This bbq ranch pasta salad is the perfect side dish all spring and summer long, it’s full of pasta, grilled chicken, bell pepper, corn, black beans, and more, all coated in a delicious creamy barbecue ranch dressing sauce.
I love pasta salads for a great light, but filling side dish, or lunch! This bbq ranch pasta salad included. This pasta salad is perfect for a spring or summer potluck or barbecue! But it can also be enjoyed as a yummy lunch or light dinner option (or a side dish to dinner) any day of the week.
This BBQ ranch pasta salad is loaded with so many yummy ingredients. The pasta salad it has corn, black beans, red onion, bell pepper, bacon, chicken, cheese, and of course pasta. It’s all tossed in a creamy bbq ranch sauce, that is made of barbecue sauce, mayonnaise and ranch seasoning. It’s got the best textures and flavors, all wrapped up in a tasty pasta salad. It’s the perfect dish to enjoy all spring and summer long!
One of the great things about any pasta salad, this bbq ranch one included is you can customize it however you want. Skip the chicken and bacon if you want to make the dish vegetarian, add other veggies that you have on hand, or only the ones you love, and skip the ones you don’t, use any small or medium noodle you have on hand, etc.
Additional Topping Ideas for BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad:
- Sliced Green Onion instead of Diced Red Onion
- Chopped Avocado
- Chopped Tomatoes
- Diced Jalapenos
- Sliced Black Olives
- Pepper jack cheese instead of Cheddar
- Sliced Celery or Carrots
- Pulled Pork instead of Grilled Chicken
How to make BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad?
Start by cooking your noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to the package directions. Cook the noodles until they are al dente. While the pasta is boiling prep the rest of your ingredients for the pasta salad. When the noodles are done cooking, rinse them off in cold water, and shake them to dry.
In a large bowl, add the noodles, bell pepper, red onion, black beans, corn, chicken, bacon, and cheese. Toss them together.
In another bowl, stir together the bbq sauce, mayonnaise, and ranch packet until they are nice and creamy.
Pour the dressing on top of the pasta salad ingredients, and stir everything together to coat them in the dressing evenly. Cover the pasta salad and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
When you’re ready to serve the pasta sprinkle corn chips, and cilantro over the top, if desired.
Tips for making BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the pasta salad while your noodles are cooking. Chop up the bell pepper and onion, drain and rinse the beans and corn, etc. Set them aside until you’re ready to toss together the salad.
- You want about 2 cups of cooked chicken for this pasta salad. You can cook up your own chicken breast just for this recipe, in a saute pan, on the grill, or in the oven. Or you can buy pre-cooked chicken from the store. Leftover rotisserie chicken works great for this.
- You can easily cut this recipe in half if you don’t want or need enough salad for a bigger group.
How to store BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad?
This BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad is a great make ahead dish because the flavors just meddle more the longer it’s mixed together. I would just recommend not adding the corn chips to the top, until serving as they will get soggy in the fridge. It’s a great dish to make the night before you want to serve it.
The pasta salad will stay good at room temperature for about 2 hours. Place it back in the fridge if it’s getting close to that time to keep the ingredients fresh.
If you have any leftovers, when you’re done, cover them in the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
This pasta salad is great as a lighter lunch or dinner. It’s so loaded you can eat it on it’s own, but it also makes a great side dish with almost any dinner! Here are some of my favorites.
What to serve with BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad?
- Cheeseburgers – I love these teriyaki cheeseburgers, or our Lamb Gyro Burger
- Hot Dogs or Pretzel Dogs
- Fried Chicken
- Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Pork Kabobs
- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
This bbq ranch pasta salad is so yummy you’ll want to make it all summer long! It’s the best side dish for a summer picnic, barbecue, or potluck!
More Pasta Salad Recipes:
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BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz mini farfalle pasta
- 16 oz bacon (cooked, and chopped)
- 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 12 oz cheddar cheese (cubed)
- cubed)1 cup diced bell pepper
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup canned corn (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
For the BBQ Ranch Dressing:
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 oz packet ranch seasoning
For the Topping:
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
- 2 cups corn chips
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, and cook the noodles according to the package directions for al dente pasta. Drain the water out, and rinse the pasta with cold water. Set aside.
- Add the cooked pasta, bacon, chicken, cheese cubes, bell pepper, red onion, corn, and black beans to a large bowl. Stir them together.
- Add the barbecue sauce, mayonnaise, and ranch powder to a small bowl. Whisk them together till smooth.
- Pour the bbq ranch dressing over the pasta salad and stir it all together to coat the salad evenly.
- Sprinkle cilantro, and fritos corn chips over the top, if desired.
Nutrition
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