BBQ ranch pasta salad has it all, big flavor, lots of texture and plenty of veggies. It’s perfect for picnics, barbecues, potlucks and more!
Macaroni salad is a summertime must. It is a great make ahead dish so all you have to do is pull it out and serve it when it’s time to eat.
They are a perfect make ahead side dish. Plus they travel well, making them perfect for picnics and potlucks.
You can even add a little chicken or bacon to your BBQ ranch macaroni salad an make a meal of it. That’s what I’m doing, it will be a perfect easy lunch at work this week.
This pasta salad features ranch and BBQ sauce of course, but also veggies and that wonderful pasta. Top it with a drizzle of BBQ sauce and a few fresh herbs for a pop of extra flavor.
Carlee’s Tips and Tricks
I love using cellantini for pasta salad. The corkscrew shape is fun and also helps to grab the dressing and all of the little bits.
Of course bowtie pasta, macaroni noodles and shells are great for pasta salad as well. Boil whatever shape you choose until it is al dente then drain it.
When making macaroni salad, I like to rinse the pasta with cold water after it is drained. It washes off the extra starch and keeps it from sticking together.
Plus it cools it down faster so that you can go ahead and dress it. It only takes a minute and has multiple benefits.
You can use a package of ranch seasoning, or make your own ranch seasoning mix. If you aren’t a huge ranch fan, you can start with half of a packet and add more as you like.
Stir in a little bit if your favorite BBQ sauce to give it a bit of sweetness and to round out the flavors. The creamy ranch mixed with the BBQ sauce makes for and easy but interesting dressing.
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Like most pasta salads, you can make this one in advance and store it in the fridge until you are ready to serve it. Add the avocado closer to serving time to keep it from oxidizing before you are ready to eat.
More Great Additions:
We love this BBQ ranch macaroni salad just the way it is written, but there are plenty of substitutions and alterations you can make. That is one of the wonderful things about pasta salad, they are very forgiving.
Instead of cheddar cheese, you can use Colby jack, or pepper jack. Or use small cubes of cheese rather than using shredded.
We have made this salad with diced cucumber. It adds a crisp freshness that is really delicious.
Add some leftover chicken or some extra BBQ chicken to turn the salad into a meal instead of a side dish. Or add some diced bacon for extra smokiness.
To keep it vegetarian, add some chickpeas or more black beans if you want more protein to make it a meal. Otherwise we think hard boiled eggs can be added to just about any salad.
Storage
While this salad is the prettiest and freshest the first day, it does keep rather well. We ate it as a side dish on Sunday and then I brought some to work for lunch the next several days along with some greens.
After a few days, the avocados start to oxidize, but it still tastes great. So you can keep eating the salad for several days without any issues.
BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta
- ⅓ cup bbq sauce
- 1¼ cup sour cream
- 1 oz packet ranch dressing mix
- 1 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup corn frozen or fresh
- ½ red onion chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 avocado cubed
- optional fresh herbs parsley, cilantro, chives, green onions etc.
Instructions
- Cook 1 lb pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until cooled.
- Stir together 1 oz packet ranch dressing mix, 1¼ cup sour cream and ⅓ cup bbq sauce in a large bowl.
- Add pasta and stir to coat.
- Add 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1 15 oz. can black beans, 1 cup corn1 cup tomatoes and ½ red onion. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When you are ready to serve, dice 1 avocado and stir into pasta salad.
- Garnish with additional BBQ sauce and fresh herbs if desired.
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Yes please! I've been on a real kick lately with BBQ sauce, so I need to try this. This could be the pasta salad to rock my summer!
I never used to like BBQ sauce, but now it is a staple! I hope you love it!
I admit I'm not a huge fan of pasta salads myself, but they are great for taking on a picnic or to a potluck.
My husband really isn't a pasta salad fan either. He usually will suffer through it once and I'll stir in some extra veggies or beans and take it for lunch until it's gone. He actually volunteered to eat this one a second time later in the week!
Love all of these flavors, especially mixing together BBQ and ranch! Genius!
Thank you so much!
This sounds really good! I love pasta salad and a BBQ Ranch version sounds super tasty!
Thank you, Heather!
This sounds amazing! My hubby loves anything BBQ! He will love it!
I never liked BBQ sauce growing up, but now I can't get enough! I hope your hubby enjoys it!
The barbecue sauce in this pasta salad sounds intriguing. I have to admit that I have never tried that before. I will see have to see how my family likes that. Thank you for sharing.
It adds that little bit of zip and interest. We really thought it was good in there, I hope your family does too!
This loaded pasta salad sounds amazing!!!
Thank you, Liz!
Oh yum, Carlee! I bet this would really hit the spot on a hot day. There's something so satisfying about a pasta salad and I'm always looking for a good potluck/party/barbecue dish! Especially if it's something new and fun that not everyone has had!
Mollie
It is hard to come up with the perfect dish that travels well, is familiar enough that people will try it but different enough that it's not the same-old same-old. You wouldn't think it would be such a challenge! Thanks so much, Molly!