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This chicken bacon ranch pasta salad is loaded with cooked chicken, crispy bacon, fresh veggies, smoked cheddar cheese, and tossed in a creamy homemade ranch dressing. It’s the perfect summer pasta salad for BBQs, picnics, potlucks, or an easy dinner!
Every backyard barbecue needs a delicious creamy pasta salad and this chicken bacon ranch pasta salad is the one I’ll be serving! I find that the creamy pasta salads from the deli taste like one thing, and one thing only, mayo. I don’t mind mayonnaise in a pasta salad recipe, I use it in my dill pickle pasta salad, but it shouldn’t be the dominating flavor.
Ranch dressing is definitely a fan favorite when it comes to salad dressing and my ranch pasta salad features an incredibly flavorful homemade and healthy ranch dressing that uses a combination of mayo and Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and fresh herbs. The dressing brings together all the flavors of the fresh veggies, salty bacon, and chicken.
It’s easy to make, especially if you prep ahead of time and have leftover chicken in the fridge. It’s sure to be a hit at all your gatherings and perfect for hot summer days when you’re craving a hearty cold pasta salad!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Pasta – I like to use rotini pasta. I love the way the spirals hold onto the dressing. You could also use shell pasta, macaroni, or cavatappi pasta.
Bacon – Bacon gives the salad a smoky, salty flavor. Cooking it in the oven is my favorite method, but if you’re short on time cooking it in the microwave is a great choice. Just be sure the bacon is extra crispy! I’m not a big fan of bacon bits, but they’ll work in a pinch if needed.
Chicken – Cooked chicken breasts are perfect for this chicken ranch pasta salad. Chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken can be used too. I like to cut the chicken into cubes, but shredded chicken works.
Vegetables – Celery, red bell pepper, and green onions are perfect for the pasta salad because they’re crisp and crunchy. Cherry tomatoes also add a delicious sweet pop of sweetness. Feel free to substitute green onions with red onion for a stronger onion flavor.
Cheese – Cheddar cheese is commonly used in ranch pasta salad, but I wanted to add even more flavor, so I went with smoked cheddar. It pairs perfectly with the smokiness of the bacon, you have to try it!
Ranch dressing – For the best flavor I highly recommend making my homemade ranch dressing. It’s lighter, uses simple ingredients, and the flavor beats any bottled salad dressing. If you do choose to use bottled ranch dressing, choose a good quality brand such as Whole Foods 365 classic ranch.
Tips for the Best Ranch Pasta Salad
- Use a pasta shape that the dressing will cling to. I found that a spiral shaped pasta like rotini and fusilli worked best. My runner-up choices would be shells or macaroni.
- Cook the pasta in salted water (like the ocean) until al dente. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water immediately to stop the cooking and remove excess starch.
- Take the time to make my homemade ranch dressing. The homemade dressing is what makes it taste so good! Other pasta salads that use Hidden Valley ranch or other bottled dressings seem to be lacking flavor and taste flat.
- Use kitchen scissors to cut the bacon. Once the bacon is cooked use kitchen scissors to cut the bacon into bite sized pieces. It so much easier, faster, and less messy than chopping it up with a knife.
- Prep ahead of time. Chop the vegetables a day ahead of time and make the ranch dressing 1-2 days ahead of time. This will significantly cut down on prep time the day you plan to serve the pasta salad.
Variations
Vegetarian – To make this ranch pasta salad vegetarian omit the chicken and bacon. You can add extra veggies to it such as broccoli or peas. Black olives or dill pickles would be a delicious briny addition.
Make it spicy – Chop up a chipotle chile in adobo sauce or a few dashes of hot sauce and add it to the ranch dressing. You can also add a finely chopped jalapeno to the salad.
Grilled chicken – Grilled chicken adds an extra element of flavor to the pasta salad. My grilled honey mustard chicken and southwest chicken both work well with this recipe.
Different cheese – Smoked cheddar can easily be replaced with regular cheddar cheese, gouda, pepper jack, or smoked mozzarella.
Avocado – If you love avocado swap regular ranch dressing with this avocado ranch dressing!
What to Serve with Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- This is a great pasta salad to serve at summer cookouts. Other side dishes I like to serve with it are berry fruit salad, strawberry watermelon feta salad, potato salad, and tomato avocado corn salad.
- For a main dish grilling recipes I like to serve it with these buffalo chicken skewers, grilled honey lime chicken, or Asian flank steak.
- And don’t forget dessert! My peach blueberry cobbler and Greek yogurt cheesecake bars are always a hit.
How to Store Leftovers
Store the leftover chicken pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The ranch dressing will absorb into the pasta the longer it sits, so I recommend doubling the dressing if you like an extra creamy pasta salad.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pasta rotini or fusilli are best
- 5 slices cooked bacon chopped
- 2 cup cooked and diced chicken breasts
- 3 green onions sliced thin
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 cup cubed smoked white cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- If you are making the homemade ranch dressing, do this first and let it chill while you prep the pasta salad.
- Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Let it drain well before adding it to a salad bowl.
- While the pasta cooks, prep the remaining pasta salad ingredients and add them into a large salad bowl.
- Add the cooked pasta in with the other ingredients and pour in the ranch dressing. Stir everything together until it's coated in the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
