Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad is easy to make and great either all by itself, or sandwiched between two buns! Chicken, bacon, celery, and green onions come together in a creamy and flavorful ranch blend to create the best bite every time.
Chicken Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad
It’s impossible to have just one bite of this chicken salad. You know when a recipe features the words “ranch” and “bacon,” it’s gonna be so good. This easy-to-make recipe isn’t just delicious, it’s downright addictive.
You can eat this ranch and bacon chicken salad all by itself, tossed on top of a bed of leafy greens, or sandwiched between two ciabatta rolls! Honestly, there’s no bad way to enjoy this undeniably good recipe. You’re going to love this protein-packed lunch or quick dinner option.
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Salad Recipe:
- Easy: This easy recipe comes together in just under 20 minutes. The steps are short, simple, and basically foolproof!
- Flavor-Packed: It’s not just the ranch and bacon that lend a great amount of flavor to this chicken salad. There’s also some garlic and onion powder to make things even more drool-worthy.
- Creamy: The ranch dressing and mayo work in tandem to create the most perfect creamy consistency for this chicken salad.
Quick Lunch
Pack up a few of these chicken salad sandwiches and bring them to your next picnic for the best lunch ever. You can also meal prep the bacon ranch chicken salad, keep it in the fridge, and make sandwiches to bring to work all week.
Or whip them up as a last-minute dinner that the whole family will love, and beg for over and over again for the following days!
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How to Make Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad
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- Cook and crumble the bacon.
- Whisk together the ranch, mayo, and seasonings.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Serve and enjoy!
Bacon ranch chicken salad is a delightful riff on classic chicken salad. It contains cooked cubed chicken, crumbled bacon, ranch dressing, mayonnaise, green onions, and celery!
Generally speaking, no, this is not a “healthy” recipe. It does contain a high amount of protein, but it is also high in saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium. Enjoy bacon ranch chicken salad in moderation!
Absolutely! You can use any leftover cooked chicken you have on hand, including canned chicken!
It’s best to enjoy this chicken salad within 3 days! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to retain its freshness.
I do not recommend freezing this chicken salad, as the mayonnaise will separate when thawed, changing the texture of the chicken salad.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re serving this chicken salad for lunch, you’ll want to pair it with a little something like this:
Fresh fruit and/or veggies on the side is another great pairing for these bacon ranch chicken salad sandwiches. They’re also pretty tasty and filling all on their own!
Make Ahead Instructions
You can cook the bacon up to 1 day in advance, store it in the refrigerator, and crumble it when ready to use.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover bacon ranch chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy cold. I do not recommend freezing bacon ranch chicken salad.
Variations
- You can use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of diced chicken.
- Feel free to add in chopped onion, avocado, or hard-boiled eggs for a richer chicken salad.
Make It A Meal
- Serve this bacon ranch chicken salad on a ciabatta roll, croissant, or wrap for chicken salad sandwiches.
- Make it into a chicken salad melt by adding a slice of cheese and microwaving or baking until melted.
- Add it to a salad for a hearty lunch!
- Serve it with chips or crackers as an appetizer.
More Chicken Salad Recipes We Love
- Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Healthy Chicken Salad Sliders
- Mexican Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Chicken Salad Pie
This chicken salad made with bacon and creamy ranch is picky-eater-approved, budget-friendly, and packed with protein and plenty of flavor. It’s great to serve as a midday lunch or as a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Did I mention there’s bacon?!
More 30-Minute Dinner Recipes to Try:
- Ramen Cups (Instant Ramen Noodles)
- Smothered Pork Chops
- Tuna Salad
- Shrimp and Grits
- BLT Sandwich
- Taco Salad
- Air Fryer Hamburgers
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces (about ½-inch cubes)
- 4 slices bacon
- ⅓ cup ranch dressing store-bought or homemade
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise store-bought or homemade
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 rib celery diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Ciabatta rolls optional, for sandwiches
- Romaine lettuce leaves optional, for sandwiches
Instructions
- In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Let cool slightly.4 slices bacon
- Once cool enough to handle, crumble the bacon into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, whisk the ranch dressing, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and onion powder together.⅓ cup ranch dressing, ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Add in the chicken, green onions, celery, and cooked bacon. Stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.3 cups cooked chicken, 2 green onions, 1 rib celery, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Assemble as sandwiches with romaine and lots of chicken salad, if desired.Ciabatta rolls, Romaine lettuce leaves
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- You can use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of diced chicken.
- Feel free to add in chopped onion, avocado, or hard-boiled eggs for a richer chicken salad.
- Serve this bacon ranch chicken salad on a ciabatta roll, croissant, or wrap for chicken salad sandwiches.
- Make it into a chicken salad melt by adding a slice of cheese and microwaving or baking until melted.
- Add it to a salad for a hearty lunch!
- Serve it with chips or crackers as an appetizer.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Am I right to assume that the nutrition information is for one quarter of the recipe?
Yes, that is correct!