This Creamy Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad is easy, delicious, healthy, and an entire meal in one bowl - I love salads that can be eaten as a main course! With a tangy creamy ranch dressing, crispy bacon, veggies, and vermicelli noodles, this salad is the perfect summer pasta salad!
This cold pasta salad recipe is popular in the summer, but great any time of the year for family gatherings or bringing along to a potluck dinner or summer barbecue. This was inspired by my Thai Chicken Noodle Salad on this site and pairs well with Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks or Garlic Bread Baguette.
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Love pasta salad? Check out my Macaroni Salad with Tuna (4 Ingredients), my Easy Japanese Cold Noodle Salad, or my Easy Spicy Peanut Pasta Salad (with leftover spaghetti noodles).
🥘Ingredient Notes
I took 2 different dressing recipes and combined them to make this perfectly creamy AND tangy dressing!
You'll need the following simple ingredients for this easy pasta salad recipe:
- Bacon. I find that the quickest, easiest, and least messy way to cook bacon is to buy the pre-cooked bacon at Costco. You can take slices out individually and they only take a couple of minutes in the microwave. The best part is no greasy mess!
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can dice or shred the chicken breast for this salad. A quick and easy way to shred it is by using your stand mixer. (Jump to #2)
- Vermicelli. I use vermicelli because they are ideal for a pasta salad. They are thinner than spaghetti noodles and cook faster, but they are sturdy enough to absorb the dressing and the weight of the vegetables without breaking apart.
- Dry Ranch dressing mix. I use Hidden Valley because I think it tastes the best!
- Italian dressing. You can use your favorite Italian dressing.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Chicken - you can use chicken breast or leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or crispy chicken strips.
- Bell Peppers - use any color you prefer- yellow, red pepper, or green peppers
- Bacon - you can use bacon turkey bacon or chicken bacon
- Pasta - you can use any type of thin noodle you prefer, including angel hair pasta. Alternatively, you could use rotini pasta or another type of pasta.
- Tomatoes - you can use any type of tomato, including Roma tomatoes, grape, or cherry tomatoes
- Onions - you can use green onions instead of red onions
🔪How to Make Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
Prep: Cook chicken and bacon and set aside (See Top Tip re: bacon). Cook pasta until al dente, as per package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.
Whisk all salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl
Add all salad ingredients, cooked pasta, and homemade ranch dressing together in a large mixing bowl. * You can cut the chicken into cubes/chunks and slice some to put on top, if desired. Or simply cut all the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and mix well.
Garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Cook Pasta Al Dente – Overcooked pasta can become mushy when mixed with dressing. Cook it just until al dente, then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.
- Crispy Bacon Hack – For the crispiest bacon with minimal mess, bake it in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Or, use pre-cooked bacon for convenience.
- Shred vs. Cube Chicken – If you prefer a softer texture, shred the chicken instead of cubing it. This allows the dressing to coat the chicken more evenly. You can shred it quickly using your
- Chill Before Serving – Letting the salad sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving allows the flavors to meld together for a better taste.
- Toss with Half the Dressing First – Start by mixing in half of the dressing, then add more as needed to prevent overdressing. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it sits.
- Prevent Watery Salad – If making ahead, store veggies separately and add them just before serving to prevent them from releasing water into the salad.
- Use Rotisserie Chicken for Convenience – Save time by using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken breasts from scratch.
- Customize the Texture – For extra crunch, add sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, or crispy fried onions.
🌡️Storage
Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.
If you want to make this creamy pasta salad in advance, keep the vegetables, dressing, meat, and pasta in separate containers. Combine just before serving.
These ingredients don't stand up to freezing. The mayonnaise-based dressing can separate, and the veggies may become watery when thawed.
👪 Serving Size
This yummy pasta salad recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
You can reduce the ww points in this bacon ranch chicken pasta salad recipe by using turkey bacon and a lower point pasta or spaghetti squash. I like to use smart pasta.
❔Recipe FAQ's
Yes! For the best texture, store the cooked pasta, dressing, and other ingredients separately in airtight containers and mix them together just before serving.
Yes, you can use about 1 ¼ cups of store-bought ranch dressing instead of making it from scratch, but skip the mayonnaise and reduce the milk to ¼ cup. You'll still need to add the red wine vinegar, white vinegar, olive oil, and Italian dressing.
You can add black olives, shredded cheese, avocado, or extra veggies like carrots or celery for more crunch and flavor
So if you're looking for a delicious pasta salad or a great summer salad for summer BBQs or potlucks, make this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad!
More Summer Salads
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📋 Creamy Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8-10 slices bacon
- 3-4 chicken breasts
- 16 oz Vermicelli noodles
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 cucumber *Long English cucumber
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- ½ red onion
Salad dressing
- 1.5 ounces dry Ranch dressing mix (about 1 ½ packages) * I use Hidden Valley
- ½ cup milk * I use 1 % milk
- ¾ cup mayonnaise * I use Hellman's ½ the fat
- 3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoon white vinegar
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon water
- 3 teaspoon Italian dressing
Instructions
- Cook chicken and bacon and set aside (See Top Tip re: bacon)
- Cook pasta as per package directions, drain and cool.
- Whisk all salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Add all salad ingredients with ranch dressing together in a large bowl, and mix well. * You can cut the chicken into cubes/chunks and slice some to put on top, if desired. Or simply cut all the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
-
- Cook Pasta Al Dente – Overcooked pasta can become mushy when mixed with dressing. Cook it just until al dente, then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.
-
- Crispy Bacon Hack – For the crispiest bacon with minimal mess, bake it in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Or, use pre-cooked bacon for convenience.
-
- Shred vs. Cube Chicken – If you prefer a softer texture, shred the chicken instead of cubing it. This allows the dressing to coat the chicken more evenly. You can shred it quickly using your
-
- Chill Before Serving – Letting the salad sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving allows the flavors to meld together for a better taste.
-
- Toss with Half the Dressing First – Start by mixing in half of the dressing, then add more as needed to prevent overdressing. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it sits.
-
- Prevent Watery Salad – If making ahead, store veggies separately and add them just before serving to prevent them from releasing water into the salad.
-
- Use Rotisserie Chicken for Convenience – Save time by using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken breasts from scratch.
-
- Customize the Texture – For extra crunch, add sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, or crispy fried onions.
Terri Gilson
This Creamy Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad is just what I need for easy summer meals. I love that it's a whole dinner in one bowl, and the mix of crispy bacon, veggies, and tangy ranch dressing is so good. It's become my favorite way to use up leftover chicken and still feel like I'm eating something fresh and tasty!