Recipe Spotlight: Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

The scent of simmering sauces and bustling kitchens has always been my compass. My career truly ignited during a deep dive into a family-run pasta shop, an experience that shaped my investigative approach to food writing. As Chief Editor at

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe

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

Salad Ingredients

• Pasta – Whatever bite-size pasta you prefer will work. I used elbow pasta this time.
• Meat – This salad delivers for my meat lovers. I include chicken and bacon.
• 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.