This hearty and delicious Barbecue Chicken Pasta Salad has just 10 ingredients and is perfect for warmer weather get-togethers and potlucks. It's perfect to make ahead of time for easier entertaining or weeknight dinners.
Barbecue Chicken Pasta Salad is a delicious and hearty side dish that's perfect for summer cookouts, potlucks, or any special occasion. With its smoky barbecue flavor, tender grilled chicken, crispy bacon, crunchy vegetables, and creamy Ranch dressing, it's always a hit with our family and friends.
Many moons ago, I made the original version at Pampered Chef parties, and it was always a guaranteed hit! Over the years, I've altered it a bit to increase the protein and lower the carbs, and we love it even more. It’s a great make-ahead option for entertaining since it also has less than 10 ingredients.
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Pasta salad is one of our favorite side dish recipes, serve this BBQ pasta salad alongside our Best Macaroni Salad and Best Pasta Salad and you'll have the whole neighborhood wanting to come over for your summer cookouts!
Laura Ashley's Tip: For easier preparation, you can use ready-made bacon and rotisserie or grilled chicken instead of cooking them from scratch at home.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Like this Recipe
- Incredible Flavors and Textures: The combination of flavors creates a creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet taste that is SUPER delicious!
- Hearty and Filling: With tender pasta, juicy grilled chicken, crispy bacon, and crunchy vegetables, this pasta salad is a complete meal in itself.
- Versatility: Barbecue chicken pasta salad is a versatile side dish that can be customized to individual preferences!
- Make-Ahead Ease: This hearty pasta salad pairs with nearly any spread and is a great make-ahead, simple recipe for a get-together. This makes for easier entertaining!
Ingredients for BBQ Pasta Salad
Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below
- Cooked Pasta: A curly noodle varieties is the base of the salad and provides a hearty and satisfying texture. My favorite pasta is rotini or lower carb Al Dente Carba-nada Cavatappi!
- Red Onion: Adds freshness and a sharp and tangy flavor.
- Green Pepper: Provides a crunchy texture and fresh flavor.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds richness and a nutty and salty flavor.
- Grilled Chicken: Serves as the star protein of the salad, adding smoky flavor and juicy tenderness.
- Bacon: Contributes crispy texture and savory flavor.
- Ranch Dressing: Provides creaminess and tanginess to the dressing.
- Barbecue Sauce: Infuses the salad with rich, smoky flavor and adds a touch of sweetness.
- Fresh Garlic: Adds a pungent and aromatic flavor to the dressing.
Tools You’ll Need
- Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Large Stockpot
- Rotary Grater
How to Make Barbecue Chicken Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
- For the dressing, whisk together ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, and garlic.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, onion, green pepper, parmesan cheese, sliced chicken, crumbled bacon, and the prepared dressing. Mix until combined well, cover, and refrigerate.
- When ready to serve, pour in a serving bowl and top with additional parmesan cheese.
Pro Tips and Substitutions
- Prep in Advance: Have all of your pasta salad ingredients chopped and measured first for quicker assembly and a lesser chance of error.
- Customization: You can add or omit any ingredient from the ingredients noted in this recipe. Macaroni salad taste and texture preference is individual from person-to-person.
- Pasta Tips: Cook the pasta until it is slightly firm (al dente) to ensure it holds its shape in the salad. Rinse with cold water to cool it down quickly and prevent it from becoming mushy. Use less pasta if you like a heavier dressing to pasta ratio.
- Marry Flavors: Letting the pasta salad chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight will enhance the flavors and make it even more delicious.
- Customize Your Veggies: Feel free to swap out the green pepper and onion for other crunchy vegetables like celery, cucumber, or carrots. You can also add extra veggies like cherry tomatoes or avocado for more color and flavor.
- Use Precooked Meat: To save time, use precooked bacon or bacon bits and store-bought grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken instead of making them from scratch.
Storage & Make Ahead Instructions
Properly stored pasta salad can last for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Freezing pasta salad is not recommended as the texture of the pasta and other ingredients can change upon thawing, resulting in a less desirable consistency.
If served at a gathering and left out at room temperature longer than 2 hours, discard it as it's not safe to eat. If possible, serve in a chilled bowl.
Frequently Asked Questions
My recipe has just enough dressing that the ingredients are fully coated but not swimming in it. If you like it creamier, you can use less pasta or make more dressing.
Yes! Besides cavatappi noodles, you can experiment with other pasta shapes like rotini, penne, fusilli, or farfalle. Just ensure that the pasta has a similar size and density to rotini so that it holds the dressing and ingredients well.
To prevent dryness, make sure not to overcook the pasta. Decrease the pasta if you like a creamier salad. If the salad sits for a while and appears dry, you can add a little milk, small amount of dressing.
Yes! In fact, it often tastes even better when allowed to chill and let the flavors meld together. Prepare it a few hours or even a day before serving for the best results.
The pasta is the primary ingredient source containing gluten. You can easily swap for a gluten-free pasta alternative. Check your dressing ingredients to ensure they're gluten-free as well.
Absolutely! Using store-bought rotisserie chicken is a convenient option and saves time in the kitchen. Simply shred the rotisserie chicken and add it to the salad as directed.
Yes, you can easily make a vegetarian version of this pasta salad by omitting the grilled chicken and bacon. Simply increase the amount of vegetables or add additional toppings like roasted chickpeas or diced tofu for protein.
More Cold Salad Recipes Like This
Barbecue Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta cavatappi, rotini, fusilli, farfalle, penne, or bowtie
- 8 ounces ranch dressing
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- 1-2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- 1 green pepper thinly sliced
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese additional for garnish
- 1 pound cooked chicken diced
- ½ cup cooked and crumbled bacon
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
- For the dressing, whisk together ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, and garlic.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, onion, green pepper, parmesan cheese, chicken, crumbled bacon, and the prepared dressing. Mix until combined well, cover, and refrigerate.
- When ready to serve, pour in a serving bowl and top with additional parmesan cheese.
Laura Ashley
Hands down one of THE BEST pasta salads! Love making it with leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie!
Joy
OMGosh. I love bbq and bbq pasta salad, YUMMY!!!
Laura Ashley
YAY!! This it the best of both worlds 🙂
Kathi
I was going through my old recipes the other day and found my old Pampered Chef recipe but somehow it had gotten wet and I couldn't read some of the measurements -- found yours, love it even better, especially the low-carb pasta idea! YAY!
Laura Ashley
YAY!! I'm so happy you came across this again too!! It needs to live on forever!!