This creamy, hearty, and zesty chicken bacon ranch pasta dish is loaded with a classic combination of tender pasta, chicken, and bacon in a cheesy cream sauce!

Chicken bacon ranch pasta on a white plate with fork.

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Bacon and Ranch Pasta

If you love my bacon ranch pasta salad served cold, you’re going to love this hot pasta version just as much! In fact, if you love all things chicken, bacon, and ranch, like chicken bacon ranch pizza or Parmesan ranch chicken, you’ll love it.

It’s made with pasta, smoky bacon, and cooked chicken in a creamy, cheesy, zesty sauce. Chicken bacon ranch pasta is the ultimate easy dinner the whole family will love!

Why I Love This Recipe

  • It’s made with prepared rotisserie chicken for convenience!
  • The entire dish is ready to eat in just 35 minutes.

Ingredients Notes

Chicken, bacon, ranch, cheddar cheese, pasta, milk and seasonings on the counter.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Cooked rotisserie chicken: Use shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken or prepare your own easy shredded chicken on the spot.
  • Rotini pasta: I love when the sauce gets caught in the nooks and crannies of rotini, but use whatever medium pasta you’ve got on hand.
  • Dry ranch dressing powder: The powder makes instant dressing.
  • Bacon: I’d usually suggest making bacon in the oven; however, this time we’re cooking it in the skillet to use the leftover fat for flavor.
  • Cheddar cheese: Freshly grated cheddar from a block will be much more flavorful and melt more easily than pre-shredded cheese from a bag.
  • Whole milk: I use whole milk for extra rich consistency and thickness.

How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Sauté the bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crispy, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the pieces to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the grease.

Chopped bacon frying in large pan.
Creamy ranch mixture in pan.

Along with grease from the pan, melt some butter into the skillet. Turn the heat to medium and sauté garlic until fragrant. Sprinkle in flour and stir for about a minute until thickened.

Heat milk in microwave for 30 seconds to warm it up a bit. Tempering the milk this way helps to prevent sauce from curdling and clumping. Slowly pour it into the flour mixture and cook until just gently boiling, continuing to stir constantly.

Adding chicken, pasta and bacon to creamy ranch mixture.

Stir in the dry ranch dressing mix and cheddar cheese. Add cooked rotini pasta, bacon, and chicken into the sauce. Toss to combine and serve!

Stirring together chicken bacon ranch pasta.

Recipe Tips

  • Cook the pasta to al dente in boiling salted water for extra flavor.
  • To ensure a creamy cheese sauce with no clumps don’t skip tempering the milk!
  • If you prefer to cook your bacon in the oven or use precooked bacon, you can use butter instead.
  • Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and a side of garlic bread for an easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights and cozy weekends.
Chicken bacon ranch pasta on a white plate with a gold fork.

Also try crockpot crack chicken, ranch chicken tacos and homemade ranch dressing!

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Chicken bacon ranch pasta on a white plate with gold fork.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
This creamy, hearty, and zesty chicken bacon ranch pasta dish is loaded with a classic combination of tender pasta, chicken, and bacon in a cheesy cream sauce!
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Ingredients 

  • 2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken , chopped
  • 2 cups uncooked rotini pasta
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon dry ranch dressing powder
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese , shredded
  • 6 pieces bacon , cut into small pieces
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta: Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain completely when done cooking.
  • Sauté bacon: Meanwhile, sauté the 6 pieces chopped bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crispy and well cooked. Move bacon from pan to a paper towel with a slotted spoon to drain grease. Reserve about 1 Tablespoon bacon grease in the pan.
  • Cook sauce: Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in the skillet with the bacon grease. Over medium heat, sauté 1 Tablespoon minced garlic for about 1 minute. Add 2 Tablespoons flour and stir until it thickens, about 1 minute.
  • Temper milk: Heat 2 cups whole milk in the microwave for 30 seconds, just enough to warm it up a bit. Slowly add it to the skillet while stirring. Cook the sauce until it is just gently boiling, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 Tablespoon ranch dressing powder and stir well. Follow with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and stir.
  • Add pasta, bacon, and chicken: Stir pasta, bacon and chicken into the sauce and serve!

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Instead of a rotisserie chicken, you can cook your own! Simply chop up 2 small chicken breasts. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and some salt and pepper. Sear the chicken in the skillet with 1 Tablespoon oil over medium high heat until its cooked through.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 437kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 114mg, Sodium: 1003mg, Potassium: 227mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 293IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 176mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Casserole: Transfer contents of skillet to a casserole dish. Sprinkle with extra cheddar cheese or a mix of breadcrumbs and melted butter for a bit of crunch, and bake covered in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F degrees.
  • Different pasta: This pasta dish can be made with any type of pasta you choose. Penne pasta, cavatappi, fusilli, etc.
  • Cooking your own chicken: Dice 2 small chicken breasts and sprinkle with 1 tsp each of onion powder and Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Sear the chicken in olive oil over medium heat until cooked through.
  • A different cheese: Mozzarella can be used in place of cheddar cheese. You can also swirl in some cream cheese for a slightly tangy flavor.

Recipe FAQs

How to store leftover bacon ranch pasta?

Once cooled, keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Because of the milk, I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.

What’s the best way to reheat it?

If it’s just a serving, use the microwave. If you’re reheating a few servings, you can warm everything in a skillet on the stovetop. You may want to add a splash of milk or cream to loosen up the sauce.