Our Easy Creamy, Smoky BBQ Pasta Salad makes the perfect side dish for any summer BBQ, Cookout, Potluck, or Picnic! Goes with everything and tastes Amazing!
I love pasta salad. It just seems to be the perfect food for warm weather eating. It reminds me of picnics and block parties and all the other wonderful gatherings of summer. I found this recipe a few years ago and instantly fell in love.
Barbecue pasta salad?!? Well, hello YUM! I have a couple other favorite pasta salad recipes but this is the one I like best when I’m making barbecue. What type of food goes more perfectly with a big batch of tender smoked ribs or barbecued chicken. Well, more barbecue of course! It might sound like barbecue flavor overload, but somehow, IMHO, it’s absolutely perfect!
BBQ Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- Salt
- 16 Ounces Elbow Pasta
- 1 Sweet Red Pepper Finely Chopped
- 1 Rib Celery Finely Chopped
- 6 Green Onions Thinly Sliced
- 1 Small Red Onion Finely Chopped
- 1 Small Bunch Fresh Cilantro Chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
- 3 Teaspoons Dried Chili Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook pasta until just al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool, then drain again briefly, so the pasta remains somewhat moist; transfer to a large bowl.
- Stir in bell pepper, celery, green onions, red onion, cilantro, vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Let sit a few minutes for flavors to absorb.
- Stir in hot sauce, mayo and BBQ sauce. Check to season and adjust if necessary. Enjoy!
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More Pasta Salad:
- Italian Pasta Salad – is potluck and picnic ready! Surprise your friends with a peppadew and pepperoncini juice dressing over a tangy penne salad.
- Tuna Pasta Salad– where the chicken of the sea meets the salad of Southern gatherings! You’re gonna want another serving of this fresh and creamy pasta mix.
- Pesto Pasta Salad –Â tops vegetables and bow-tie pasta in a creamy, dreamy pesto dressing – positively perfect ! Premade pesto makes this salad a snap to make!
- Chicken Pasta Salad – This isn’t a plain-Jane pasta salad! Tangy, creamy, & full of chicken, veggies, & pasta, Chicken Pasta Salad feeds a crowd. They’ll be lined up for seconds!
- Southern Macaroni Salad – Get ready for a blast from the past! This crazy creamy, sweet and tangy classic Southern Macaroni Salad is just like Grandma’s!
Source: Adapted From Cook’s Illustrated
Had a BBQ last night and had this as one the side dishes, everyone devoured it. Lovely side dish, perfect accompaniment for a BBQ. Thank you for the recipe! “Go raibh maith agat” – From Ireland
Sounds yummmy!
holy awesomeness! i have never seen anything even remotely like this, but as someone who loves both bbq + pasta salad, i have to give it a try. thanks for the awesome recipe!
Wow this looks awesome! I never thought about BBQ sauce in pasta salad before…
Karen
what a fun take on pasta salad!
This is a perfect summer cookout dish, love it! My husband would kill for this, he is a BBQ lover! I'm new to your blog but I'll be back, thanks for stopping by mine!
Delicious ! I love pasta salad and this looks fantastic 🙂
Oh my! All that yumminess in one pasta salad!? Shut the front door! Looks delish!
Oh my gosh. I can't beleive we have the same name!!! 😀
This really looks delicious, Kathleen. We picnic a lot and this would be wonderful for an alfresco meal. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
What a great idea! I always enjoy pasta salad with my BBQ, why not combine the two?
That looks terrific. What a fun side dish!
My family loves pasta salad! This bbq one sounds amazing! I can't wait to give it a try! 🙂
Sounds so good! It's so fun playing with classic recipes.
Yum! I thought the same thing as you… I hadn't thought of adding the bbq sauce before, but cannot wait to try it.
This does look like a great pasta salad to me. I love bbq, and I never would have thought to use it as the foundation of a pasta recipe. So good! Thank you for sharing with me today. Visiting your blog is an inspiring way to start my weekend. I hope you have a blessed time with family and friends.
What a brilliant side dish!
Yum! I also like pasta salad too! But I never thought of using BBQ sauce for the salad! I can already see this can be very addicting! 😉 Have a great weekend!
Oh yum! This pasta is right up my alley! Bookmarked!!
I love pasta salad too. This must be delicious with that list of ingredients like barbecue sauce and peppers…wow…yum!