Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Updated Aug 21, 2024
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is our favorite pasta salad recipe – it comes together in about 20 minutes and the whole family loves it. Hosting a barbecue soon? You’ve found the perfect side salad!
Let’s be honest, summering is fun but it’s tiring (I know I’m not the only mama who’s exhausted by dinnertime). This pasta salad is kind of a one pot meal because it has your pasta, some veggies, and protein all in one bowl, which means that you only need to slice a little watermelon to go on the side and dinner is done. Bonus points if you grill up some zucchini to go with it.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is full of peas, bacon, chicken, fresh tomatoes, and just the right amount of creamy sauce that all come together to make the most delicious creamy pasta salad that is just perfect for a simple summer dinner. This is the perfect dish to take to a party or to enjoy on outside eating al fresco. Next time you are in need of a quick and delicious meal, whip up this pasta salad.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Balanced Meal: With protein from the chicken and bacon, carbs from the pasta, AND the veggies, this recipe has everything you need in it.
- Family-Friendly: The familiar flavors of chicken, bacon, and ranch are likely to be a hit with picky eaters, making it easier to please everyone at the dinner table.
- Easy to Make: It’s a great option for a quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- Pasta: you want a small variety of dry pasta like small shells, rotini, penne, etc.
- Frozen Peas
- Tomato
- Green Onion
- Cooked Chicken
- Cooked Crumbled Bacon
- Mayonnaise
- Sour Cream
- Ranch seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Step #1. Cook the pasta to al dente, then drain and rinse under cool water. Place in a large bowl.
Step #3. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning. Add to the pasta mixture.
Step #2. Add the peas, bacon, chicken, tomato, and onion to the pasta.
Step #4. Stir until everything is well-coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Recipe FAQs
Use whatever chicken you like/have. I cooked up some crispy chicken strips for this batch of pasta salad and it was so good (and so easy!). You can use leftover rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or just about any other kind that you like or have.
This dish will serve 4 as a main dish or 6-8 as a side. This makes a great side to take to any party, picnic, or cookout! It’s great with steak, grilled corn and avocado salad, and just about any other summer food you’d like.
You can use whatever pasta you like or have on hand. I prefer to use bowtie pasta or rotini but you can use whatever you’d like.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to cook the bacon until it is crisp. You don’t want it to get soggy!
- Feel free to add more vegetables to the mix – broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or even some bell pepper would be yummy.
- If you’re taking this a pot luck, a little garnish of fresh parsley, chives, or green onion would look nice.
Video of how to make chicken bacon ranch pasta salad :
More Salad Recipes to Consider
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups small dry pasta, about 8 ounces
- 1 cup frozen peas, rinsed in warm water
- 1 cup tomato pieces
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 2 cups cooked chicken, about 8 ounces
- 4 ounces cooked crumbled bacon
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons ranch seasoning
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is cooked al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- Add the peas, cooked chicken, bacon, tomato and onion to the pasta.
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning and stir to combine. Add to the pasta.
- Stir everything together until it is all well-coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away.
Video
Notes
- Use whatever type of chicken you have. Grilled chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or even crispy chicken strips from the freezer section will work here.
- Any small shape of pasta will work for this recipe.
- Crisp up the bacon so it holds up to the salad without going soggy.
- Feel free to add more veggies if you like.
Holy smokes! This recipe is AMAZING!!! My husband and I made this tonight and couldn’t believe how good it was! We used Schwans breaded chicken fries for the chicken. Without a doubt, an absolutely outstanding recipe!!
Is this good cold? Or do you warm it if you are serving it later?
I normally serve it as soon as I mix it together or cold, kind of like cold fried chicken!
I could eat this beautiful salad for any meal of the day! Outstanding combination of flavors and so pretty too!
I agree with you about summer – it’s fun (yay! for longer sunny days), but I get so tired by dinner. This pasta salad looks so delicious and I love that it comes together so fast and it’s easy! My kind of meal!