Chicken and Bacon Pasta Salad
This easy chicken and bacon pasta salad combines tender chicken, crispy bacon, short pasta, crunchy vegetables and mature cheddar in a creamy homemade ranch dressing. Perfect for summer lunches, picnics, barbecues and meal prep, it can be made ahead and refreshed with a little reserved dressing just before serving.
Servings 6 as a side
Calories 453kcal
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Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 250 g Cooked Pasta (125g dry pasta)
- 2 Cooked Chicken Breasts cut into chunks
- 6 Grilled Streaky Bacon Rashers chopped
- 4 Spring Onions chopped
- 10 Cherry Tomatoes halved
- ¼ Cucumber diced
- 1 Red Pepper chopped
- 100 g Cheddar Cheese grated
For the ranch dressing
- 200 g Mayonnaise
- 100 ml Sour Cream
- 2 tablespoon Parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon Dill finely chopped
- 1 Lemon juice only
- 1 Garlic Clove peeled and finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Prep - Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta (125g dry weight) according to the packet instructions. Drain the pasta thoroughly. Rinse it briefly under cold running water to stop it cooking, then leave it in the colander until completely cool and well drained.
- Mix together the ranch dressing ingredients in a bowl.200 g Mayonnaise, 100 ml Sour Cream, 2 tbsp Parsley, 2 tbsp Dill, 1 Lemon, 1 Garlic Clove, Salt and Pepper, 100 g Cheddar Cheese
- Place the cooked pasta, cooked chicken chunks, grilled bacon pieces, salad vegetables, and grated cheddar in a large mixing bowl.250 g Cooked Pasta, 2 Cooked Chicken Breasts, 6 Grilled Streaky Bacon Rashers, 4 Spring Onions, 10 Cherry Tomatoes, ¼ Cucumber, 1 Red Pepper
- Pour over the ranch dressing and mix to combine. Store in the fridge until needed.
Notes
- Use short pasta shapes such as fusilli, penne or small shells—they hold the creamy dressing best.
- Cool the pasta completely before adding the dressing to prevent it becoming oily or watery.
- Reserve 2–3 tablespoons of the dressing and stir it through just before serving if making ahead, as the pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it chills.
- Cook the bacon until crisp and reserve a little to sprinkle over just before serving for the best texture.
- Make ahead: Prepare up to 24 hours in advance and store covered in the fridge.
- Storage: Keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days (provided the cooked chicken is still within its safe use-by period). Do not freeze.
- Variations: Swap the chicken for leftover turkey, use wholewheat pasta for extra fibre, or replace half the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt for a lighter dressing.
Nutritional Information (Approximate)
Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 560mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1289IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 2mg
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