Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
This chicken bacon ranch pasta salad is excellent for an easy family dinner or a crowd-pleaser side dish. Tender chicken, crispy bacon, cooked pasta, and fresh vegetables tossed in a creamy ranch dressing for the most delicious and hearty summer pasta salad!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. rotini pasta (or similar)
- 12 oz. bacon, chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced See Notes
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced about 1/2 cup
- 2-3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 cup ranch dressing Highly recommended: Homemade ranch dressing (see recipe in the notes) but you can also your use favorite store-bought ranch.
Instructions
- Prep: Prepare ranch dressing (if using). Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing, and refrigerate until ready to use. Cook bacon pieces until crisp (about 8-10 minutes). Set aside to cool. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool.
- Assemble: In a large bowl, add pasta. Top with cooled bacon, tomatoes, red onion, celery, and chicken. Toss with dressing until everything is well-coated. Refrigerate at least an hour to allow flavors to marry. I like to reserve a little of the dressing and toss it in right before I am ready to serve.
Notes
Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
Chicken: Any cooked chicken will work great in this recipe if you shred or dice up the meat. Try this Easy Blackened Chicken, Oven-Baked Chicken Breast, Pan-Cooked Chicken, or shredded chicken in the air fryer to make your chicken. Additionally, you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken for a hassle-free protein source and pull off all the meat.