A creamy mayo and sour cream dressing is poured over a chunky mixture of cooked pasta, chopped grilled chicken, bacon bits and vibrant green veggies to make this versatile chicken pasta salad. This is an ideal dish for a picnic, potluck, summer barbeque, a weekday dinner, or a kid’s lunch box.

Shell pasta with diced grilled chicken, crispy bacon, peas, bell peppers, onion tossed in a mayo dressing.

This Bacon Chicken Pasta salad is a real crowd pleasure. Perfectly seasoned Chicken breast is quickly seared/grilled and chopped. The small shell pasta is cooked al-dente to hold all the little chicken cubes, salty bits of bacon and crunchy green peas. Creamy mayo- sour cream dressing is then poured on top to bring it all together. And a simple, no-fuss full meal or side dish is ready to be served.

Well, I am not against the classic Chicken pasta salad with rich Mayo dressing, but I reserve them for special occasions. For an everyday salad, this lighten-up Mayo dressing works beautifully, and freshly grated parmesan cheese makes up for the reduced mayo while adding a lot of flavor.

Bacon Chicken Pasta Salad – A little gem of a dish

I believe every cook has, or should have, a list of go-to recipes. Some of them may have been passed on from generations and some may be there for their quick prep time. Some others would make use of handy pantry ingredients and some are written down for their sheer versatility.

And if there is one versatile dish that is in my go-to list, then it is this Chicken pasta salad. It pops up occasionally as a side dish that I carry to a picnic or a creamy pasta addition to a potluck table. It has made it’s way into my daughter’s lunch box and sometimes a big bowl in the fridge has made for a hearty dinner on a busy weeknight.

So, bookmark this recipe or note it down in your little cookbook. Because, the next time you are looking for an easy-breezy, no-hassle, perfect for everything recipe, I hope this little gem immediately pops up in your mind.

Easy to make with everyday ingredients. Packed with different textures.
Lightened-up salad dressing, yet it is so creamy and indulging.
Pretty versatile with plenty of variations. Load it with veggies of your choice or whatever you have in hand.
Easy to make for a crowd, as you can make it in advance and chill in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

Pasta – I love how the small shell pasta holds the little bits of brown and green in its curved shape. But you can use any pasta that you have on hand.
Chicken – Boneless Chicken Breast. Leftover cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken would also work well.
Bacon – Salty, crispy, yummy. I need bacon in my salad like I need my coffee in the morning. You can skip it. At your own risk!
Green peas and green/ red bell peppers – Little vegetables that provide a lot of crunch and add vibrant green specks to the dish. Carrots, celery, red onion, summer cherry tomatoes or blanched broccoli are other possible additions.
Parmesan – Adds a rich umami flavor and makes up for the reduced mayo.
Seasonings – To season the chicken. salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.

Dressing – A sour cream and mayonnaise base, gets a tangy hit from the Dijon mustard and a hint of acidity from ACV. Whisk it well and season with the ingredients mentioned. For a low-calorie version, you can substitute sour cream with full fat greek yogurt.

Mayo dressing for Chicken Pasta Salad With Bacon

Creamy chicken pasta salad begins thus :

Cook the pasta

Cook the pasta as per package instructions. Remember to season the water well with salt before adding the pasta or else the overall dish will taste bland.

Drain the pasta and lightly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Sear the chicken breast

If chicken breast is too thick, pound to even thickness with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Pat chicken dry with a kitchen towel ( for the seasoning to stick well).

Season both sides with mix of garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Heat oil in a skillet, sear chicken breast for 4-5 minutes on both sides until it is cooked through. Cover it and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. Chop grilled chicken into 1-inch pieces.

Season and grill chicken breast for salad.

Combine all the ingredients

In a large bowl add the cooked pasta, cubed chicken, bits of cooked bacon, diced green pepper, green peas, chopped onion and grated parmesan. Season it with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.

Shell pasta with diced grilled chicken, crispy bacon, peas, bell peppers, onion.

Whisk together the dressing, pour and combine.

Prepare the dressing by whisking together the ingredients mentioned in the recipe card. Season it well. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and gently combine to coat all the ingredients.

Though the dressing might look a little excessive, the pasta soaks up most of it and the rest is required for the pasta to retain its creaminess and not go dry.

Varitations you can try

Pasta, Chicken and Ranch flavour works really well. Ranch Chicken is another favourtie of ours. Skip sour cream, add 2 tablespoon of ranch seasoning, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 teaspoon sugar to mayo along with other ingredients.
Add dash of curry powder or Chipotle Chili powder for an extra kick.
Make it gluten free by using gluten free pasta.
To make it vegan, skip chicken and bacon. Use crispy roasted chickepeas.

Few Helpful Tips Here

Don’t skip salting the pasta cooking water. Otherwise, no water how good the dressing is, pasta will still be tasting bland.
It’s important to cool down pasta before adding other ingredients. Run under cold water and drain pasta well. If the pasta is hot, the fresh greens will loose its vibrant colour and also the Mayo dressing will turn greasy when it comes in contanct with hot pasta.
The amount of dressing might seems a lot, but pasta absorbs a good amount of dressing. Hence, if you are planing to serve the pasta later, then mix half of the dressing to the salad and drizzle the rest just before serving.

Make ahead and store

First question that pops is

Can we make it ahead?

A large batch of this pasta can be made and stored in the fridge in an air-tight container before taking it to a potluck or barbecue. The only issue I have faced is that the peppers and onions lose their crunch when the salt in the dressing makes them leech water. If possible, add fresh veggies just before serving and mix gently to coat them with dressing for them to retain their cripsyness.

Leftover can be store for upto 3-4 days in an airtight container. If you are planing to store or meal prep, skip adding onion.

Serving suggestions

This salad can be eaten slightly cold, but tastes the best when at room temperature. Pull the pasta from the fridge and place it on the kitchen counter till it attains room temperature. Depending on where you are, 30-45 minutes should do the trick.