Ever since I realized that pasta salad doesn’t need to be slathered with mayonnaise, I feel like pasta salads are becoming more popular. There’s no shame in enjoying a nostalgic mayonnaise-filled pasta salad, but wait until you try this amazing dish. chicken bacon ranch pasta salad.
After first sharing a wonderful BLT pasta salad a few summers ago, I wanted to give it a new twist with delicious grilled chicken and plenty of veggies.
This amazing pasta salad is mayonnaise-free and packed with grilled chicken, crispy bacon, your favorite pasta, all the best summer ingredients, and the easiest, creamiest homemade ranch dressing. Everyone is going crazy at your next barbecue, so make sure to add it to your summer vacation menu.
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Everything you need for the best chicken bacon pasta salad
This healthy Chicken Bacon Pasta Salad is packed with flavor, color and texture and is utterly irresistible. Here’s what you need to create it:
- chicken: Grilled chicken adds delicious flavor and protein to this pasta salad. See below for best cooking instructions.
- bacon: Salty, flavorful bacon is the star of this pasta salad.
- pasta: Use whatever pasta you like!I love Cavatappi Or bowtie noodles.
- vegetable: Add colorful cherry tomatoes (heirloom ones are even better), corn, red onion, and avocado.
- For Ranch: I like to keep it simple by just mixing commercially available products. ranch dressing Top up your protein with Greek yogurt. You can use my homemade Greek yogurt lunch too!
How to grill the perfect chicken
Good news: I have a great tutorial for grilling chicken breasts to perfection every time! Visit this post to learn all my tips and tricks to make this amazing pasta salad recipe with chicken.
Looking for more ways to cook your chicken? Try any of these 4 great ways to cook chicken and add them directly to your recipe.
Add your favorite type of corn
You can easily add raw corn off the cob to salads. If not, sautéing or grilling is fine. Here’s a great way to bake corn.
Customize your Chicken Bacon Pasta Salad
Why not mix up some ingredients? Here’s what I can recommend.
- Go gluten-free. just use your favorite gluten free pasta shape.
- Be vegetarian. You can replace the chicken and bacon with canned chickpeas!
- Add green boost. Chopped romaine adds a delicious touch to the BLT, and arugula adds a nice refreshing kick.
- Please add cheese. Freshly grated parmesan, cheddar, and feta crumble would also be delicious on this chicken bacon pasta salad.
New dressing, same delicious pasta salad
If you don’t have a commercial ranch on hand, try this delicious dairy-free dressing recipe for a creamy chicken bacon pasta salad.
Check out all our healthy salad dressings here!
Let’s make it early
This chicken bacon pasta salad stays fresh when stored. airtight container It keeps in the fridge for about 3-4 days, so you can prepare it the night before a picnic or barbecue, or for lunch on weekdays. For added freshness, we recommend adding avocado when ready to eat.
Salad recipes you’ll love more
Get all the delicious salad recipes here!
We hope you like this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad recipe. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating. I know you like it. Have fun, xo!
grilled chicken bacon ranch pasta salad
A delicious chicken bacon ranch pasta salad packed with juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, tangy red onions and creamy avocado. This wonderfully easy Chicken Bacon Pasta Salad is perfect for customization and is sure to be a hit all summer long. Perfect as a side or main dish for BBQs, parties, potlucks and more.
material
- For pasta salad:
- 2 Grilled chicken breast, diced/diced (or 1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded chicken)
- 8 ounce bacon
- 8 ounce Cavatappi or bowtie pasta (or your favorite pasta!)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I love using heirloom cherry tomatoes for the color change!)
- 1 1/2 cup Corn, grilled, raw, or sautéed
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (or finely chopped green onion)
- 1 slightly ripe avocado, diced
- For Greek Yogurt Ranch:
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup commercial ranch dressing
procedure
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You can grill or cook the chicken ahead of time, or you can grill it first. A great recipe using leftover chicken! Check out this article on how to make the best chicken breast. You can dice into 1/2 inch cubes or shred freely. I prefer diced for this recipe, but that’s up to you and what you have.
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Then cook the bacon. Add the bacon to a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon on both sides until crisp and golden brown. If the pan begins to smoke, reduce the heat. I always cook my bacon over medium-low heat. Once the bacon is cooked, blot excess fat with a paper towel and cut into bite-size pieces and set aside.
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While the bacon is cooking, boil the pasta until al dente, drain, and place in a large bowl.
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Mix Greek yogurt and ranch dressing until smooth and creamy, and mix in Greek yogurt ranch. Pour over pasta and stir until well combined. Then add the chicken, chopped bacon, corn, halved cherry tomatoes, red onion slices, and avocado. Mix lightly again, taste, and adjust seasonings by adding more salt and pepper or ranch dressing if desired. 6 servings, or 4 servings for larger meals. Garnish with additional corn, tomatoes, red onions, avocado, and bacon.
nutrition
Provided by: 1servingcalorie: 484kcalcarbohydrates: 42.1gprotein: 26.6gobesity: twenty fourgsaturated fat: 4.8gfiber: 5.1gsugar: 6.1g
Recipe: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photographer: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on June 23, 2021, republished on May 23, 2022, and republished on June 15, 2023.
