This ranch chicken pasta salad recipe is the perfect side or main dish. It’s spicy, delicious, and creamy. Everyone will love this fiesta pasta salad!
Fiesta Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
Whip up this ranch chicken pasta salad in no time for an easy side dish or a simple lunch. It’s so creamy and filled with flavor.
This spicy fiesta pasta salad has so many delicious ingredients. There’s lots of chicken, cheese, black beans, tomatoes, corn, and more. Top it off with Fritos for an added crunch!
Serve this up with dinner, or bring it to your next BBQ, potluck, or party. Everyone will love this dish!
Why you’ll love this Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad recipe:
- QUICK & EASY: This dish is so easy to throw together. Once you have all your ingredients prepared, it won’t take more than 10 minutes.
- SPICY: A bit of spice adds the best flavor to this recipe. You can make it as spicy (or not spicy) as you please.
- MAKE AHEAD: Pasta salad is so easy to make ahead of time. Make it up to 48 hours in advance.
How to make Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Begin by cooking the pasta and preparing the chicken.
- To make the dressing, combine milk, sour cream, ranch seasoning, and jalapenos. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix pasta, black beans, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, cheese, chicken, and cilantro.
- Combine the ranch dressing mixture with the pasta mixture, and stir to fully combine.
- Top it with Frito’s and serve.
What kind of pasta should I use?
I used rotini for this ranch chicken pasta salad, as it’s one of my favorite types for pasta salad. Not only do the spirals look great, but they hold the dressing in the little crevices.
You could substitute another type of pasta if you have something else on hand. Bow tie pasta and penne are good options too.
What to serve with fiesta ranch pasta salad?
This recipe makes a delicious side dish, but since it’s filled with chicken, it can work as a the main course too.
Serve it at your BBQ alongside burgers, with tacos on taco night, or along with some other sides.
How long does this keep in the fridge?
This fiesta pasta salad keeps in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days. Keep leftovers in an airtight container.
You could also make this ahead of time (up to 48 hours) and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Tips!
- If you have regular ranch packets but still want some more spice, mix in some red pepper flakes or chili powder.
- You could also make your own ranch seasoning mix.
- I used cubed chicken for this fiesta pasta salad but you could also use shredded chicken if you prefer.
- Whether you cook your own chicken or use pre-cooked chicken from the store, just make sure it’s fully cooked before combining it with other ingredients.
- Mix in a couple handfuls of spinach for some added greens.
- To lighten things up a bit, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
You won’t want to skip this fiesta ranch chicken pasta salad. It’s an easy recipe and a quick favorite. Try it on Cinco de Mayo or Taco Tuesday!
More Pasta Salad Recipes we Love
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Fiesta Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 1 1 ounce packet ranch seasoning fiesta, spicy or regular
- 2 jalapenos divided (1 deseeded and diced and 1 sliced)
- 1 pound pasta cooked according to package directions
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn canned, fresh or frozen
- ½ red bell pepper diced
- 1 ½ cup cooked chicken diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup shredded cheese pepper jack, cheddar or other
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 ½ cups corn chips
Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine the milk, sour cream, ranch seasoning and the diced jalapeno, stir to combine and let it sit while you make the salad.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, black beans, corn, bell pepper, chicken tomatoes, cheese and 1 ½ Tablespoons cilantro.
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Stir to combine and add the dressing.
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Top each serving with corn chips and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Nutrition
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