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This chicken caesar pasta salad is the pasta salad perfection! It has all of the flavors you love about chicken Caesar while being gluten-free, mayo-free, and very easily adapted to be dairy-free.

A bowl of chicken caesar pasta.

There’s nothing like Chicken Caesar salad!! I feel like we all go through a Chicken Caesar salad phase at some point in our lives. It’s fresh, crunchy, and has the best dressing. For summer, I’ve been wanting to create a pasta salad version of this classic, and boy am I glad I did!

This Chicken Caesar pasta salad is the perfect lunch when you want something light and yummy, or the perfect dish to share at your backyard BBQs!

Why you’ll love this chicken Caesar pasta salad

  • It is a crowd pleaser. Who doesn’t love a chicken caesar salad? Especially a gluten free version! This salad is the perfect addition to any BBQ or summer dinner!
  • The anchovies give the best umami flavor! Of course, you can leave it out if you really want, but I highly recommend leaving it in! The anchovies give the dressing that umami punch that can’t be beat!

The Ingredients for Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

  • Cooked Chicken. You can use cooked and shredded chicken, or diced! I season and seared my chicken in a pan and then diced it.
  • Cooked Pasta. I used jovial brown rice fusilli, but feel free to use cassava fusilli to make it AIP.
  • Romaine and Cucumber. For that salad crunch!
  • Pecorino Cheese. This is a sheep cheese that’s a bit easier to tolerate for many than cows dairy. You can easily leave it out.
  • Coconut Yogurt, Lemon, Anchovies, Coconut Aminos, and Olive Oil. These are the main ingredients for the dressing. We sub coconut yogurt for mayo, and coconut amnios for Worcestershire.

The ingredients for chicken caesar pasta salad on the countertop.

How to make Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

  • Step One. Make the dressing.
  • Step Two. Assemble the pasta salad by combining all the ingredients.
  • Step Three. Pour the dressing and toss the salad.
  • Step Four. Serve topped with fresh cracked pepper to taste and enjoy!

A bowl of chicken caesar pasta salad with a fork in it.

Tips & Tricks

  • Cool the pasta and chicken. Pasta salad is always best when it’s cool and fresh! You don’t need the pasta to be in the fridge for a few hours or anything… that’ll likely dry it out. But just let it come to room temperature.
  • Taste the dressing before serving. This dressing is extra tangy since it’s made with yogurt instead of mayo. If you want a bit more umami, add 1-2 more anchovies or more coconut aminos.

Storage Instructions

This pasta salad is best fresh, but if you do make it ahead of time, store the ingredients separately and keep them in the fridge for up to a day or so before assembling fresh.

Do you really need anchovies to make Caesar Salad Dressing? What’s the point?

Of course, you can leave it out if you really want, but I highly recommend leaving it in! The anchovies give Caesar dressing that umami punch that we all love. It’s a secret ingredient in sauces and dressings that makes us all love it. If you do leave it out, add a bit more coconut aminos for more flavor.

What’s a gluten-free swap for Worcestershire sauce?

Coconut aminos is actually a great swap for Worcestershire! It has the same umami flavor, and easily blends into this Caesar dressing.

A close-up of the chicken caesar pasta salad.

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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad {Gluten Free}

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 3 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Ingredients

Units Scale

For the dressing

  • 1/2 cup coconut yogurt (I use this)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper (omit for AIP)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 anchovies
  • 3 tbsp olive oil

For the pasta salad

  • 4 oz gluten-free fusilli, cooked (sub cassava pasta for AIP)
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced thin
  • 1/2 lb chicken, cooked and diced/shredded
  • Shaved pecorino cheese, optional (omit for dairy free)
  • Cracked black pepper

Instructions

  1. To make the dressing, combine the yogurt, lemon, coconut aminos, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and anchovies in a wide-mouth jar. Using an immersion blender, blend the dressing as you slowly stream in the olive oil. Blend until the dressing is creamy and fully emulsified. Set aside.
  2. To assemble the pasta salad, add the pasta to a large salad bowl along with the lettuce, cucumber, chicken, and cheese. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to fully coat the ingredients.
  3. Serve topped with fresh cracked pepper to taste and enjoy!

Notes

Use chilled chicken, and allow the pasta to come to room temperature.

Serve immediately, or store the components separately in the fridge for up to 24 hours before combining and serving.

All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Estimations do not include optional ingredients.

  • Prep Time: 20
  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 579
  • Fat: 26.8g
  • Carbohydrates: 51.4g
  • Fiber: 10.8g
  • Protein: 36g