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If you’re looking for a refreshing twist on classic pasta salad – this Fruity Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad is about to become a new favorite. Packed with spiral pasta, tender chicken, juicy fruit, crunchy cashews, and a creamy sweet pineapple juice dressing.
I love fruit in my chicken pasta salads like this favorite Poppy Seed Chicken Pasta Salad 🍇
Fruity Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad (Sweet, Crunchy, Creamy & Fruity)
I have so many pasta salads on my site but this one will always be my absolute favorite. I make it all the time for picnics, summertime, bbq’s, potlucks, or anytime I need something tried & true that I know everyone will love.
This chicken pasta salad has it all – tender chunks of chicken, soft rotini spiral noodles, juicy fruit with grapes and pineapple, crunchy salty cashews – and the dressing is a creamy, sweet pineapple juice dressing that ties everything together.
It’s the ultimate combination of creamy, sweet, and savory. It’s simple to make, incredibly versatile, and guaranteed to be a hit wherever you serve it.
Let’s learn how to make my personal favorite chicken pasta salad – the best part, the leftovers are even better the next day, and the next day… you get the idea ❤︎
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🍍 Sweet + Savory Combo : Juicy fruit pairs perfectly with seasoned chicken, creamy dressing, and sweet fruit.
- 🍇 Great For Meal Prep & Make-Ahead Side Dish : Tastes even better after chilling! Prep it the night before, or prep it for lunches or snacks.
- 🍍 Crowd-Pleaser : Ideal for BBQ’s, potlucks, summertime gatherings, and family get togethers.
- 🍇 Customizable : Swap fruits and nuts based on what you have or your preferences (I will say it’s perfect as is!).
Ingredients Needed
Fruity Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Rotini Pasta : This is the best pasta to use because of the spirals and nooks and crannies that the dressing soaks into.
- Cooked Chicken : I always use a rotisserie chicken because it’s already slightly seasoned, it’s ready to use, and convenient. But use whatever already cooked chicken you have, or prepare it your preferred way and chop it up.
- Pineapple Tidbits
- Finely Diced Celery
- Red Grapes
- Green Grapes
- Green Onions
- Lightly Salted Cashews : Use the halves & pieces, and chop them up more if wanted, depending on the size you want in the pasta salad.
Creamy Pineapple Dressing Ingredients
- Ranch Dressing : Use your favorite ranch dressing or try my Homemade Ranch Dressing. Another option is to use a coleslaw dressing which can usually be found in the refrigerated deli area by the other cold dressings (like Litehouse or Bolthouse brands).
- Mayonnaise
- Pineapple Juice : Use the reserved juice from the can of pineapple tidbits.
- Salt : I use kosher salt. Use more or less as wanted.
How To Make Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad with Fruit (Printable Recipe Card)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over hight heat. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, to your desired texture; either al dente or softer (I prefer softer). When the pasta is done, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it under cold water. Set aside for later.
In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped chicken, drained pineapple tidbits (reserve the juice from the can), celery, grapes, green onions, and cashews. Stir together to combine.
In a separate smaller mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the creamy pineapple dressing.
Add the dressing into the larger bowl along with the drained and slightly cooled cooked rotini pasta. Stir everything together until it’s well combined.
The salad can be served right away, but for best results, cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4-6 hours before serving. The salad is best served chilled once it has had time to chill and the flavors to blend together.
How To Store Leftover Chicken Pasta Salad
Keep the pasta salad stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 to 5 days. Leftovers get better and better, but the longer it’s in the fridge, the more dry it will become because the pasta will soak up the dressing.
Easy fixes for this include giving it a good stir to redistribute all the dressing, add some additional ranch dressing or mayo, or reserve the remaining pineapple juice from the can and add some to the leftover pasta salad to moisten things back up.
Pro Tips For The Best Pasta Salad
- Make sure you use a ranch salad dressing that you love the taste of – I really like the Olive Garden Parmesan Ranch or the refrigerated ranch dressings that you will find in the refrigerated produce area.
- Coleslaw dressing is another option instead of ranch dressing. Look for the cold refrigerated coleslaw dressing in the produce area for the best taste.
- I prefer full-fat mayonnaise for the best taste and thick creamy texture; however, any mayo can be used such as lite, olive oil, etc.
- Use the cashews halves and pieces and if you want them chopped up smaller, you can, but I wouldn’t make them into crumbs. You want some texture and chunks from the cashews.
