Chicken Pasta Salad

Name: Chicken Pasta Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound medium pasta shells; 3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded and cooled; 2 cups mayonnaise, plus more as needed after chilling; 1 ½ cups celery, diced; ½ cup white onion, finely chopped; 1 ½ cups cheddar or Colby cheese, diced; 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard; 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste; ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste; ground paprika, optional; chopped parsley, optional; coarsely ground black pepper, optional

This is a substantial pasta salad, cool and creamy with chicken tucked into every scoop. Crisp vegetables give the tender shells the crunch you want from a family potluck bowl.

By Betty Lou Gardner1 hr 30 minUpdated 2026-08-25

This Chicken Pasta Salad is a creamy, satisfying classic loaded with tender chicken, shell pasta, cheese, eggs, and crisp vegetables! The combination of simple ingredients creates a hearty salad that is equally at home at family reunions, summer picnics, potlucks, and holiday buffets. Served well chilled, it is the kind of make-ahead dish that only gets better as the flavors come together.

Betty Lou Gardner in a family archival photograph

Granny’s Kitchen Notes

From Betty Lou Gardner

This is one of those big-bowl recipes that seems to show up whenever family gets together. I usually make it ahead because it tastes better after it has had time to sit in the refrigerator for a while. Every batch turns out a little different depending on what I have on hand, but somehow it always disappears before the end of the day.

How to Make Chicken Pasta Salad

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Cooked shell pasta being rinsed under cold running water in a metal colander.

Cook and Cool the Pasta

Cook the shell pasta until just tender, then drain and rinse it under cold water until completely cool.

Cooled shell pasta topped with diced chicken, celery, onion, cheese, and chopped hard-boiled eggs in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the Salad

Add the cooled pasta, chicken, celery, onion, cheese, and chopped eggs to a large mixing bowl.

Chicken pasta salad evenly coated in creamy dressing in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

Add the Dressing

Whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, salt, and pepper, then fold the dressing gently into the salad until everything is evenly coated.