, ohne Zucker
- 1 TL Senf Dijon oder mild
- 2 TL Zitronensaft nach Geschmack, 1–2 TL
- 1 Prise Zitronenschale von 1/4 Zitrone
- 1 TL Olivenöl
- 2 EL Kräuter (Dill oder Petersilie) fein gehackt
- 1 nach Geschmack Salz für Wasser, Gurke und Dressing
- 1 nach Geschmack Schwarzer Pfeffer frisch gemahlen
- 30 g Hartkäse (optional) vor dem Servieren gerieben
Equipment
- каструля 4–5 л
- Друшляк
- Велика миска
- ніж і дошка
- баночка з кришкою для соусу
- лопатка або велика ложка
Method
- Bringen Sie 3 l Wasser in einem Topf bei starker Hitze zum Kochen und fügen Sie 1 EL Salz hinzu. Geben Sie 250 g kurze Pasta hinzu und kochen Sie sie bis al dente 8–10 Minuten, dabei umrühren. Abgießen, schnell mit kaltem Wasser abspülen 10 Sekunden und in einer dünnen Schicht zum Abkühlen auslegen.
- Kochen Sie 300 g Hähnchenfilet bei leichtem Köcheln auf mittlerer Hitze 15–18 Minuten mit Lorbeerblatt und Pfefferkörnern. Vom Herd nehmen, mit einem Deckel abdecken und weitere 10 Minuten stehen lassen, dann abkühlen und das Fleisch in 5–7 mm dicke Streifen zerteilen.
- Schneiden Sie 1 große Gurke in dünne Halbkreise von 2–3 mm, leicht salzen und 5 Minuten stehen lassen, damit überschüssige Feuchtigkeit austritt. Mit den Händen oder durch ein Sieb ausdrücken. Reißen Sie 80 g Salatblätter in 3–4 cm große Stücke und trocknen Sie sie, damit das Dressing nicht verdünnt wird.
- Für das Dressing in einem Glas mit Deckel 150 g dicken Joghurt, 1 TL Senf, 1–2 TL Zitronensaft, eine Prise Salz und Pfeffer mischen. Fügen Sie 1 TL Olivenöl und die Schale von 1/4 Zitrone hinzu, schütteln Sie 20–30 Sekunden bis zur glatten Konsistenz ohne Klumpen.Wenn das Dressing dick ist, fügen Sie 1–2 TL kaltes Nudelwasser hinzu.
- In einer großen Schüssel die abgekühlte Pasta, das Hähnchen, die Gurke und die Salatblätter vermengen. Das Dressing portionsweise — je 2 EL — hinzufügen und mit einem Spatel 30–40 Sekunden mischen, um die Blätter nicht zu zerbrechen. Auf Salz abschmecken, bei Bedarf 1 EL Joghurt oder eine Prise Pfeffer hinzufügen.
- Den Salat im Kühlschrank 10–15 Minuten ziehen lassen, damit das Dressing die Pasta und das Hähnchen gleichmäßig bedeckt. Vor dem Servieren 1–2 EL gehackte Kräuter und optional 30 g geriebenen Hartkäse hinzufügen. Gekühlt servieren, nicht in der Nähe des Herdes oder unter einer Wärmelampe aufbewahren.
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!👉 Also try this pasta salad with chicken and cheese cubes
Secrets for the best pasta salad with chicken
The key is 180°C—no higher. If you’re finishing or reheating the chicken in the oven, that temperature dries the surface quickly without turning the inside stringy. For the pasta, keep the boil lively and salt the water properly so you don’t have to “fix” bland pasta with extra dressing later. And mix the dressing cold—thicker, smoother, no splitting.
- Cook the pasta al dente
- Cool the pasta without ice
- Squeeze the cucumber to remove excess juice
- Shake the dressing until silky-smooth
- Don’t chop the chicken too small
How to serve pasta salad with chicken
Let it chill for about 10 minutes after tossing so the dressing can really coat the pasta. Don’t add the herbs too early and don’t keep the salad warm—lettuce wilts fast and cucumber starts leaking.
- In deep bowls with extra herbs on top
- In a lunchbox with the dressing packed separately
- In small dessert cups as a party bite
- With toasted croutons on the side
- With tomato wedges for a pop of colour
Nutrition perks of pasta salad with chicken
You get a steady combo of protein from the chicken and carbs from the pasta, so it keeps you full without that crashy feeling later. Calorie-wise, it’s usually lighter than mayo-based deli-style salads—assuming you don’t drown it in dressing. Veg and herbs add volume and freshness, which makes portioning feel easy.
- Protein from chicken
- Energy from al dente pasta
- Fibre from veg and herbs
- Less saturated fat without mayo
Recipe variations
Want to change the vibe a bit—from smoky to Mediterranean? Easy.
- Sweetcorn + bell pepper for extra juiciness
- Capers and olives for a salty kick
- Use smoked chicken instead of poached
- Shave hard cheese into thin ribbons
- Try a kefir + mustard dressing
- Swap lettuce for rocket (arugula)
Questions & answers
How do I store it so it doesn’t turn watery?
Як зберігати салат, щоб він не став водянистим?
Тримайте в холодильнику до 24 hours, а соус і огірок (якщо дуже соковитий) краще зберігати окремо й змішувати перед подачею.
Скільки варити макарони для цього салату?
Орієнтуйтеся на інструкцію на пачці мінус 1 хвилина; потрібен стан al dente, щоб паста не розм’якла після соусу.
Чому салат здається прісним, хоча я посолив?
Ймовірно, вода для пасти була недосолена. Соліть воду щедро (приблизно 1 ст. л. на 3 л), а в соус додайте трішки лимонного соку й чорного перцю.
Що робити якщо немає грецького йогурту?
Змішайте сметану 15% і натуральний йогурт 1:1, або відцідіть звичайний йогурт через марлю 20 minutes, щоб він став густішим.
If you’re into this kind of easy, filling food, have a look at more pasta-and-chicken salad recipes. You’ll find all sorts of takes—from light summer bowls to heartier versions with meat, fish, or extra veg.
Common mistakes when making light pasta salad with chicken
I’ve watched even confident home cooks pour yogurt dressing over hot pasta—and yep, it turns watery within minutes. It’s the temperature: the yogurt proteins and fat react, and the starch basically loosens everything up. Another classic trap is skipping the cucumber squeeze; then the salad starts separating before you’ve even finished eating.
Why did my dressing turn runny?
The pasta was still warm, or the yogurt was too thin. Cool the pasta to room temperature and use thick yogurt; if you need to adjust, add 1 tbsp more yogurt rather than water.
Why did the pasta clump together?
It was overcooked or left sitting in the colander without being tossed. Cook to al dente and, after draining, toss with 1 tsp oil, then spread it out in a thin layer to cool.
Why did the salad get watery so fast?
The cucumber released a lot of juice or the lettuce was wet. Salt the cucumber for 5 minutes and squeeze it dry, and dry the greens with a towel or salad spinner.
Why is the chicken dry in the salad?
The breast was overcooked or dried out in the oven. Poach at a gentle simmer, then let it rest under a lid for 10 minutes after cooking—this keeps it juicy.
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