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Fresh, crisp vegetables, creamy dressing, AND chicken and bacon? I never really have to sell this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad to get someone to try it. With all this and more, it’s no wonder that it is consistently a hit at our table.
I love pasta salads. They’re so versatile, supporting a seemingly endless array of ingredients. And I’m always experimenting with new versions. I was making my bacon pasta salad the other day and on a whim I tossed in some grilled chicken. It turned out soooo good! I knew I had to recreate it as it’s own recipe asap. So, here we are.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
When I was developing this recipe for chicken bacon ranch pasta salad, I couldn’t stop coming back for more. It’s so snackable! Light enough to enjoy in the summertime, but hearty enough to feed a crowd. And what little leftovers we had were just as good for lunch the next day.
Don’t have homemade ranch dressing in the refrigerator? Don’t worry! I’ve included some instructions below on how to make it from scratch. It’s well worth a few minutes to make the dressing yourself. Once you taste the difference from store-bought, you’ll never want to go back.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Salad Ingredients
The Pasta – Whatever bite-size pasta you prefer will work. I used elbow pasta this time.
The Meat – This salad delivers for my meat lovers. I include chicken and bacon.
The Produce – I add some peas, red onion, and grape tomatoes to the mix to keep things fresh.
Cheese – Cheese gets included both for the different texture and rich flavor. I use sharp cheddar, but you can swap for another bold cheese, if you want to experiment.
Avocado – The humble avocado brings a creamy richness that I adore.
Parsley – Don’t skip the finisher, on this one. Fresh Italian parsley adds a contrasting brightness that lifts the pasta salad and keeps it from becoming too heavy.
Dressing Ingredients
I often shortcut this recipe by using ⅔ cup of my homemade ranch along with the bacon grease when making this salad. If you have that on hand already, feel free to do that too. If not, follow the ingredients below:
Mayo & Milk – Mayonnaise and milk provide the smooth, creamy foundation for our ranch dressing.
Dried Seasonings – Chives, dill, and parsley give it the signature ranch flavors.
Garlic & Onion – I use garlic and onion powder to enhance the savory profile, which makes it taste richer.
Lemon – To add brightness, I use freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can swap for storebought, but I tend to find the flavor too acidic.
Salt & Pepper – I use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Bacon Grease – You’ll want to reserve about a tablespoon or so of grease from cooking the bacon, to infuse the dressing with that smoky bacon flavor.
Notes on Equipment
- Baking sheet. Any time I’m baking or roasting, I have to give a nod to my all-time favorite Nordic Ware sheets. They’re hefty without being heavy, come in a bunch of sizes, and the price is right. I’ve had some of mine for 20 years and they have cooked more bacon than I can count.
- Tongs
- Aluminum foil
- Large pot
- Colander
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Chef’s knife. It was over 10 years ago when I first tried this knife, while visiting a professional test kitchen. You could say it was love at first slice. These are stellar knives, and the price point simply can’t be beat for quality. That’s why it has been in my kitchen ever since.
- Cutting board
- Citrus juicer
- Measuring cups and spoons
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Cooking the Bacon
Preheating the Oven: To start, I preheat the oven to 400°F.
Lining the Baking Sheet: Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil. (This step technically isn’t necessary, but it makes cleanup SO much easier.)
Spreading the Bacon: Lay out the bacon strips across the pan.
Baking the Bacon: Set the tray on the middle oven rack and let cook for 16 minutes. Then, check on it. Depending on how thick the bacon is, you may need to give it another 4-6 minutes to cook fully.
Drying and Cooling: I remove the bacon from the oven, and then use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Reserving Grease: Don’t throw the grease away! We’re going to use about a tablespoon of the remaining bacon grease to flavor the salad dressing.
Making the Dressing
Preparing the Lemon: I halve the lemon and juice it.
Whisking the Dressing: Now we can whisk together the mayo, milk, dill, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
Adding Lemon Juice: You will need to add the lemon juice, tasting as you go. You can add more lemon, if desired for additional tanginess.
Adding Bacon Grease: I add the bacon grease now and adjust for extra smokiness.
Chilling the Dressing: Now I just set the dressing in the refrigerator until it is needed.
Making the Pasta Salad
Boiling the Water: I fill a large pot with water, add a generous amount of salt (at least a tablespoon) and set it over high heat on the stove.
Chopping the Ingredients: While the water comes to a boil, I chop the cooked bacon, chicken, cheese, and avocado into small, bite-sized pieces. I also halve the tomatoes and mince the onion. I’ll finely chop the parsley now, too.
Cooking the Pasta: Once the water boils, you’ll add the pasta and cook until al dente, usually about 8 minutes. It should be mostly soft with just the slightest bite remaining, you do not want to overcook it and wind up with a soft or mushy pasta salad.
