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Chicken bacon ranch pasta salad is a creamy, crunchy, and colorful salad that’s a perfect side dish on any table!
This pasta salad has chopped chicken, creamy avocados, tomatoes, green onions, and cubes of cheddar cheese mixed into a creamy dressing.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Crunchy, creamy, savory, and salty, this salad makes a great main dish and is a favorite for summer barbecues and potlucks.
- Skill Level: Easy to whip up for a hearty lunch or a quick dinner.
- Prep Note: Double up on the homemade ranch dressing and have some to use all week on salads and in wraps!
- Time-Saving Tip: Substitute pre-packaged bacon crumbles and a bottle or packet of ranch dressing.
Ingredient Tips for Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Pasta: Choose sturdy pasta, like rigatoni, rotini, or penne, that holds up well with the other ingredients and that the dressing can cling to. Cook pasta al dente and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. This keeps the pasta firmer longer.
- Bacon: Cooked bacon, packaged bacon bits, or diced ham add crunch and a smoky, salty flavor. If you’re using packaged bacon crumbles, try crisping them up by heating them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Chicken: Got rotisserie or leftover chicken? Those are ideal for making short work of this recipe. Leftover shrimp or salmon are also great options.
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese has the best flavor. Cut it into chunks or shred it to make every bite cheesy.
- Veggies: Colorful green onions, juicy grape tomatoes, and creamy avocados are a good match with the bacon and chicken. Fresh spring peas, chopped celery, asparagus pieces, and diced bell peppers are delish in this dish, too!
- Dressing: Mayonnaise, sour cream, herbs, and a handful of seasonings are all that’s needed for a creamy ranch dressing. For a lighter dressing, try replacing the sour cream with Greek yogurt.
How to Make Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Mix: Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside (full recipe below).
- Cook: Boil the pasta, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- Combine: Add all ingredients to a serving bowl and add dressing.
For best results, chill for at least an hour before serving. Then garnish with avocado, extra green onions, and bacon bits.
Storing Pasta Salad
Keep leftover bacon ranch pasta salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir before serving. Add extra dressing if needed, since the pasta will soak up the dressing as it sits.
More Pasta Salad Favorites
Did you love this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad? Leave a rating and comment below!
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rigatoni shells, rotini, or penne
- 8 slices bacon
- 2 cups cooked chopped chicken
- 2 green onions thinly sliced, divided
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- ½ cup diced cheddar cheese cut into ¼-inch cubes
- ½ avocado for garnish, optional
Dressing
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons milk or as needed
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 ½ teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, chives, dill, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. If desired, whisk 1 tablespoon bacon grease into the dressing.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to package directions. Drain well and rinse under cold water.
- Set aside 1 tablespoon of green onions and half of the bacon for garnish.
- In a large bowl, combine drained pasta, half of the bacon, chicken, tomatoes, green onions, and cheese. Add dressing to taste (you may not use all of the dressing) and toss well to combine. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
- Garnish with sliced avocado if using and remaining bacon and green onion.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.
- For a quick dressing, replace the seasonings and herbs with bottled or packet mix of ranch dressing.
- Leftover pasta salad can be kept in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 4 days. Stir before re-serving. Do not freeze.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Pasta, Salad, Side Dish
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easy to assemble and was a big hit at bbq.
Excellent!!!
All the recipes look so yummy. They can be adjusted for people who can’t have any flour based products. The pasta that is gluten free can be sustained for the flour base pasta.
I often make our pasta salads with gluten free pasta and they turn out great. I would recommend cooking the noodles more on the al dente side so they don’t fall apart once they absorb the sauce.
My hubby said to KEEP this recipe !
I really enjoy recipes return later