Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta is an easy dinner recipe made with chicken breasts, crispy bacon and penne pasta in a creamy ranch dressing. Your whole family will love this easy meal that cooks in 30 minutes!

All you need is one skillet to make this quick and easy chicken and pasta recipe. Chances are, you probably have everything you need in your fridge, freezer or pantry!

We eat chicken more than any other meat, so I’m always dreaming up new and different ways to cook chicken. Some people dream of winning the lottery, but I dream about easy chicken recipes.

So, I took a basic one pan recipe for chicken and pasta recipe and added some good old ranch flavor to it. To make it even better, I added bacon and Monterey Jack cheese to the mix.

If you love chicken bacon ranch pasta recipes, try my Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta or Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad. Or skip the pasta and try Crock Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders!

Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for this chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe. You should be able to find everything online or in your local grocery store:

• Olive oil
• Boneless skinless chicken breast — cubed
• Sea salt
• Ground black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Dried minced onions
• Italian seasoning
• Penne pasta
• Water or chicken broth
• Ranch dressing — try my homemade ranch dressing
• Monterey Jack cheese
• Sliced cooked bacon — crumbled
• Chopped fresh parsley

How to Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

First, chop up your chicken breasts into cubes. Then, heat some olive oil in a large skillet.

Toss the chicken into the skillet. Next, season the chicken, and cook on medium heat until no longer pink.

Now, toss in your uncooked penne pasta and water. We’re only using 2 cups of pasta here so that you can fit everything into one skillet.

Cook Time

Keep an eye on the pasta, and stir frequently. The pasta takes about 10 minutes to cook to al dente texture.

When the pasta is almost done, stir in your ranch dressing.

Then, stir in the shredded cheese. When it’s nice and creamy, add some cooked, crumbled up bacon bits.

The total cook time is around 20 to 25 minutes.

If you find the dish is a little on the thick side, just thin it out with a little bit of milk.

Bacon makes everything better, right?! Toss in some chopped parsley if you want for an extra pop of color.

That’s all there is to it. Now, you’re ready to eat this delicious pasta dish for dinner tonight!

Variations

There are a few different ways to customize this easy ranch chicken pasta.

If you don’t want to use Monterey Jack, add your favorite cheese to make the creamy cheese sauce instead. Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, and Colby Jack cheese are great options.

You can also use whatever type of pasta you like, instead of penne.

To make this easy pasta dish even easier, use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken breasts.

Skip the seasoning by using a ranch dressing mix instead.

How to Store and Reheat

Store any leftover chicken pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it’ll keep for 3 to 4 days.

For longer storage, freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container,

Reheat individual portions of the pasta in the microwave.

Post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated as of March 2022

I hope you enjoy this cheesy chicken bacon ranch pasta as much as my entire family does! It’s one of my favorite recipes for a busy weeknight!

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