Flavorful spinach pasta salad with fresh spinach, crunchy nuts, shredded chicken, bowtie pasta, dried cranberries and juicy mandarin oranges tossed in a teriyaki dressing!
Mandarin Orange and Spinach Pasta Salad
Some of the best pasta salad recipes are born from the need to whip a side dish for picnics and summer BBQs.
Whether it’s turning a pasta dish into a salad like chicken pesto pasta salad and Italian tortellini pasta salad or turning a salad into something a bit heartier like caprese pasta salad or Greek pasta salad, these recipes are always a hit!
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy to make ahead. The chicken, the pasta, and the dressing can all be made ahead. Then it’s just a matter of assembling it.
- Customizable. As much as the flavors and textures in this pasta spinach salad work, there is still plenty of room to make it your own.
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Chicken: You can use leftover grilled chicken breast cut into cubes or shred a rotisserie chicken you picked up from the grocery store.
- Bowtie pasta: A classic choice for this pasta salad, but go ahead and use penne pasta or any medium pasta noodle you prefer.
- Fresh baby spinach: Wash and dry the leaves ahead of time.
- Mandarin oranges: If you’ve ever had my mandarin orange salad, you’ll know what an exciting pop of juicy sweet, and citrus these add!
- Toppings: honey-roasted peanuts, sliced almonds or candied cashews, dried cranberries, green onions, and fresh chopped cilantro or parsley.
- For the teriyaki dressing: Olive oil, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Spinach Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta. Cook pasta to al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. It’ll usually be about 1 minute less than what is listed in the package directions. Drain the pasta and allow it to cool.
- Make the dressing. Combine the oil, teriyaki sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a jar with a lid. Shake until combined. You can also mix it in a blender.
- Assemble the salad. To a salad bowl, add spinach, cooled pasta, chicken, orange segments, cranberries, onions, and fresh herbs. Drizzle with the dressing and just before serving give it a gentle toss. Sprinkle sesame seeds and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Prepping the chicken. To give your chicken extra flavor, toss the chicken in 2-3 Tablespoons of teriyaki sauce and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Extra mix-ins. Toss in some veggies or wonton strips for additional crunch. Veggies could include bell pepper, cucumber, edamame, or water chestnuts.
- Don’t toss the salad too early. The longer the spinach sits in the dressing, the more the leaves will wilt.
Recipe FAQs
Mandarin orange pasta salad can be stored overnight in an airtight container in the fridge. If it’s tossed in dressing, it won’t be as crisp as it once was. I do recommend that you enjoy this salad the day it’s made and only dress it when you’re ready to eat it.
I prefer it cold, which is why I wait until my pasta is completely cooled to add it to the salad. I do this because I like my spinach crisp. If the pasta or chicken is warm, it’ll wilt the spinach. If you don’t mind that, it can certainly be enjoyed warm if you like.
More fresh salad recipes for summer include strawberry spinach salad, steak salad, and Mediterranean salad.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Browse all
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Mandarin Spinach Pasta Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken , see note
- 10 ounces bowtie pasta
- 6-8 cups fresh baby spinach
- 15 ounce can mandarin oranges , drained
- 4 ounces honey roasted peanuts , sliced almonds or candied cashews
- ½ – 1 cup dried cranberries
- 2 green onions , sliced
- 3-4 Tablespoons cilantro or parsley , chopped
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Teriyaki Dressing
- ⅓ cup oil , olive or vegetable oil work
- ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce , see note
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta al dante according to package directions. Drain and allow to cool.
- Prepare the Teriyaki Dressing: Combine the oil, teriyaki sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a jar. Shake until combined. You can also mix in a blender.
- Assemble: Layer the spinach, cooled pasta, chicken, oranges, cranberries, onions and any fresh herbs on top. Drizzle with dressing when ready to serve and lightly toss. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Asian, Dairy-Free, Meal Prep, Pasta Salad, Salads
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
A light and bright salad with a great flavor combination! So good..will make again! – Recipe Tester
Perfect for summer! Glad you enjoyed it!
My new favorite salad. Made 2 nights in a row, we loved it so much.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the salad!
Love this spinach pasta salad recipe so much! I used chicken with all the other ingredients and it was fantastic and delicious! I’ll try to add more veggies next time!
This salad is fantastic! The teriyaki dressing perfectly complements the fresh ingredients. I made it for a family gathering, and everyone raved about it. The mandarin oranges add a delightful touch!
This is delicious!! It was perfect for our summer dinner last night. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the pasta salad!
This dressing is amazeballs!!! It totally makes the salad. I will be making this on repeat this summer.
Thank you!!!! ☺️
The perfect summer salad! I am so glad you enjoyed it Krista :)