Rinsing the Peas: While the pasta cooks, you’ll want to rinse the peas with cold water to thaw them.
Draining: Once the pasta has finished cooking, I pour it into a colander in the sink to drain. Don’t forget to rinse it with cold water to stop it from cooking. This is one case where rinsing the pasta works to guarantee the pasta will be exactly the texture I want for the salad.
Assembling the Salad: Add the cooled pasta, thawed peas, tomatoes, cheese, onion, avocado, bacon, and chicken to the bowl with the dressing. Stir gently to coat.
Serving: Just before serving, I like to sprinkle everything with the fresh parsley and give it a final toss.
Expert Tip
Let’s talk about a really important step that gets skipped too often. It’s the taste test. A lot of newer cooks tend to trust the recipe over their own taste buds.
But, you really should taste the pasta as it cooks. Do it before you think it’s finished cooking. Taste it again every minute after. Learn to recognize how the texture changes each time, and you’re setting yourself up for success every time you cook in the future.
Taste the dressing when you mix it. Let it sit on your tongue and consider whether it tastes right to you. Taste the salad as well before you add the parsley. Does it need salt? Pepper? More Dressing? Something else? Taste it again right before serving.
Each taste test allows you to begin noticing the subtle differences that each ingredient brings to the mix. And, it prepares you to adapt other recipes and build your own in the future. So, don’t skip the taste test!
Crinkle the Bacon – Did you know you can fit an entire package of bacon on one baking sheet? You just have to crinkle it up when you lay it out, instead of laying them flat. Just make sure to leave plenty of room for airflow around the various folds and it will bake evenly throughout.
Salt the Pasta – While salting the pasta doesn’t affect the cooking time, it will dramatically improve the taste. The dressing works with the pasta instead of trying to overcome a pasta that has no flavor.
Stir Carefully – As you combine everything together in the mixing bowl with the dressing at the end, be gentle. Some of the ingredients like avocado, are prone to getting crushed, if you stir too forcefully.
Serving Suggestions
This bowl of pasta salad is substantial enough to be dinner on its own, which is often how I eat it. But, if I am stretching it across a crowd, I reach for something green. It helps balance everything out. So, go with this orange parsley salad or my arugula tomato salad. Both work great alongside this pasta salad.
If you prefer something sweet, that can work, too. At potlucks, it often sits beside my rainbow fruit salad or a watermelon fruit salad. And, for those days when you just NEED some crunch, try it with this super simple broccoli grape salad.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: I often make this salad the morning before I’m planning on serving it. That saves me time when I am at my busiest in the kitchen.
How to Store: Store this meal in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’ll keep nicely for up to 3 days.
More Ranch Inspired Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
To thicken the dressing, you can add another tablespoon of mayonnaise as needed. Likewise, you can add about a tablespoon of milk as needed to thin it. Be sure to taste and adjust seasonings afterward so they are how you want them.
Look, I’m not your boss. And you can make this work with store bought ranch dressing. But, the extra minute or two to make the dressing homemade are absolutely worth it. It is what makes this pasta salad so good.
Well, technically no. But, I strongly recommend it. That said, if you have a health concern and want to skip it, the salad will still taste good without it.
I have exact measurements in the recipe card. But I will say that you’ll benefit from just remembering that all of the ingredients should fit together on a spoon. Every bite should be a diverse experience, including all of the separate ingredients. If you have really big pieces of chicken, you’re going to miss out on the other ingredients when it comes to the bites that have chicken. Smaller is usually better.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon
- 8 ounces elbow pasta or any bite-size pasta you prefer
- 1½ cups frozen peas thawed
- 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 large avocado chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup red onion finely minced
- ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped small
- 2 cups cooked chicken chopped into ¾-inch pieces
Dressing Ingredients
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¾ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried chives
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon warm bacon grease plus more to taste
Instructions
Cook the Bacon
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. (The foil is not required, but it does make cleanup very simple.) Spread the bacon strips out across the pan.
- Place the tray of bacon on the middle oven rack. Set a timer for 16 minutes to check the bacon. Depending on the thickness of the bacon, it might take as long as 20-22 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven when it is as crisp or crunchy as you like. Use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease for the dressing. Let the bacon cool while assembling the rest of the salad.
Make the Salad
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, adding a generous tablespoon or so of kosher salt to the water as it cooks. When the pasta is tender, rinse well with cold water. While the pasta is cooking, rinse the peas to thaw them.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, dill, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Add the lemon juice, taste, and add more lemon if desired. Whisk in the bacon grease. Taste and add additional bacon grease for added smoky bacon flavor.
- Add the peas, cooked pasta, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, onion, and parsley to the salad. Chop or crumble the cooled bacon and add it to the bowl with the dressing. Add the chicken to the bowl. Stir gently to coat all the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir again just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
