Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Name: Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: For the pasta salad:; 2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed/diced (or sub 1 ½-2 cups shredded chicken); 8 ounces Bacon; 8 ounces cavatappi or bowtie pasta (or pasta of choice!); 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I love using heirloom cherry tomatoes for color variety!); 1 ½ cups corn, grilled, raw or sauteed; ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (or sub diced green onion); 1 slightly ripe avocado, diced; For the greek yogurt ranch:; ¼ cup plain greek yogurt; ⅓ cup store bought ranch dressing

User Reviews

5.0

24 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings
6 servings
Calories
484 kcal
Course
Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine
American

Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Stella Guerrero

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Delicious chicken bacon ranch pasta salad packed with juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, zippy red onion and creamy avocado. This wonderful, easy chicken bacon pasta salad is perfect for customizing and is guaranteed to be a hit all season long! The best side or main dish for BBQs, parties and potlucks.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the pasta salad:
2 grilled chicken breasts, cubed/diced (or sub 1 ½-2 cups shredded chicken)
8 ounces Bacon
8 ounces cavatappi or bowtie pasta (or pasta of choice!)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I love using heirloom cherry tomatoes for color variety!)
1 ½ cups corn, grilled, raw or sauteed
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (or sub diced green onion)
1 slightly ripe avocado, diced
For the greek yogurt ranch:
¼ cup plain greek yogurt
⅓ cup store bought ranch dressing

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Instructions

Make sure you have your grilled or cooked chicken done ahead of time, or feel free to grill it first. This is a great recipe for using leftover chicken! Check out our post on how to make the best chicken breasts here. You can either dice it into ½ inch cubes or feel free to shred it. I prefer diced for this recipe, but it’s up to you and what you have on hand.
Next, cook your bacon: add bacon to a large skillet or pan and place over medium heat, cook bacon on both sides until crispy and golden brown. If the pan starts to smoke at any point, simply lower the heat. I always cook my bacon on medium-low heat. Once bacon is done, blot with a paper towel to absorb excess grease, then chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
While your bacon cooks, you can cook your pasta until al dente, drain and then place in a large bowl.
Mix together your greek yogurt ranch by combining greek yogurt and ranch dressing until smooth and creamy. Pour over the pasta and stir until well combined. Next add the chicken, chopped bacon, corn, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion and avocado. Gently toss again, then taste and adjust seasonings as necessary, adding more salt and pepper or extra ranch dressing, if you’d like. Serves 6, or 4 as a larger meal. Garnish with extra corn, tomatoes, red onion, avocado and bacon.

Notes

Feel free to add 3 cups of baby arugula for a more zippy flavor + a boost of greens. Or feel free to use romaine for a BLT-inspired salad.
If you prefer, instead of mixing ranch + greek yogurt, you can use my homemade greek yogurt ranch dressing, or my jalapeño cashew sauce for a dairy free option.
Feel free to check out our post on how to make delicious chicken breasts here.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1serving (based on 6) Calories 484cal (24%) Carbohydrates 42.1g (14%) Protein 26.6g (53%) Fat 24g (37%) Saturated Fat 4.8g (24%) Fiber 5.1g (20%) Sugar 6.1g (12%)