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Creamy Avocado Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad. Homemade, creamy buttermilk ranch dressing tossed together with pasta, shredded chicken, plenty of sweet cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and cubes of sharp cheddar cheese. Salsa verde gives this creamy pasta salad a spicy, delicious kick. Then, finish with crispy bacon and sliced avocado. YUM! This easy salad will surely become a staple in your kitchen this spring and summer! It comes together quickly and with very little effort. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch. Or serve it up at your next spring/summer party, it’s always delicious.
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It’s not often that I hold on to recipes this long before sharing them. But with over a month of travel coming up, I’m working to create some recipes in advance. I made this a couple of weeks ago and have been patiently waiting to share.
It’s become a family favorite. This is such a yummy pasta salad—it’s unique in the best way possible.
I created this with the idea of spring entertaining in mind, but honestly, I’ve made this for dinner on multiple occasions now. I served it slightly warm, and everyone just loved it.
Of course, this will be great as a salad for outdoor picnics, sides, or for your holiday dinner parties. And the leftovers are so great for lunch!
I’m sharing my easy homemade ranch dressing too. It’s my go-to and super delicious when tossed up with pasta.
These are the details
Step 1: mix the dressing
For my ranch dressing, I love to use either plain Greek yogurt or sour cream mixed with mayo. I add dried parsley, chives, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Then, I add Worcestershire and buttermilk.
It’s the perfect ranch dressing—light and creamy, heavy on the herb mix, and just perfectly salted. I know you will love it.
Step 2: cook the pasta and toss the salad
Next, boil off your favorite shortcut pasta. Add the steaming pasta to a big bowl. Then, while it’s still hot, toss the pasta with the salsa verde, and shredded chicken.
Now pour over the dressing and toss it all up, make sure the creamy ranch coats each noodle and piece of chicken. I know the salsa verde sounds random, but the flavor it adds is wonderful. Trust me, it’s delish.
Step 3: the rest of the salad
Finish tossing the salad with cubes of sharp cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and fresh cilantro.
Top the salad off with crispy bacon and slices of creamy avocado.
This hits all the flavors, and it’s the first dish to disappear on any buffet table!
I know I say this just about every day, but this recipe really is good. It’s one of those dishes you’ll crave time and time again. The creamy dressing with the pasta, spicy salsa, cheese, avocado, and bacon is the yummiest.
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Avocado Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy Avocado Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- salt and black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk, plus more as needed
Salad
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup cubed spicy cheddar cheese , (optional)
- 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Thin as desired with buttermilk. 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain.3. In a large bowl, toss together the hot pasta, salsa verde, and chicken. Pour over the dressing and toss well to combine. Add the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and bacon. Toss, then top with avocado. 4. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I’m one of those “cilantro tastes like soap” people. Could you suggest a substitute? Otherwise, this looks wonderful and I can’t wait to try it. (Minus the cilantro.)
Hi Becky,
No worries, you could use parsley in place of the cilantro! I hope you love this recipe! xT
I was leery of the the salsa verde in the pasta but the addition of this takes this salad to a whole new level. I didn’t have chives or parsley and the dressing still turned out perfect. Definitely adding this to my rotation.
Hi Dana,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Happy Easter! xT
Added to our menu rotation! The salsa verde added great flavor.
Hey Susan,
Happy Friday! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
This really hit the spot! I didn’t have everything to make the ranch, so I just used store bought that we already had in the fridge and it was still delicious. I can’t wait for the leftovers today.
Hey Kailey,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try! xT
This was the perfect weeknight dinner!! It came together so easy and delicious!!
Hey Julie,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad it was delish! xT
I am going to make this for Easter! it looks so freakin good. Do you recommend making it the day before or day of? Thank you for your help
Thanks so much Abby!! If you can make this the day off, I would recommend that! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hi Tieghan, made this last night and everyone loved it, including the visiting 5-year old. Your recipes have a ‘fun’ element about them…probably because you are young and creative. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hey Pauline,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making this recipe:) I’m so glad it was enjoyed! xT
I cannot believe how absolutely delicious this is! Usually when you make pasta salad it takes several hours if not a day for it to taste good, for all the flavors to marinate together. This was immediately awesome! I’m bringing it for lunch today at work, and then just decided I didn’t even want the breakfast I was going to eat and have some for breakfast as well!
Thanks a lot, Sara!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for your comment! Xx
I made this and it tasted great! This is my first time making homemade ranch dressing. I think I could’ve added a little more pepper and salt. I look forward to repeating it again. Thank you!
Hey Kim,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! xT
This was an amazing dinner!! I think it should be a great leftover too!! I suggest cubing the cheese into small cubes.
Thanks so much Jina! So glad this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! Happy Sunday! xT
What is that pasta called? I cannot wait to make this this weekend!!
Hi Thera,
I used radiatore, but any short cut pasta works nicely here. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Can you please tell me what the spice is that you’re using for garnish? The small dainty green leaves.
Thank you, I can’t wait to make this!
Hi Lori,
Those are micro greens:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I made this for a post-game run to airport meal for my daughter and two friends. They loved it! We said it was sort of like a BLT salad.
Hey Sara,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it and your comment:)
It’s so bad. Especially on an iPad or phone. Very frustrating when you can’t get to the delicious recipes.
Absolutely beautiful tieghan. Was a hit!
Thanks so much Madi!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! xT
Please reduce the number of ads on this site! The pop ups make it almost impossible to scroll thru a recipe. The page often reloads and brings me back to the top of the recipe after I just struggled to scroll thru ads. Very frustrating.
Hi Penny,
I appreciate your comment and feedback, I am so very sorry for the frustration with the ads. Please know that we are taking the feedback seriously and working to get this fixed. Have a great day! xx
AGREED!!
May I suggest you download the PAPRIKA app. and then you can save your favorite recipes to it…it’s very easy to operate and you have no ads!!
Agreed! Too many ads and pop ups!