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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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
My husband is not a pasta salad guy, until I made this pasta salad. I had smoked some chicken breast, which added a whole other dimension to the salad. He loved it!!
Just made this for lunch. Didn’t wait for it to “chill”! Wonderful! Made it just as it says!
Great salad!!
Do you think 1 cup of pasta is enough to feed 4 people? I just made a cup and a half and it is still pretty sparse. Will cook another cup (8oz) to add to it
The recipe calls for 8 ounces of pasta, which is weight (pasta is sold by weight). 8 ounces of medium shells is approximately 3 cups of dry pasta shells. Hope that helps. Enjoy the recipe Nancy!
My family loved this recipe…I added onion, then topped with lettuce when served. My husband is crazy about the dressing, as am I.
Delicious
Thank Kelly! So happy you enjoyed it.
Would love more pasta recipes
Becky, you can check out our pasta recipes section for some great dishes!
Would love pasta recipes hot or cold
You can find all of the pasta recipes right here Kim:
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/?s=pasta
I would like to make the dressing only, does it expire a couple of days later or longer? Thanks
The dressing should last just fine up to 5 days if all of your dairy is fresh. Enjoy!
It is delicious,creamy,and self- filling.
Can you substitute the avacado with something else, I don’t like it.
You could leave it out if preferred.
Salad looks great but trying to be good right now. Doesn’t seem low calorie but it does look yummy!
Try turkey bacon instead. that would cut a large chunk of calories out I would think.
the best !!!!!!
this absolutely the best chicken pasta I have ever made
I am so glad you have enjoyed this recipe!
Working on this now for a hot steamy Texas evening. Can’t wait to try!
I HAVE to make this! I really love that you provided a dressing recipe with seasonings instead of just using a ranch powder. Thanks!
I hope you enjoy it Natasha! It is a perfect salad for a summer dinner!
This looks DELICIOUS!! Do you have a nutritional breakdown??
Thanks for posting!!
Thank you!! Please find the nutritional information under the recipe.
Is this salad best served cold or with the warm chicken?
Either would work but I serve it with cold chicken as I make it ahead of time.
this sounds great!
Quick question could you switch out the chicken for ham, salami or shrimp for a different taste.
Absolutely!
I have been searching for a recipe that is easy to make for a women’s luncheon. I already have the ingredients for this salad so I am anxious to make it tomorrow. It looks and sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Enjoy Lynn!!