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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a delightful combination of tender chicken, crispy bacon, and al dente pasta, tossed in a creamy ranch dressing. This flavorful salad is a crowd-pleaser, perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a satisfying lunch.

Pasta, peas, bacon and tomatoes and chicken mixed with a dressing and presented in a white serving dish.
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Why I Love This Recipe

  • Cool and Refreshing – Pasta salad just screams summer! It’s the perfect dinner on a hot summer day with very little cooking required, and no need to turn on the oven.
  • Versatile – You can use any kind of chicken you like, from Poached Chicken to rotisserie, and even chicken strips! Same goes for the veggies; stick with the peas and tomatoes, or things like cucumbers, olives, carrots, or avocado.
  • Family Friendly – Chicken+Bacon+Ranch is definitely a popular flavor combo with kids and adults alike! I use that combo in lots of recipes, like Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders and Slow Cooker Crack Chicken Sandwiches.

Ingredients

  • Pasta – Use a bite-sized pasta, like rotini, farfalle (butterfly), macaroni, or shells.
  • Chicken – dice or shredded chicken from a rotisserie, or for fun and added texture I like to use breaded chicken tenders.
  • Peas – Frozen and completely thawed.
  • Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes.
  • Bacon – One of my favorite cooking methods is in the Oven or Air Fryer. Cook it nice and crispy, then dice into bite-sized pieces.
  • Ranch Dressing – Use any brand that you love, or try my homemade ranch dressing.
  • Mayonnaise and Sour Cream – Part of the dressing to make it a little thicker and to take down the ranch a notch so it’s not too overwhelming.

How To Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Ranch dressing in a white bowl.
Ranch dressing poured over a combination of pasta, tomatoes, peas and chicken.
Pasta salad with peas and chicken in a white bowl.
  • Cook the pasta according to package directions and set aside to cool.
  • Whisk the Ranch dressing, mayo, and sour cream together for the dressing. If you prefer you can swap the mayo or sour cream for Greek yogurt.
  • In a large bowl, toss the chicken, bacon, peas, and tomatoes together. Pour on the dressing and toss to coat.

Make Ahead and Storage

You can combine the salad ingredients without the dressing up to a day in advance. However, if you plan to use breaded chicken strips, save those for adding the day of to preserve the texture.

The dressing can also be prepped a day in advance and stored separately. Dress the salad no more than a couple of hours before serving.

Store leftovers in a covered container for up to 3-4 days. The pasta may absorb some of the dressing, so add a couple of tablespoons of Ranch to rehydrate when serving leftovers.

Helpful Tips

  • Reserve some bacon crumbles – or make extra – to garnish the salad. Chives also make a nice garnish.
  • Rinse the pasta to remove the excess starch or cool quickly.
  • Optional, but delicious – chop and add some fresh herbs like dill or parsley.
Bowls of chicken pasta salad with peas and tomatoes.

More Pasta Salad Recipes



Recipe
chicken bacon ranch pasta salad square image.

Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad

4.86 from 7 votes
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad has chicken, bacon, pasta and veggies, tossed in a creamy dressing for a flavorful, crowd-pleasing salad.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups small dry pasta cooked to al dente
  • 2 cups diced or shredded chicken
  • 1 cup frozen peas cooked
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 6 slices bacon cooked and diced
  • 1/2 cup bottled ranch dressing
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta to al dente and allow to cool. Add chicken, bacon, peas and tomatoes and toss to combine.
  • Combine Ranch dressing, sour cream and mayonnaise into a small bowl. Add salt and pepper and stir until combined.
  • Pour dressing mixture over pasta mixture and gently stir to coat.
  • Top with bacon crumbles for garnish, if desired.

Notes

* There is no right or wrong when it comes to the chicken. Use crispy chicken strips, boiled chicken, leftover rotisserie chicken or whatever you happen to have on hand.* Cheese makes a great addition to this pasta salad – we like cheddar or blue cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 18gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 400mgPotassium: 326mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 241IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

For more delicious pasta salads, be sure to check these out:

 

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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Comments

    1. Hi Karie, This isn’t a casserole, it’s a pasta salad. So, no, I don’t recommend freezing.

  1. Hi Kristin, I have made this before but I tried it again with steamed shrimp. As a Marylander I love shrimp steamed in Old Bay seasoning. The seasoning added extra zip to the bacon and ranch dressing. I used rotini and it was fantastic!

    1. It would depend on whether you are serving this as a main course, or with a party spread. As a main dish it would serve about 6, or even up to 8.

  2. Made this for an office potluck, it was a hit! Multiple people asked for the recipe! Noted, I made my own ranch instead of using bottled ranch as I personally cannot stand the bottled stuff. To me, it also seemed a little too peppery but not enough to really impact the yumminess. I doubled the recipe, and probably about 10 people had a decent helping of it (but with a potluck, there are lots of other foods so this was not a main dish size helpings). Worked out great! I got everything ready the night before, threw it all together before serving, and it lasted staying out for a few hours. Unfortunately, no leftovers to know if it would be as good the next day!