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High Protein BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad

High protein BBQ chicken salad made with protein pasta, shredded BBQ chicken, and black beans and corn. Tossed in a ranch-BBQ dressing and chilled for meal-prep friendly flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Protein pasta salad base
  • 1 lb protein pasta (chickpea or lentil) Use any chickpea or lentil protein pasta variety.
  • 3 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded About 3 cups shredded cooked chicken.
  • 0.5 cup BBQ sauce Plus extra for mixing into the dressing.
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed Rinsing helps reduce sodium and excess starch.
  • 1 cup corn kernels Fresh or frozen-thawed both work.
  • 1 count red bell pepper, diced About 1 pepper diced.
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced Dice finely so it disperses evenly.
  • 0.5 cup ranch dressing Use classic or light ranch.
  • 2 tbsp BBQ sauce (for dressing) Stir into ranch to make the ranch-BBQ dressing.
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded Sharp cheddar recommended.
  • 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped For topping before serving.
  • 0.5 salt and pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and prep
  1. Bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil, cook the protein pasta according to package directions, then drain.
  2. Rinse the drained pasta with cold water until cool to stop cooking and improve bite.
  3. Toss the shredded chicken with 1/2 cup BBQ sauce until evenly coated.
  4. In a bowl, mix the ranch dressing with 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce to create a ranch-BBQ dressing.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine protein pasta, BBQ chicken, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, red onion, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the ranch-BBQ dressing over the salad and toss until everything is coated.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour to let flavors meld.
  2. Before serving, top with chopped cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse pasta with cold water and chill fully for cleaner texture in meal prep. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended due to ranch dressing separation. For a dairy-light swap, use reduced-fat cheddar and a lighter ranch (or Greek-yogurt ranch) to cut calories while keeping the same tangy BBQ flavor.