- As with any pasta salad the longer it’s in the fridge the more the pasta will soak up the dressing, which can cause it to dry out. Either add addiotnal mayo, ranch dressing, or reserve the remaining pineapple juice to moisten back up the leftovers.
- This pasta is best served chilled after it has had time to get cold and the flavors to blend. I recommend refrigerating it for up to 4-6 hours before serving, give it a good stir, and add additional pineapple juice, mayo, or dressing if needed. I like to make the morning of and then let it refrigerate all day until that evening.
Try These Other Pasta Salad Recipes
- Ranch Pasta Salad
- Coleslaw Pasta Salad
- Caesar Pesto Pasta Salad
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Shrimp Macaroni Salad
- Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
- Easy Italian Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Fruity Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Fruity Cashew Chicken Pasta Salad
- 1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
- 3 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits (drained, reserve the juice from the can)
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- 1 cup halved red seedless grapes
- 1 cup halved green seedless grapes
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 2 bunches green onion)
- 2 cups lightly salted cashew halves & pieces
Creamy Pineapple Dressing
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup reserved pineapple juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over hight heat. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, to your desired texture; either al dente or softer (I prefer softer). When the pasta is done, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it under cold water. Set aside for later.1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped chicken, drained pineapple tidbits (reserve the juice from the can), celery, grapes, green onions, and cashews. Stir together to combine.3 cups cooked chopped chicken, 1 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, 1 cup finely diced celery, 1 cup halved red seedless grapes, 1 cup halved green seedless grapes, 1 cup thinly sliced green onions, 2 cups lightly salted cashew halves & pieces
- In a separate smaller mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the creamy pineapple dressing.1 cup ranch dressing, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup reserved pineapple juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the dressing into the larger bowl along with the drained and slightly cooled cooked rotini pasta. Stir everything together until it's well combined.
- The salad can be served right away, but for best results, cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4-6 hours before serving. The salad is best served chilled once it has had time to chill and the flavors to blend together.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 16 cups. The nutrition information is for 1 cup of the pasta salad.
- Make sure you use a ranch salad dressing that you love the taste of – I really like the Olive Garden Parmesan Ranch or the refrigerated ranch dressings that you will find in the refrigerated produce area.
- Coleslaw dressing is another option instead of ranch dressing. Look for the cold refrigerated coleslaw dressing in the produce area for the best taste.
- I prefer full-fat mayonnaise for the best taste and thick creamy texture; however, any mayo can be used such as lite, olive oil, etc.
- Use the cashews halves and pieces and if you want them chopped up smaller, you can, but I wouldn’t make them into crumbs. You want some texture and chunks from the cashews.
- As with any pasta salad the longer it’s in the fridge the more the pasta will soak up the dressing, which can cause it to dry out. Either add addiotnal mayo, ranch dressing, or reserve the remaining pineapple juice to moisten back up the leftovers.
- This pasta is best served chilled after it has had time to get cold and the flavors to blend. I recommend refrigerating it for up to 4-6 hours before serving, give it a good stir, and add additional pineapple juice, mayo, or dressing if needed. I like to make the morning of and then let it refrigerate all day until that evening.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
Homemade ranch dressing already has a lot of mayo in it,so after I make the dressing I’m also going to add 1 cup of mayo to it? Seems like that’s a lot of mayo and might take away the flavor of the ranch dressing,what are your thoughts?
Yes, that’s correct. It’s a pasta salad so if you don’t have enough moisture then you’ll have a super dry pasta salad. You could always try reducing the mayo and see how you like it. The ranch flavor still comes through. It’s not only a ranch flavor because there are so many other ingredients too. I would start with reducing the mayo and/or ranch and go from there ?
What is the serving size you based the nutrition value on?
It says it at the top of the recipe box. This nutrition information is calculated with each serving size equal to 1 cup of salad. Which is a lot now that I think about it, so it could certainly be cut in half so each serving could be 1/2 cup for a side dish with half the calories currently listed.
Love the delish combo of chicken and fruit, so refreshing for a summer picnic!
Any Recommendations for making it the night before?
Just make it as is the night before and then reserve some dressing (or use extra) to moisten it back up the next day before you serve it.
This was absolutely delicious! Makes a huge amount, would be perfect for a covered dish. I took some to some shut-ins and my husband and I had some for supper and will finish it up for supper tonight. Hubby gave it rave reviews!
Thank you for your kind comment! So sweet of you to share and I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Can I make this without the chicken?
To make it vegetarian?
thanks so much!
Sue
Definitely!