Description
A delightful mix of pasta, chicken, bacon, and ranch dressing, this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is perfect for gatherings and packed with flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz fusilli or rotini pasta
- 1 cup cooked chicken, diced
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the fusilli or rotini pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually around 8–10 minutes).
- Prepare the chicken: Dice cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces or cook fresh chicken until fully cooked (about 15–20 minutes).
- Crisp the bacon: Cook the bacon until crispy in a skillet over medium heat and crumble it into smaller pieces.
- Mix it up: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, diced chicken, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and red onion.
- Dress it right: Pour in the ranch dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently until well-coated.
- Garnish and chill: Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle parsley on top. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a couple of days. Add bacon right before serving to keep it crispy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Chilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Keywords: pasta salad, chicken salad, bacon salad, ranch salad, summer salad