Chicken Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad
This Chicken Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad is loaded with tender shredded chicken, crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, crunchy celery, and sweet and spicy candied jalapeños, all tossed in creamy homemade ranch. It's an easy, flavor-packed recipe that's perfect for sandwiches, wraps, meal prep, or scooping up with crackers.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken salad
Servings: 8
- 3 large cooked chicken breasts shredded
- 1 lb bacon cooked and chopped
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 celery stalks finely diced
- 1/3 cup green onions diced
- 1/2 cup candied jalapeños roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 –2 cups homemade ranch dressing
Shred the cooked chicken breasts into small, bite-sized pieces and add them directly to a large mixing bowl. Make sure the chicken has cooled completely before assembling the chicken salad.
Cook the bacon until crispy, then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess grease. Once cooled, roughly chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces.
Add the chopped bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, diced celery, green onions, and roughly chopped candied jalapeños directly to the bowl with the shredded chicken. Toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Pour 1 1/2 cups of the homemade ranch dressing over the chicken mixture. Fold everything together until the chicken and other ingredients are evenly coated, adding more ranch as needed until the salad reaches your preferred creaminess.
Cover the Chicken Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This gives the flavors time to come together while keeping the salad cold and creamy.
Serve chilled on toasted bread, croissants, sandwich rolls, or wraps, or enjoy it with crackers and fresh vegetables. Garnish with extra bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions, or candied jalapeños if desired.