Best 17 Chicken Pesto Salad Recipes

LAYERED TORTELLINI PESTO CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook tortellini as directed on package, adding peas during last 4 minutes of cook time. Drain; rinse immediately with cold water. Pat with paper towels to remove moisture.
• In 3- or 4-quart clear bowl, layer the lettuce, the carrots, chicken, peas, the tortellini, and bell pepper.
• In small bowl, mix mayonnaise, pesto and buttermilk. Spread over peppers; sprinkle with parsley. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours until chilled or overnight. Stir just before serving.

LEMON-GARLIC-HERB CHICKEN WITH GRILLED PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ASPARAGUS AND PESTO 3 BEAN SALAD

Steps:

• Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Fill a small skillet with about 1-inch water and bring to a boil. Grate the garlic onto acutting board and add a couple teaspoons salt, mash into paste with the flat of your knife. Add salt to boiling water and cook green beans 1 minute then drain and cool under cold running water then reserve. Reserve 1/5 of the pasted garlic, about 1 clove and add the rest to a shallow dish. To the garlic, add the lemon zest, fennel seed, chopped thyme, rosemary, parsley and about 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and some black pepper. Stir with a fork to combine then add chicken pieces and coat evenly. Grill chicken 12 to 15 minutes until juices run clear. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Trim asparagus of tough ends. Add salt and the asparagus to the water and blanch for 2 minutes. Remove from the water and place into an ice water bath to cool. Once cooled, pat dry with paper towels, drizzle with a touch of extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide the asparagus into 4 piles and roll 2 layered slices of prosciutto around each pile to form bundles. Grill 7 to 8 minutes until prosciutto is crisp and spears are tender. Place basil and mint leaves in a food processor with the nuts. Add some salt and pepper and turn processor on. Stream in about 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil to form a thick pasty sauce. Transfer the sauce to a bowl. Stir in the reserved garlic paste and the grated cheese. Add the cooled green beans and the canned beans to the bowl and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning. Remove chicken from the grill and squeeze the juice of 1 of the zested lemons down over the meat while still hot. Serve 1 piece each chicken breast and thigh with an asparagus bundle and some bean salad alongside.

ITALIAN CHICKEN-PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente (do not overcook the pasta; drain in a colander then rinse well under cold water.
• Drain the pasta well in the colander.
• Place the pasta in a large bowl then toss with 2-3 tablespoons oil.
• Add in chopped tomatoes and cooked cubed chicken; toss to coat.
• For the dressing; in a processor puree the prepared pesto with the spinach and lemon juice.
• Add in the mayonnaise and pulse until blended.
• Add the mayo mixture to the pasta mixture; toss to combine.
• Mix in the Parmesan cheese then season with salt and pepper.

CHICKEN PESTO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl whisk together pesto, vinegar and 1/4 T salt and pinch of pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until smooth.
• Cook the orzo add 2T salt in cooking.
• Drain and rinse under cold water and drain again.
• Add orzo to vinigarete and toss.
• Add chicken, and tomatoes and toss.
• Tastes best chilled- though it's fine warm.

CHICKEN GREEK-A-TIKKA SALAD WITH PARSLEY-FETA PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat a grill pan to high heat. Heat a toaster oven or oven to 250 degrees F.
• Wrap breads in foil and place in oven to warm.
• Combine yogurt and next 4 ingredients. Coat chicken in mixture then thread meat onto metal skewers. Brush grill pan with oil and grill meat 5 to 6 minutes on each side.
• Combine chopped lettuce, chopped veggies, olives and hot peppers on a large platter or in a serving bowl. Dress the salad very lightly in lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil and salt and pepper.
• Place all ingredients for pesto in the food processor except extra-virgin olive oil. Turn processor on and stream in extra-virgin olive oil.
• Remove bread from oven and cut into wedges.
• Place grilled meat on salad and top liberally with pesto. Place cut flat breads or pita wedges around the platter or serving bowl and serve.

BLACK BEAN-CHICKEN SALAD WITH CREAMY CILANTRO PESTO DRESSING

Steps:

• Prepare Creamy Cilantro Pesto Dressing. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium- high heat. Cook chicken in oil 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center. Toss chicken, chili powder and garlic salt; set aside.
• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain. Mix pasta, chicken, dressing, tomato and beans.

PESTO CHICKEN SALAD WITH RED GRAPES

Steps:

• Pasta and Chicken:.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat; add salt, then the penne. When the water returns to a boil, stir occasionally to separate the penne. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or according to package instructions, until the pasta is al dente. Drain well, rinse with cool water, and drain again.
• While the pasta is cooking, poach the chicken. Pour water into a medium saute pan, to a level about 1 1/2 inches deep (when it is added, the chicken should be covered by about 1/2 inch water). Stir in the salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the chicken; reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through.
• With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the skillet. Cut it into 1-inch pieces and place on a plate to cool. Discard the poaching liquid.
• Basil Pesto:.
• Process all the ingredients in a food processor (or blender) until the mixture is a coarse puree. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• The pesto will keep for up to 1 week in a covered container in the refrigerator; pour a thin film of olive oil on top of the pesto to prevent discoloration. For longer storage, spoon the mixture into a foil-lined custard cup, cover tightly with foil and freeze. Once frozen, remove the foil-wrapped packet and store in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or remove from the foil and thaw quickly in the microwave.
• Creamy Pesto Dressing:.
• Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• In a medium bowl toss together the pasta, chicken, carrots and grapes. Add the dressing and toss again. Place lettuce on plate and scoop the chicken mixture on top, and garnish as you wish.
• The dressing will keep for up to 2 days in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. (If it thickens after standing, thin with milk or water.) This salad can be made early the day it is to be served; refrigerate and serve later, either chilled or at room temperature.
• ***Variation***.
• Substitute other pasta shapes, such as rotini or rotelle.
• Rather than poaching the chicken breasts try grilling them.

