Chicken club pasta salad is everything in a club sandwich, minus the bread: tender chicken, crisp bacon, cubes of cheddar and juicy tomatoes tossed with pasta in creamy ranch dressing. It is the cold, filling salad for picnics, potlucks, cookouts and packed lunches.
How to make chicken club pasta salad: Boil pasta in salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water. Toss it in a large bowl with cooked, crumbled bacon, chopped cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cubes, celery, green bell pepper and ranch dressing until everything is coated.
Why You’ll Love It
- Almost no cooking. Boil the pasta, then toss everything together.
- A full meal in a bowl. Chicken, bacon, cheese, vegetables and pasta in every scoop.
- Good use of leftovers. It starts with chicken and bacon that are already cooked.
- Feeds six. A good size for a family dinner or a dish to pass.
Ingredient Notes
Pasta. Eight ounces, uncooked. Rigatoni, shells, rotini and penne all work. Pick a shape with ridges or hollows so the ranch has something to hold on to.
Bacon. Twelve slices, cooked and crumbled.
Chicken. Two cups, cooked and chopped. Use chicken that has been cooked to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer.
Cherry tomatoes. One cup, cut in half.
Cheddar cheese. One cup, cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cubes, not shreds, so you get a bite of cheese.
Celery and green bell pepper. Two stalks of celery and one medium pepper, both chopped. They bring the crunch.
Ranch dressing. One cup, tossed in at the end.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta, uncooked (rigatoni, shells, rotini or penne)
- 12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup ranch dressing
How to Make Chicken Club Pasta Salad
1. Cook and cool the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Fill the bowl. Put the pasta in a large bowl. Add the cooked, crumbled bacon, cooked chicken, tomatoes, cheddar, celery and bell pepper.
3. Add the ranch and toss. Pour in the ranch dressing. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
How Long Can Chicken Club Pasta Salad Sit Out?
No more than 2 hours at room temperature. If it is a hot day, above 90°F, the limit drops to 1 hour. After that, USDA FSIS says to throw it away. This salad has chicken, bacon, cheese and a creamy dressing, so it counts as perishable food from the moment it is mixed.
The better plan is to keep it cold the whole time it is on the table, at 40°F or below.
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| On a buffet or picnic table | Nest the serving bowl inside a larger bowl of ice |
| A long party | Put out a small dish at a time and swap in a fresh, cold one from the refrigerator |
| Sat out for more than 2 hours | Discard it |
| Sat out for more than 1 hour above 90°F | Discard it |
| Leftovers that stayed cold | Refrigerate promptly in covered, shallow containers |
Carry it to the picnic in a cooler, not on the back seat. And when the meal is over, put it back on ice before you sit down to talk.
Tips for Success
Why rinse the pasta with cold water?
The recipe drains the pasta and rinses it cold before it goes in the bowl. Cold pasta will not melt the cheese cubes or warm up the dressing.
How do I know the pasta is done?
It should be al dente: cooked through but still firm when you bite it. That takes 10 to 12 minutes in salted boiling water.
How should I cut the cheese?
Into 1/2-inch cubes. They are about the same size as the pasta and the chicken, so every forkful has a bit of each.
What kind of chicken should I use?
Any cooked chicken, chopped. Leftover roast chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken both work, as long as it was cooked to 165°F.
When should I add the ranch?
Last, over everything in the bowl. Then toss until all of it is evenly coated.
How Long Does It Take?
About 20 minutes when the chicken and bacon are already cooked: 10 minutes to chop and 10 minutes for the pasta. If your pasta needs the full 12 minutes, add a couple more. Cooking the bacon or the chicken from raw is extra time on top of that.
Variations
Pasta shape. Rigatoni, shells, rotini and penne are all fine. Use what is in the pantry.
Rotisserie chicken. Shredded rotisserie chicken is an easy stand-in for chopped chicken.
A different dressing. Chicken club pasta salad is also made with Italian dressing mixed with mayonnaise and black pepper in place of the ranch. That is a separate recipe with its own amounts.
Storage & Reheating
This salad is eaten cold and is never reheated. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in covered, shallow containers. USDA FSIS says leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. If the salad sat out past the 2-hour limit, do not save it.
What to Serve With It
For a table of cold salads, add the classic pasta salad, the layered pasta salad or the deviled egg pasta salad. For another chicken salad, try the Asian chicken cranberry salad. If you would rather have the same flavors warm, there is slow cooker Amish bacon chicken pasta and Italian chicken pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can chicken club pasta salad sit out at a picnic?
Up to 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour when it is above 90°F. After that, discard it.
How should I keep it cold while serving?
Keep it at 40°F or below. Nest the serving dish in a bowl of ice, or put out small trays and replace them often.
How long can I refrigerate leftovers?
For 3 to 4 days, in covered, shallow containers.
What pasta is best for chicken club pasta salad?
Rigatoni, shells, rotini or penne. Use 8 ounces, uncooked.
Final Notes
I set the serving bowl inside a bigger bowl of ice whenever this goes on a picnic table, so it stays cold while people eat. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Chicken Club Pasta Salad
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta uncooked; rigatoni, shells, rotini or penne
- 12 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 cups chicken cooked and chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup cheddar cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Put the pasta in a large bowl. Add the cooked, crumbled bacon, cooked chicken, tomatoes, cheddar, celery and bell pepper.
- Pour in the ranch dressing. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
