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This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad with Bacon combines tender pasta, crunchy dill pickles, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and a creamy dill pickle dressing. Tangy, savory, and packed with texture, it’s the kind of pasta salad that’s always one of the first dishes to disappear at cookouts, potlucks, and summer gatherings.
What Makes This Dill Pickle Salad Different
I’ve found that many dill pickle pasta salads lean so heavily into the pickles that everything else gets lost. This version balances tangy pickles, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and a creamy dressing so no single ingredient overpowers the other.
I also love the contrast of textures. Every bite has a little bit of everything. It’s one of those pasta salads that’s always one of the first dishes to disappear at cookouts, barbecues, and summer gatherings.
A few things that makes this recipe stand out:
- Plenty of pickle flavor. Dill pickles and pickle juice bring tangy flavor to every bite.
- Crispy bacon adds balance. The salty crunch pairs perfectly with the creamy dressing and pickles.
- Sharp cheddar makes a difference. It adds richness and holds its own against the bold pickle flavor.
- Perfect for making ahead. The flavors continue to develop as the salad chills.
- Great for pickle lovers. If you’re the person reaching for extra pickles on your sandwich, this pasta salad is for you.
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Rotini. My favorite pasta shape for this salad because the twists catch the creamy dressing and small bits of dill, pickle, and bacon. But any short pasta shape works well, including bowtie, shells, or cavatappi.
- Bacon. I love bacon and pickles together so naturally, I had to add chopped bacon to this dish. It adds a salty crunch to the salad. Use turkey bacon or you can also skip it if needed for dietary reasons.
- Mayonnaise. You can use any mayo of choice. You can also use plain Greek yogurt, but it won’t have the same “tang”.
- Sour Cream. You can use dairy free sound cream or low fat sour cream. This levels out the mayo and gives it a great taste.
- Pickles. Use a brand of dill pickles that you genuinely enjoy eating straight from the jar. One thing I’ve noticed is that the flavor of the pickles matters more in this recipe than the brand of mayo or cheese. You’ll also need some of the pickle juice, which adds flavor to the dressing and helps tie everything together.
- Seasoning. Dried dill, pepper, onion and garlic powder. This is to flavor the dressing.
- Dill. Fresh dill is a must! Since dill is one of the main flavors in this salad, I recommend using fresh rather than dried if possible.
- Cheddar Cheese. Sharp cheddar is my preferred choice because its flavor stands up well to the pickles and dressing. I always use thick-shredded cheddar because it distributes throughout the salad and ends up in every bite, but cubed cheddar works too if you prefer larger pieces.
How To Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Cook the Bacon: Start the bacon, cook however you prefer. I cook in the oven on 350º for about 20-25 minutes but pan fried is great too!
- Cook the pasta: Cook pasta according to package (al dente). Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a medium size bowl, mix together the mayo, sour cream, seasonings, pickle juice, and dill. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large serving bowl, add the pasta, cheese, bacon, and dressing (reserve 1/4 cup of dressing for serving) and toss together well. Serve and add extra dressing if needed or save for later if pasta salad soaks up all the dressing.
What To Serve With Dill Pickle Salad
This dill pickle pasta salad is one of my favorite side dishes for cookouts, backyard BBQs, and summer parties. The tangy pickles, creamy dressing, and crispy bacon pair especially well with grilled and smoky flavors, making it an easy addition to almost any menu.
I love serving it alongside Shredded BBQ Chicken Sliders, BBQ Chicken Thighs, Hot Honey Chicken Tenders, or Bang Bang Chicken Skewers. The cool, creamy pasta salad balances spicy and smoky dishes particularly well.
It’s also delicious with burgers and sandwiches. Try it with my Pulled Chicken Burgers or Crispy Chicken Burgers for an easy summer meal.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This dill pickle pasta salad with bacon can be made ahead of time, which makes it perfect for cookouts and meal prep. I actually think the flavor gets better after a few hours in the fridge.
If you’re making it ahead, save some of the dressing to stir in just before serving. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it chills, and a little extra helps freshen it back up.
For meal prep, you can also store the dressing separately and toss everything together just before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
More Pasta Salads and Summer Sides
I can’t wait for you to try this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad! If you do, please leave a comment with a star rating below.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Equipment
- frying pan for bacon
- Large pot to boil pasta
Ingredients
- .75 -1 pound rotini pasta, *about 4 cups
- 8 ounces bacon, *see notes
- ½ cup cheddar cheese , shredded or cubed
- 2 cups dill pickles, chopped, *about 7 whole pickles
Creamy Dill Pickle Dressing
- ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup pickle juice
- ⅓ cup sour cream , *see notes
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried dill
- 1 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoons cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Start the bacon, cook however you prefer. I cook in the oven on 350º for about 20-25 minutes but pan fried is great too! In a large salad bowl add the cooled pasta, dill pickles, cheese, fresh dill, and dressing.
- Cook pasta according to package (al dente). While everything is cooking, shred your cheese, chop the dill and pickles. Set aside, and in a medium size bowl, mix together mayo, sour cream, seasonings, pickle juice, dill. Set aside.
- Chop the cooked bacon. Once the pasta is done, drain and rinse under ice cold water to get the heat out. In a large serving bowl, add pasta, cheese, bacon and dressing (reserve 1/4 cup of dressing for serving) and toss together well. Serve and add extra dressing if needed or save for later if pasta salad soaks up all the dressing, you may need to just add a little more sour cream mixed with a Tbsp or two of extra pickle juice to re hydrate the salad. Pasta brands will vary on absorption!!!
Notes
- Don’t skip the pickle juice: It adds tangy flavor throughout the dressing to give the salad its signature dill pickle taste.
- Use a pickle you love: Use a brand and variety of dill pickles you enjoy eating straight from the jar.
- Reserve extra dressing: You can also double the dressing if you like it really saucy, I do this when I am making the salad ahead of time or expecting leftovers, the noodles will soak it up.
- Make ahead: This salad can be made up to 1 day in advance and often tastes even better after the flavors have had time to meld together.
- Other swaps: You can make this recipe healthier by omitting the bacon and cheese or cutting the amount in half and sprinkling a little on top. This would cut 200 cal per serving. You can swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt to add more protein to this dish. Or use turkey bacon instead of regular bacon.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
