BBQ Chicken and Pasta Salad Dinner

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 50

Servings: servings

Calories: 1138kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

Spice-seasoned chicken breasts are grilled to perfection and then brushed with BBQ sauce and served with a delicious pasta salad prepared with bacon, avocado, corn, black beans, green onions, and roasted red peppers. This pasta salad dinner is a hearty meal great for any backyard family picnic!

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Ingredients

For the Chicken:

4 chicken breasts
4 teaspoons BBQ Spice Rub https://www.lordbyronskitchen.com/basic-bbq-spice-rub/
1/4 cup BBQ Sauce https://www.lordbyronskitchen.com/stick-to-your-ribs-bbq-sauce/
non-stick cooking spray

For the Pasta Salad:

450 grams pasta, use short pasta like penne, macaroni, etc.
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces, fried and drained
1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers
1 cup canned corn, drained
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 whole avocadoes, diced

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain well and rinse under cold water. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces - about 1 inch. Fry the bacon until crisp or until your desired level of doneness. Drain well and allow to cool.
Season the chicken breasts with the BBQ Spice Rub and preheat your grill to 400 degrees F.
Once the grill is hot, carefully the cooking area with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Just before the chicken is fully cooked, brush both sides with the BBQ sauce and grill both sides just until grill marks are formed. Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, add the cooled bacon, chopped roasted red pepper, drained canned corn, rinsed and drained black beans, sliced green onions, chopped parsley, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, bbq sauce, salt, and ground black pepper to the mixing bowl with the pasta. Toss everything together well until combined.
Prepare the avocado and toss the diced pieces with the lime juice. Add it to the pasta and gently toss to incorporate.
Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breast across the grain into ½ inch slices. Plate the pasta salad and top with sliced chicken. Garnish and serve immediately. (I like to drizzle with some light sour cream.)

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