Chicken Club Pasta Salad
This chicken club pasta salad takes everything good about a club sandwich — the chicken, the bacon, the tomato, the cheese — and turns it into something you can serve a whole table with a single big bowl instead of a stack of sandwiches. Rotini pasta soaks up a creamy dressing while the bacon adds the crunch that makes this feel like more than just another pasta salad.
It’s an easy one to throw together for a potluck or a weeknight dinner that doesn’t need much else alongside it. Below is the full ingredient list, nutrition info, and a step-by-step walkthrough with a photo for each stage, along with a few notes on what actually makes a difference in how it turns out.
Why It Works
- Cooling the pasta completely before mixing it with the dressing is more important here than in a lot of pasta salads, since warm pasta thins out a mayo-based dressing and leaves the whole salad looking greasy rather than creamy.
- Cooking the bacon until it’s genuinely crisp, rather than just done, matters because it’s going to sit in a creamy dressing afterward — anything less than fully crisp softens into something closer to chewy within the hour.
- Holding back half the bacon until right before serving keeps at least some of it crunchy, since the portion mixed in early inevitably softens as the salad sits.
Worth Knowing
- Rotisserie chicken is the fastest route here and tastes just as good as chicken cooked specifically for this recipe, since the dressing and other ingredients carry most of the flavor anyway.
- This salad is best within two to three days — the bacon loses its crunch and, if you’ve added avocado, that starts to brown well before the rest of the salad shows any decline.
- Swapping some of the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt lightens the dressing without losing the creamy texture, if that’s something you’d rather do.
Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced (rotisserie works well)
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup sharp cheddar, cubed
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh chives, for garnish
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the rotini according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down quickly, since warm pasta mixed with mayo-based dressing tends to turn the whole salad thin and greasy rather than creamy.
Cook the Bacon
While the pasta water heats up, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it’s genuinely crisp, not just cooked through. This matters more than it sounds like it should — bacon that’s still a little chewy softens even further once it sits in a creamy dressing, and you lose the crunch that makes this salad interesting to eat. Let it cool on paper towels before crumbling so it stays crisp rather than turning limp from residual steam.
Prep the Chicken, Tomatoes, and Celery
Dice the cooked chicken, halve the cherry tomatoes, and chop the celery. Rotisserie chicken is the obvious shortcut here and works well, since it’s already seasoned and shreds or dices easily. If you’re starting from raw chicken breast, poaching or baking it plain and letting it cool completely before dicing keeps it from shredding apart into stringy pieces once it’s tossed with everything else.
Whisk the Dressing
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, a splash of milk, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper until smooth. The milk isn’t strictly necessary, but it loosens the dressing just enough that it coats the pasta evenly instead of sitting on top in thick clumps — without it, the dressing tends to cling only to whatever it touches first.
Combine Everything
In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, diced chicken, half the bacon, cherry tomatoes, celery, and cubed cheddar. Pour the dressing over everything and toss well to coat. Holding back half the bacon until the very end, rather than mixing it all in now, means at least some of it stays crunchy by the time this actually gets served.
Chill and Serve
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, which gives the dressing time to settle into the pasta rather than tasting like it’s just sitting on the surface. Right before serving, top with the reserved bacon and a scatter of fresh chives. This one’s best eaten within two to three days — the avocado, if you’ve added it, and the bacon both lose a bit of their appeal the longer they sit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different pasta shape for chicken club pasta salad?
Rotini, shells, cavatappi, and penne all work well since their shape holds onto the creamy dressing better than a smoother noodle. It’s worth sticking to a short, sturdy shape rather than something delicate, since the diced chicken and bacon need a pasta that can stand up to being tossed with chunkier ingredients.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, it holds up reasonably well made a day ahead, though the bacon softens somewhat and any avocado you’ve added will brown. If you’re prepping ahead, it’s worth keeping the bacon and avocado separate and adding them fresh right before serving.
What can I use instead of mayonnaise in the dressing?
Greek yogurt or sour cream can replace some or all of the mayonnaise for a tangier, lighter dressing without losing the creamy texture. A ranch-style dressing base, whether homemade or bottled, also works well if you want a more herby flavor than a plain mayo dressing provides.
How long does chicken club pasta salad last in the fridge?
This salad keeps for about three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The texture is best within the first two days, since the bacon loses its crunch and the pasta continues to absorb dressing the longer it sits.
Can I add avocado to this recipe?
Yes, diced avocado is a common addition that plays well with the other club sandwich-inspired ingredients here. It’s best added just before serving rather than during the initial mix, since avocado browns and softens after sitting in a dressed salad for more than a few hours.
Is this recipe good for meal prep?
It works reasonably well for meal prep if you portion it into containers and keep any avocado or extra bacon toppings separate until you’re ready to eat. The base salad with chicken, pasta, tomatoes, and cheddar holds its texture better than versions with delicate additions mixed in from the start.
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