PESTO-CHICKEN-POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• In 3 1/2-quart saucepan, combine potatoes and enough water to cover potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool 15 minutes or until slightly cooled.
• Meanwhile, in large serving bowl, combine pesto, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and salt; mix well.
• Add cooked potatoes and all remaining ingredients except lettuce to pesto mixture; toss gently until evenly coated. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to blend flavors. If desired, serve salad on lettuce-lined plates.

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD WITH RADISHES, CUCUMBERS, AND TARRAGON PESTO

Steps:

• Place 1/4 cup tarragon leaves, parsley, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and shallot in mini processor; chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil by teaspoonfuls to thin, if necessary.
• Whisk 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon, remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush chicken breasts on both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until grill marks form, skin is crisp, and chicken is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface; let rest 5 minutes. Using clean brush, brush both sides of bread with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until dark-brown grill marks appear on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
• Place greens, radishes, and cucumbers in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 4 plates.
• Cut grilled chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 sliced chicken breast atop salad on each plate. Spoon tarragon pesto over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts over salads. Serve with grilled bread slices.

PESTO TORTELLINI CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook tortellini according to package directions, adding peas during the last 4-5 minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse in cold water., In a large glass bowl, layer romaine, carrots, chicken, tortellini and peas, and red pepper. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, pesto and buttermilk. Spread over top. Sprinkle with parsley. Refrigerate until chilled.

TORTELLINI, CHICKEN AND PESTO SALAD

Steps:

• Preparation: 1) You may want to skip this step. I have found that I like to dry my cherry tomatoes a bit by placing them in a low heat oven-250 or so-for around an hour or more until the moisture is reduced. If the tomatoes are good this will concentrate their flavor and reduce the moisture. After the tomatoes are done you can toast the walnuts at 350. They should be done in ten minutes or so. Watch them closely. They should have a nice light crunch. 2) The next step is to blanch the green beans. I multi-task and use the same pot that I will boil the pasta. You will want them to still retain some crunch. I usually find this is about 4 minutes. Run them under cold water and set them aside so that they can dry off. I often toss them in a freezer while I am cooking the pasta. 3) Cook the pasta according to the package directions, but pull back a bit at the end. The pasta has to cool down and it will soften more as the salad mellows. 4) While the pasta is cooking prepare the chicken into small bite size chunks. 5) Mix the vegetables, chicken and pasta together. Mix the pesto and the mayonaise and lightly stir in the pasta mixture. Add the nuts. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more pesto and mayonnaise as needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Best served within 24 hours.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO CHICKEN PESTO COUSCOUS SALAD

Steps:

• Bring the water and stock to the boil, add sachets cook according to packet instructions. (Mine is 2 minutes) Cut sachets open and pour couscous into a large bowl, fluff with fork.
• Add juice, rind, pesto and chopped sun-dried tomatoes, stir gently to combine.
• Add a little oil to a fry pan, rub 1 tablespoon of pesto over each breast, cook chicken on both sides until browned and cooked through.
• Toss rocket gently into couscous.
• To Serve: place couscous on a plate top with sliced pesto chicken.

CHICKEN PESTO SALAD

Steps:

• Make pasta salad as directed on package, using water and oil. Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

PESTO CHICKEN SALAD (PASTA SALAD STYLE WITH NO PASTA)

Steps:

• Cut pre-cooked chicken into 1" cubes and set aside.
• Prepare vegetables: Thinly slice green onion. Drain and quarter artichoke hearts. Chop cherry tomatos in half. Thaw peas and green beans, I recommend cutting the green beans into approx 1" lengths. Drain all the veggies as well as possible. Squeeze the extra moisture out with a paper towel if you like.
• In a large bowl, mix together greek yogurt, pesto, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Mix in all of the vetgetables and chicken. Toss to coat.
• You can eat immediately but I think it tastes better after sitting in the fridge overnight. It's good on its own or served over lettuce or broccoli shreds.

PESTO CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Add the chicken, red peppers and celery; toss to coat. Serve on lettuce-lined rolls.

POTATO AND PESTO CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• 1. In a large pot bring half a pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then crosswise in 1/2-inch slices. Add to boiling water; cover and return to boiling. Cook 3 minutes.
• 2. Add green beans to pot with potatoes and cook another 4 minutes; drain vegetables and set aside.
• 3. In the same pot, heat the olive oil and cook chicken, stirring, for about 8 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove from heat.
• 4. Stir in the pesto sauce. Then stir in the potatoes and green beans, being careful not to break up the vegetables.
• 5. Serve warm or at room temperature on a bed of salad greens.

PARSLEY PESTO CHICKEN SALAD WITH PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Separate chicken from bones and chop or shred to desired consistency. Salt and pepper if needed.
• In a food processor, blender, or mini prep food processor (best choice) whirl together parsley, garlic, drizzling in olive oil until it is a nice thick liquid consistency. You can add a little water water to make sure it will coat all the chicken--the recipe amounts are general (I kept adding parsley and oil until it seemed like a good amount to me! Sorry for the imprecision). Stir in the cheese, add salt and pepper if needed.
• Toss together the tomatoes with the chicken and lemon juice. Sprinkle the top with the cheese, parlsey and pine nuts (they will tend to get soggy if they are mixed in and left).
• You could probably 'tart this up' a little by mixing in a little dijon to the pesto or even mayonnaise, just a thought, I've not tried it.