This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is the perfect summer pasta salad featuring grilled chicken, crispy bacon, veggies and creamy ranch dressing!
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Happy summer, friends! Well, I suppose it’s not technically summer just yet, but where I live the weather has been so lovely and we’ve been spending lots of time in the sunshine!! The kids are finished school for the summer and we’ve already attended several barbecues – and it’s not even the end of June yet!
I don’t know about you, but when summer rolls around I look for any reason at all not to turn my oven on. We don’t have air conditioning in our house and since we live in the mountains we don’t really need it, but sometimes the heat of the day gets to be a little much with the sun streaming in our windows all day and the last thing I need is my oven adding even more heat to the mix.
And another thing about summer – it makes me SO lazy in the kitchen. Suddenly, I’m leaving all my bread-and-soup-making-from-scratch ways behind me and I’m whipping up all the no bake desserts and simple salads. And with all the fresh produce available in the summer time, who could blame me?
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This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad contains all my favorite summer flavors, and it is SO easy to make for a simple summer meal or side dish. I make this for my family as a main dish for lunch, but it’s also great as a side dish for a big summer party or barbecue. And if you’re not into store-bought Ranch dressing from a bottle, just throw together this healthier homemade version from my favourite potato salad recipe, or try The Pioneer Woman’s homemade Ranch dressing for a not-so-light option. Both are truly delicious and will work great with this salad!
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I hope you like this delicious Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad recipe! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favorite side dish to take to summer barbecues?
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Looking for even more delicious pasta recipes? You’ll LOVE these!!
- Easy Classic Macaroni Salad
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- Easy Classic Italian Pasta Salad
- Rainbow Vegetable Pasta Salad with Creamy Italian Herb Dressing
- Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
- Quick and Easy Greek Pasta Salad
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Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I make this great meal. You can find more delicious recipe videos on my YouTube channel.LOOKING FOR MORE EASY WEEKNIGHT MEAL IDEAS?
Get my Quick and Easy 4-Week Meal Plan Guide!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is the perfect summer pasta salad featuring grilled chicken, crispy bacon, veggies and creamy ranch dressing!
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Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 371kcal
Ingredients
- 350 grams cooked pasta (my favourite to use is one box of Barilla brand Farfalle pasta)
- 2 cups cooked or grilled chicken (rotisserie chicken works well in a pinch!)
- 1 cucumber (cut into chunks)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 cup chopped cooked bacon (plus extra for garnish)
- 3/4 cup homemade or store-bought Ranch dressing
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions and rinse under cool water.
- Add the pasta to a large bowl, along with the chicken, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, bacon, and ranch dressing.
- Toss everything together well to coat and sprinkle some additional cheese, bacon, and chopped parsley on top for garnish.
- Store the pasta salad in the fridge until ready to serve (up to one day ahead), or serve immediately.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 608mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 374IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @busybakerblog or tag #busybaker!
Demeter says
This is going to be such a hit this summer! Love how easy it is to make.
The Busy Baker says
Yes, as most of my recipes, easy and delicious!☺️
Jade Manning says
This recipe is perfect for this weather! How refreshing and full of flavors!
The Busy Baker says
Thanks Jade!🙂
Catalina says
I never say No to a pasta salad! I love trying new recipes!
The Busy Baker says
I know, I LOVE pasta salads too😍
Beth Pierce says
What’s not to love about this dish?! I will be making this tonight; looks amazing!
The Busy Baker says
Glad you liked the recipe!
Melanie Bauer says
Looks so delish! Love all the flavors going on with this recipe, definitely having this on our table!
The Busy Baker says
I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This is seriously making me hungry! I love this! looks so good!
The Busy Baker says
Thanks!😊
Cathy says
Such a perfect side dish….and I love that it could easily double as a meal!
The Busy Baker says
Thanks Cathy!☺️
Jill says
This salad is delicious! I used 3 mini English cucumbers because that’s what I had on hand. Set it out for dinner last night and went to get some for myself and it was gone…luckily I tasted as I made it.Thanks for sharing this delicious salad.
The Busy Baker Team says
We’re so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
Bertie says
This looks so delish! I showed my hubby your recipe and he wants me to make it for his lunches for the week. How well does this keep? I’ll be cooking this on a Saturday and I’ll make enough for 5 days of lunches. Will this recipe keep that long in the fridge?
The Busy Baker Team says
For best results, according to food safety guidelines, we suggest storing the salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days.