Southwest Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
This Southwest Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad was a HUGE hit at the party I took it to! People were raving over it. It was something new that I decided to throw together. I like to use my friends as guinea pigs for my experimental recipes lol! I am pretty sure they don’t mind. None of them have made an official complaint anyways!
Chicken Bacon Ranch is not a new combination by any means. But I decided to put a southwest flare to it by adding in some taco seasoning, black beans and corn. And let me tell you. It worked! It was absolutely bursting with flavor in every bite! And since pasta salad is one of my favorite food groups, here are some more to check out while you are here!
Dill Pickle Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad with Bacon
How To Make Southwest Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
This is just a summary, the full recipe is below. Start by boiling 1 lb of rotini pasta (or any short type of pasta) until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
You can definitely use rotisserie chicken in this recipe, but I used 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts and seasoned them with this spicy ranch dressing. After seasoning them, cook them in a skillet over medium heat in a small amount of oil until they are cooked through. When they are fully cooked, remove them and chop them up into bite sized pieces.
In that same skillet, saute one can of drained and rinsed corn until it has a nice char on it. Remove it from the heat and let it cool.
In a large bowl, mix together 1.5 cups of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 2 tbsp taco seasoning and 1 packet of Ranch seasoning.
Add in the cooked and drained pasta, 1 can of rinsed and drained black beans, 4 oz each of cubed sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheese, 4 oz sliced cherry tomatoes, the corn, the chicken and 1 lb of cooked crumbled bacon. Mix it up very well.
I like to set back a little bit of each topping to add as garnish on top for serving. This is not necessary, but if you are taking it to a gathering it does make it look nice!
If you do make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating! I love hearing from you and it helps so much! Thank you!
Southwest Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Rotini Pasta or any type of short pasta you like
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Thighs or rotisserie chicken
- 1-2 tbsp Spicy Ranch Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil or any other cooking oil
- 1/2 Cup Red Onions, diced
- 15 oz Can of Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz Can of Corn, drained and rinsed
- 4 oz Each, sharp cheddar and pepper jack cheese, cubed small
- 4 oz Cherry Tomatoes, sliced
- 1 lb Cooked and crumbled bacon
- 1 tbsp Sliced Green Onions optional for garnish
For the Dressing
- 1.5 Cups Mayonnaise
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 Cup Buttermilk (or just whole milk)
- 2 tbsp Taco Seasoning
- 1 Packet (1 oz) Ranch Dressing Seasoning
Instructions
- Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain it and rinse it under cold water until completely cooled. Set it aside
- Season the chicken with the Spicy Ranch. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken until it is cooked through. Remove it and let it rest. Then chop it into bite -sized pieces. (If you are using rotisserie chicken, skip this step and just season it with the Ranch.)
- In the same pan, add the corn and saute until it has a nice char on it. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.
- In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients for the sauce.
- Put the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and mix it up really well.
- *NOTE* For presentation purposes, set back about 1-2 tbsp of all of the add-ins to place on top for garnish along with the green onions.
- Let it chill in the fridge for at least one hour and serve cold!
Okay this was a HUGE HIT. I made this for a beach day with a group of friends and every single one of them could not stop talking about it and asked for the recipe. Two of my friends kept talking about it for weeks after. Definitely a recipe I’m saving forever!
That is so awesome to hear, Bri! The best compliments are ones like this! Thank you so much!