Need a little change from your typical pasta salad? Fire up the smoker and whip up this Smoked Greek Chicken Pasta Salad! The creamy sauce is surprising and delicious in this type of pasta salad, and it is good enough to have for a meal.
Smoked Chicken Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
I am slightly obsessed with all things Mediterranean lately, specifically, foods that are inspired by the flavors that are popular in Greece. We have quite a few recipes on the site already, including a Greek Salad Dressing, Greek Pasta Salad (made with the dressing), Smoked Pulled Gyros, Smoked Gyro Sandwiches with Tzaziki Coleslaw, Greek Empanadas, and a Greek Green Salad (with that homemade salad dressing).
Those recipes are ALL solid, and they all use one of my very favorite spice rubs, Greek Freak by Spiceology. We use that rub so often, I recommend it to everyone looking for a great versatile rub to add to their pantry, and I’ve even given it away as a gift before. It is incredible.
You can kick up the flavor a notch by including the rub in this recipe too, but I’ve marked it as optional because there are enough other flavors here that it isn’t super necessary. We lean on the fresh, bright flavor of our Homemade Greek Chicken Marinade for this recipe, along with the tang of Greek yogurt and sour cream.
If you have recently made our Greek Chicken Marinade (linked above) and did it with a whole chicken, feel free to pour in some of the pan juices from cooking that chicken. It’ll add a whole new dimension to this pasta salad sauce that you can’t replicate any other way.
Get 75+ of my favorite Traeger Recipes here!
Why you’ll love this dish
- The creamy sauce works so well in pasta salad! It is different than any other Greek Pasta Salad you’ve tried.
- This keeps well in the fridge for several days. Make a big batch and you’ll have easy lunches for most of the week!
- This recipe is endlessly customizable. Don’t have or like all the veggies called for? Sub something else in, or omit!
- The marinade is pretty much good enough to drink. Once you try it, you’re going to want excuses to make it again.
Creamy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
This list is long, but most of these items should be available in your fridge and pantry already, so don’t let the length scare you!
- Chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Fresh oregano
- Fresh mint
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Greek yogurt
- Sour cream
- Mayo
- Greek Freak Seasoning (optional)
- Red wine vinegar
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Artichoke hearts
- Red bell pepper
- Kalamata olives
- Red onion (optional)
- Feta cheese
- Pasta
Try our other Traeger Chicken Recipes!
How to make Creamy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
1
Marinate and cook your chicken
Mix up your marinade and get your chicken in there. Let it ride for 3-4 hours, or overnight if you can!
Preheat the smoker to 250°F and cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F internal temp.
2
Sauce and noodles
Mix up the sauce and boil the noodles. Rinse the noodles with cold water when they are done and set aside.
3
Combine
Cube up the chicken once it comes off the grill, let it cool for a while and then mix together with vegetables, pasta, and sauce.
4
Chill
For best results, let the mixed-up pasta salad chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours minimum.
5
Enjoy
One of my favorite pasta salads, ever, this one will make you very popular at your next bbq potluck!
Try our Traeger Whole Grilled Chicken too!
Creamy Greek Pasta Salad with Chicken FAQ
What’s the best way to store leftovers?
We usually keep pasta salad leftovers in the big serving bowl, covered with Press-and-Seal or cling wrap. A large sealable baggie works too. It should keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, depending on the state of the vegetables you use. The fresher they are, the longer this will last. If your tomatoes are on their last legs, well – your pasta salad will be too.
Are there any recommended substitutions or additions?
The sky is the limit here! If you love other vegetables, more peppers, no onion, or whatever else, get crazy and experiment! Don’t have any sour cream? Sub in more Greek Yogurt. Don’t want to whip up my homemade marinade? Use a bottled Greek dressing. It is hard to screw up a pasta salad.
Try our Traeger Jambalaya too!
More great pasta salad recipes to love!
- Ham and Pea Pasta Salad
- Salmon Orzo Pasta Salad
- Grilled Caesar Pasta Salad
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Smoked Chicken Gorgonzola Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Creamy Macaroni Salad Recipe
Smoked Chicken Greek Pasta Salad
This Greek Pasta Salad is unlike any you've ever had! We use plain Greek Yogurt, sour cream, and a touch of mayo to add some creaminess, and Greek Chicken + Greek Chicken Marinade for a blast of flavor. My new favorite pasta salad!
Ingredients
Protein + Marinade
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons reserved marinade (from above)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon Greek Freak Seasoning (optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Mix-ins
- 3 cups cubed Greek Chicken
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup diced red onion (optional)
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 pound pasta
Instructions
- Combine your marinade ingredients together and shake well. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the marinade and set aside. Slice your chicken breasts in half the long way, so they are half as thick. This allows more marinade to absorb into the meat. If you have a tenderizer that pokes a bunch of holes in the meat, feel free to give that a few taps too.
- Take the rest of the marinade and place it into a large closable baggie with the halved chicken breasts. Marinate for 3-4 hours (or overnight).
- Preheat your smoker to 250°. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Remove from the grill and let rest for a bit before cutting into bite-sized cubes.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix together all of the sauce ingredients with a whisk. Taste, and adjust the salt and pepper as necessary according to your personal preferences.
- Also while the chicken cooks, put a pot of well-salted water on to boil, and cook the noodles al dente. Rinse with cold water after they are drained. Set aside.
- Gently mix together the cooked chicken, mix-ins, the sauce, and the pasta. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving for the best results, but I'm not going to judge you if you dive in right then and there.
Notes
You CAN cheat and use pre-made Greek salad dressing for this recipe if you want to. It'll be different, for sure, but still delicious. If you have the time, I highly recommend giving the homemade version a try!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 517Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1196mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 27g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.