Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad (Print-Friendly Version)

Chicken, bacon, and ranch combine with rotini for a savory, creamy salad perfect for lunch or a quick dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Main Components

01 - 500 g cooked chicken breast, diced
02 - 200 g cooked bacon, crumbled
03 - 450 g rotini pasta

→ Dressing

04 - 180 ml ranch dressing
05 - 120 ml mayonnaise
06 - 120 g shredded cheddar cheese

→ Vegetables & Seasoning

07 - 4 green onions, chopped
08 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# How to Make It:

01 - Prepare rotini pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente.
02 - Drain cooked pasta and rinse immediately under cold running water to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.
03 - Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook chicken breast until no longer pink in the center, set aside to cool, then dice into small cubes.
04 - In a separate pan, cook bacon strips over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel, cool, and crumble into pieces.
05 - In a spacious bowl, combine cooled pasta, diced chicken, and crumbled bacon.
06 - Pour ranch dressing and mayonnaise over pasta mixture.
07 - Stir until the dressing evenly coats all ingredients.
08 - Add shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onions to the bowl.
09 - Sprinkle in garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.
10 - Drizzle in olive oil and toss the mixture until evenly combined.
11 - Taste and modify seasoning if needed by adding extra salt or pepper.
12 - Cover the bowl and refrigerate salad for at least 60 minutes to blend flavors.
13 - Present chilled and enjoy immediately.

# Additional Tips:

01 - For maximum freshness, always rinse pasta under cold water directly after draining to prevent clumping.
02 - Substitute rotisserie chicken for quicker assembly and deeper flavor.
03 - For a lighter texture, replace mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
04 - Add hot sauce or red pepper flakes for a spicy variation.
05 - Salad can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored refrigerated.

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