Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad (Homemade Dressing!)
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is loaded with fresh ingredients, from tomatoes to cheese cubes, all smothered in a homemade ranch dressing. You can whip this delicious chicken ranch pasta salad up in no time at all and pair it with any main dish. Perfect for a summer BBQ or potluck!
Table of Contents
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
I find myself making a large bowl of this pasta salad with chicken and ranch dressing fairly often. It’s the perfect dish for hot summer days!
Our family loves eating it as a hearty weeknight meal, but it’s just as great as a side dish for picnics in the park or a potluck dinner with friends.
The best part? This chicken bacon ranch pasta salad recipe can be made ahead of time — in fact, it tastes even better when you do!
Chicken and ranch are such a delicious pairing, which is why you’ll find the duo in so many of our recipes.
Whether it’s Ranch Chicken Kabobs with Bacon on the grill or a creamy casserole in the oven, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy these flavors.
We’ve even got a mouthwateringly Cheesy Barbecue Ranch Chicken Dip!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pasta – I used medium shells in this chicken bacon ranch pasta salad recipe, but any short pasta will work. Try rotini, penne, bowtie, or cavatappi instead!
The cooking times for each may vary, so pay close attention to the directions on the box. - Chicken – Boneless breasts are easy to cook on the stove, but thigh meat will be more tender. If you’re short on time, grab a rotisserie bird from the store or use up leftovers.
- Sour Cream & Mayonnaise – The creamy base for the dressing. Swap the sour cream with Greek yogurt if needed.
- Milk – This thins out the dressing so it’s easier to drizzle. Use whatever is in your fridge, and feel free to start with less and adjust as you go.
- Ranch Dressing Mix – Use the powdered kind that comes in a packet, not bottled dressing!
- Veggies – Fresh Roma tomatoes are great for salads — they’re meaty with very little liquid. Cherry or grape tomatoes would make a great substitute.
I also like to toss some green onions and sliced black olives into the bowl. - Cheese – Cheddar is my top pick, though Pepper Jack adds a spicy kick. To add extra tang to your ranch chicken pasta salad, try blue cheese.
- Bacon – Cook bacon in the oven or in the air fryer. It will get perfectly crispy, and you’ll avoid grease splatters all over your stovetop!
Tips and Tricks for Making Pasta Salad with Chicken and Ranch Dressing
- Salt your pasta water.
It’s an easy trick that really adds a lot of flavor! The standard ratio is 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt in 4 quarts of water to cook 1 pound of pasta.
Wait until the water is at a rolling boil before adding the salt. This will cause the temperature to drop slightly, so wait until it’s bubbling again to pour in the pasta.
- Cut the meat, cheese, and veggies into similar-sized pieces.
This makes your chicken bacon ranch pasta salad so much easier to eat and allows you to get a little bit of everything in each bite!
Use the cooked pasta as a guide — nothing should be bigger than the shells. If you’re prepping ingredients ahead of time, aim for pieces about ½-inch long.
- Rinse cooked pasta in cold water.
You need to stop the cooking process to remove excess starch so the shells don’t become mushy.
If you’d like, you can toss the shells in a little bit of olive oil before assembling this chicken ranch pasta salad. It acts as a sort of barrier so they don’t soak up too much of the dressing.
Prep Ahead
- Cook and dice chicken
- Cook and crumble bacon
- Make dressing
- Chop tomatoes and green onion
- Cube cheese
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Large Pot and Strainer to cook and drain the pasta
- Salad Bowl – Large enough for mixing and attractive enough for serving!
- Quality Knives and a big solid Cutting Board make prepping a breeze and are well worth the investment.
- Mason Jar – The only way I’ll make salad dressing — just combine and shake!
Mix In Ideas
Veggies are the easiest way to make this chicken bacon ranch pasta salad your own. Swap out anything you don’t like or simply add your favorites to the mix!
- Red onion
- Peas
- Bell peppers
- Zucchini
- Corn
- Avocado (add just before serving to prevent browning)
- Fresh herbs
For extra protein, add a can of black beans and/or chickpeas (drained and rinsed). You could even include those instead of chicken and bacon for a vegetarian version.
Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad FAQ
Most pasta salads are safe to sit out for up to 2 hours, but this time is drastically shortened if it’s a hot day or if the bowl is in direct sunlight.
If you’re planning on serving your chicken bacon ranch pasta salad for a picnic or potluck, place the bowl on ice to keep it chilled.
And get any leftovers packaged up and in the fridge within 2 hours. If it’s been out for longer, better safe to toss it!
Sure! The flavors in this recipe would taste great with an oil-based or creamy Italian dressing too.
You can also grab a bottle of your favorite ranch dressing and mix it with some plain Greek yogurt for a similar taste.
And if dairy is a concern, swap in a dairy-free ranch dressing and leave out the cheese!
Pasta salad can dry out the longer it sits because the pasta will absorb most of the dressing. Thankfully, there are a couple of easy fixes for this problem!
First, rinse the pasta well in cold water and toss with a little bit of oil to keep it from absorbing the dressing too quickly.
Next, only add about two-thirds of the dressing at first. Let it chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then add the rest of the dressing just before serving.
Storing Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
You can make this recipe up to 2 days in advance. Honestly, I think it tastes even better the next day anyway!
That extra time really allows the flavors to meld together, plus it makes it easier to grab and go for potlucks.
Store some of the dressing separately, then stir it into the bowl before serving to freshen everything up.
Otherwise, leftover pasta salad with chicken and ranch dressing will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Store tightly covered or in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad (Homemade Dressing!)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces medium shell pasta
- 2 large chicken breasts, or about 2 cups previously cooked chicken
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons Ranch dressing mix, or 1 1oz ranch dressing mix packet
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes
- 2 cups cubed cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup sliced green onions, about 4 stalks
- 2.25 ounce can sliced olives, drained
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water when done.
- Meanwhile; saute chicken breasts in a pan over medium-high heat, seasoned with salt and pepper, flipping after about 5 minutes. Cook until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before dicing.
- In a medium bowl (or mason jar), combine sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, ranch dressing mix and garlic powder. Stir together till smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, chicken, diced tomato, cheese cubes, green onions, olives and bacon. Stir together to combine.
- Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours (or more) before serving.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published May 2018, updated and republished July 2025
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Weโre Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
bookmarked!!, I love your site!
This was a very good pasta salad. The chicken, bacon, and cheese go so well with the ranch dressing.
I can’t get over how good this was! The homemade dressing made it perfect.
Hi Caroline!
We’re so glad you enjoyed.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn