One pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is a cheesy, creamy combination of tender chicken, crispy bacon, and ranch cream sauce. An easy-to-make, flavorful, satisfying meal that’s ready in 20 minutes from start to finish.
Creamy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Our easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta recipe resembles both my Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole and Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad by the creamy consistency of the ranch sauce, the crispy texture of the bacon, and seasoned bites of chicken. When you crave home cooked comfort food, there’s no better taste than a bacon chicken ranch pasta trio!
This one pot pasta dish combines the convenience of cooked chicken, a packet of Ranch seasoning, and prepared bacon with the creamy cheese sauce featured in my copycat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce – it’s a delicious dinner idea for any day of the week.
Grab a rotisserie chicken the next time you are at the grocery, because bacon ranch pasta chicken recipes are a family favorite.
Why We Love Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Recipes
- Quick and easy to make in under 20 minutes.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Creamy sauce perfectly coats each piece of pasta, crispy bacon, and juicy chicken.
- Delicious family-friendly dinner packed with plenty of flavor.
- Freezes well for future meals and leftovers can be enjoyed for lunch for up to 5 days.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Ingredients
- Rotini pasta
- Bacon: Turkey bacon can also work well for this recipe.
- Yellow onion: A white onion can work as well.
- Minced garlic
- Unsalted butter: You can substitute salted butter; eliminate the added salt needed later in the recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dry ranch seasoning: I used the Great Value ranch salad dressing mix but feel free to use your favorite dry ranch dressing brand.
- Half and half: Heavy cream will work here as well.
- Shredded white cheddar cheese
- Rotisserie chicken
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Chicken: I used a rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but you can also cook and shred your own seasoned boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Pick Your Pasta: I prefer Rotini pasta as it’s perfect for coating with cream sauce. Bowtie pasta, penne pasta, or elbow pasta will also work well.
- Change The Cheese: Cheddar or even pepper jack cheese would be a fun alternative to the white cheddar shredded cheese.
How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Prepare The Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, and reserve for later.
- Make The Ranch Mixture: Cook the onion in butter until translucent and soft. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Mix in the flour, salt, pepper, and ranch seasoning and stir until smooth.
Pro Tip: The mixture will be thick; that’s okay. - Simmer The Sauce: Mix in the half and half, turn up the heat, and stir often until the mixture begins to simmer. Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Combine: Turn the heat off and mix in the shredded cheese and bacon. Add the cooked pasta and chicken and stir to combine.
- Serve: Sprinkle with bacon and serve warm. Enjoy!
What To Serve With Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
This pasta dish is a hearty, protein-packed meal on its own, but pairs perfectly with a simple side. Try serving it with a garden salad, Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread, Broccoli Salad, or cauliflower breadsticks.
Tips For Making Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- I used pre-minced garlic for this recipe to save time but feel free to use freshly minced garlic.
- Adding in your cheese too fast can make your sauce gummy. Drop by small handfuls and mix very well before adding in additional cheese.
- Feel free to bulk up the meal by adding in a variety of vegetables. You can cook them in the skillet at the same time as the onion. Try diced bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, peas, spinach, or any of your other favorites.
- You can try mixing a half a block of softened cream cheese to make this pasta dish extra creamy.
How to Store Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- To Store: Allow the pasta to cool before placing it in an airtight refrigerator-safe container. Leftovers will stay good for 3-5 days if stored properly.
- To Freeze: You can freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet or microwave.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
More Bacon and Ranch Recipes
- Cheddar Bacon Pinwheels
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole Recipe
- Bacon Cheddar Ranch Cheese Ball
If you tried this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Serves — 6
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is the ultimate comfort food, featuring seasoned chicken, crispy bacon, and creamy ranch sauce.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Ingredients
- 16 ounces box of rotini pasta
- 6 slices cooked and chopped bacon divided
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2½ tablespoons ranch seasoning packet
- 3 cups half and half
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
- 3 cups chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s directions, drain, and reserve for later.16 ounces box of rotini pasta
- Add the butter and diced onion in a large skillet or cast iron and cook on medium-low with a rubber spatula until translucent and soft, about 3-5 minutes.¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 small yellow onion
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Mix in the flour, salt, pepper, and ranch seasoning packet. Stir until combined and smooth. The mixture will be thick; that’s okay.¼ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 2½ tablespoons ranch seasoning packet
- Pour in the half and half and mix well. Turn the heat up to medium-high, stirring frequently until the mixture begins to simmer.3 cups half and half
- Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Turn the heat off and add in the shredded white cheddar cheese by handfuls.2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
- Stir in ¾ of your reserved bacon and combine well.6 slices cooked and chopped bacon
- Mix in the 3-4 cups of cooked pasta and reserved chicken. Stir to incorporate.3 cups chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken
- Sprinkle the remaining ¼ bacon on top and serve warm.6 slices cooked and chopped bacon
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Allow the Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta to cool before placing it in an airtight refrigerator-safe container. Leftovers will stay good for 3-5 days if stored properly.
- To Freeze: You can freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Defrost in the refrigerator before reheating in a skillet or microwave.
- I used pre-minced garlic for this recipe to save time but feel free to use freshly minced garlic.
- Adding in your cheese too fast can make your sauce gummy. Drop by small handfuls and mix very well before adding in additional cheese.
- Feel free to bulk up the meal by adding in a variety of vegetables. You can cook them in the skillet at the same time as the onion. Try diced bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, peas, spinach, or any of your other favorites.
- You can try mixing a half a block of softened cream cheese to make this pasta dish extra creamy.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 961kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 1534mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1046IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 422mg | Iron: 1mg
