High-Protein Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
This high-protein Mexican street corn pasta salad with chicken is an easy, healthy pasta salad. It’s made with Greek yogurt and ready in under 30 minutes.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces of dried fusilli protein pasta or pasta of choice
- 16 ounces frozen roasted corn
- 12 ounces fully-cooked chicken breast diced
- 2, 4-ounce cans of mild diced green chiles
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 3/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese or light feta
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice about 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Then, drain and set it aside to cool slightly.
- Add the pasta to a large bowl. Then, add the frozen roasted corn, diced fully cooked chicken breast, mild diced green chiles, diced red bell pepper, sliced green onions, crumbled cotija or feta cheese, and chopped cilantro. Give everything a light toss so it’s evenly combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, fresh lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano until combined.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad mixture and toss until everything is well coated. Serve right away, or chill it in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Pasta Options: You can use any pasta you have on hand, but I highly recommend using protein pasta. It's an easy way to boost the protein even more, and honestly, I can barely tell the difference from regular pasta in this recipe.
- Corn: I used frozen roasted corn because I love the extra flavor it adds, but I've made this with regular frozen corn, and it turns out great, too. You can also use corn cut from cooked corn on the cob or rinsed and drained canned corn.
- Chicken: You can swap the cooked chicken breast for shredded rotisserie chicken or our slow-cooker shredded chicken.
- Green Onions Swap: Not a fan of green onions? I've also made this with finely diced red onion or sweet white onion, and both work well. Use 1/3-1/2 cup if substituting.
- Add Some Heat: If you like a little spice, add about 1/4 cup diced jalapeño or roughly chopped pickled jalapeños.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 cups | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 5.8g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 375mg | Fiber: 6.6g | Sugar: 5g