Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken Macaroni Salad
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Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken Macaroni Salad takes traditional macaroni salad and jazzes it up with barbecue chicken, sweet barbecue sauce, and spicy hot sauce with fresh chopped veggies.
I love macaroni salad. Out of all the cold summer salads, macaroni salad is my favorite. I think it’s the combination of mustard and mayonnaise with crunchy vegetables and macaroni noodles.
So when I saw a recipe for barbecue chicken macaroni salad I was so excited. Chicken is one of my favorite foods and I love it in everything. Paired with the sweetness from the barbecue sauce I knew it was going to be perfect.
My husband isn’t a huge fan of sweet pasta salads so in order to combat the sweetness I added in some hot sauce. It turned out that the sweet barbecue sauce and hot sauce balanced each other out perfectly and made for a delicious summer salad.
Like traditional macaroni salad it has both mustard and mayonnaise in the sauce. That’s where the similarities end though. The sweet and spiciness of the additional ingredients make this macaroni salad a show stopper.
Plus the chicken is an added bonus because it makes for a hearty side. In fact, we ate this along with another pasta salad for dinner one night. I figure it has pasta, a protein, and vegetables so it makes for a full meal.
More macaroni salad recipes:
Pro Tips and Substitutions:
- Cook the macaroni to al dente so that it stands up to the sauce and toppings.
- You can use rotisserie chicken, already cooked chicken, or leftover chicken in this recipe.
- Add in your favorite veggies like carrots, peppers, celery, and onions to make it the perfect side dish.
If you’ve tried my Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken Macaroni Salad or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:
Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken Macaroni Salad
Traditional macaroni salad jazzed up with barbecue chicken, sweet barbecue sauce, and spicy hot sauce with fresh chopped veggies.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. macaroni noodles
- 1/3 c. mayonnaise
- 1/3 c. sour cream
- 1/3 c. sweet barbecue sauce
- 2 Tablespoons hot sauce (I used Frank's red hot)
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 c. rotisserie chicken, cubed
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, mustard, and sugar.
- Add the macaroni noodles, chicken, bell pepper, celery, red onion, parsley, salt, pepper, celery salt, and garlic. Mix well to combine.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Food Network
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 291Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 867mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 19g
I’d sure be happy with a plate of this! Love how you took it to the next level!
Yumm! This looks so creamy! What a fabulous addition to any barbecue – or a perfect entree with the chicken in there.
I imagine this to be the ultimate comfort food! BBQ chicken with macaroni. Yum Yum.
It’s a complete meal in a bowl! The barbecue sauce aspect sounds delicious.
I love the addition of BBQ Sauce in this recipe. It was so good and so easy to make.
I love this! It can be a main meal or a side. Perfect for potlucks, BBQs, and cookouts.
What a great way to repurpose leftover chicken. Thanks for sharing Heather.