Easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta

You won’t be able to resist this Buffalo Chicken Pasta that combines your favorite pasta with chicken, buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing, and cream cheese, to make the dreamiest, creamiest pasta ever.

» You might also like this 5-Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe.

If you like buffalo chicken sauce as much as we do, you’re going to love this pasta recipe. I make tons of buffalo chicken flavored meals, like buffalo chicken pizza, stuffed peppers, and buffalo chicken casserole. This is one of the best variations of them all. The sauce is so creamy and bursting with flavor. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to make.

If you have leftover chicken, shred it and cook it into this buffalo chicken pasta recipe. It’s creamy, savory, and just a bit spicy. The blue cheese dressing and buffalo sauce give the pasta a tangy taste, while the cream cheese and mozzarella mellow everything out, so it’s not too spicy.

Ingredients You Need

• Dried pasta: You can use any pasta that you like or have on hand. But stick with pasta shapes that will hold the sauce well, like penne, bow tie, rotini, ziti, or rigatoni.
• Chicken Breast: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the best result. You can cook it and shred it, or we recommend using leftover or rotisserie chicken to cut down cooking time.
• Blue Cheese Dressing: Use store bought dressing or try this homemade blue cheese dressing recipe. You can use ranch dressing if you aren’t a fan of blue cheese.
• Butter: I use salted butter. It adds flavor to the pasta and keeps the sauce glossy.
• Onion and celery: These are aromatics that will add a lot of flavor to the pasta. 
• Diced Tomatoes: Half a can of diced tomatoes with the juice. Reserve the rest for another use. 
• Chicken Broth: Using chicken broth will give the dish a stronger chicken flavor, but feel free to use vegetable broth. 
• Buffalo Sauce: Buffalo sauce has a delicious sweet, savory flavor with a kick of spice. You can use any brand’s buffalo sauce. My favorite is Frank’s RedHot buffalo sauce.
• Cream Cheese: Use full fat cream cheese, because it’s creamier and melts the best. Make sure it has softened before adding it into the pasta, so it melts better.
• Cheddar cheese and mozzarella: Shred the cheese by hand. Pre-shredded contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. 
• Red Pepper Flakes: This is an optional topping, but it will add a nice bit of heat to the pasta.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Start by cooking the pasta according to the package directions. When it has reached al dente, drain it and set it aside. Resist the urge to cook the pasta to tender, as that can lead to it becoming too soft later in the cooking process. It will continue to cook as it cools.

Step 2: Prepare the chicken

Shred the chicken and mix it with the blue cheese dressing in a bowl. Set this aside to add to the pasta later on. If you don’t have blue cheese dressing, you can mix blue cheese crumbles with half mayo and half sour cream for a similar dressing. Or you can use Ranch dressing.

Step 3: Make the sauce

Heat the butter in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté for 3 minutes to soften them. Pour in the tomatoes, chicken broth, buffalo sauce, cream cheese, and shredded cheeses. Stir until incorporated. This will become a nice creamy, velvety sauce. 

Step 4: Add in chicken

Add in the shredded chicken and pasta and stir to coat. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the sauce is creamy and slightly reduced. Serve it immediately, while hot. It will continue to thicken as it sits and it’s always best right away.

Garnish with red pepper flakes, if you want it to have a little more heat. Otherwise, serve it right away for the creamiest texture.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

If you have some left over pasta, it’s easy to store it in the refrigerator. Put it on an air tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To reheat it, you can put the pasta in the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute. Or you can put it in a pot and heat it slowly over medium-low heat. Add a little bit of water or milk to loosen the sauce and make it creamy again.

Since it has cream cheese in it, it doesn’t store well in the freezer, though you can heat it back up relatively easily, even if there’s an odd chance that the sauce will become clumpy due to the frozen dairy.

Tips & Suggestions

• You can use other pasta besides penne, like rotini, farfalle, ziti, or rigatoni.
• If the sauce is a little loose, continue to cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. It will continue to thicken when removed from the heat.
• If you want even more flavor in this pasta, you can cut the chicken into cubes and sauté it until lightly browned before adding it to the pasta.
• If you don’t like blue cheese, feel free to substitute the blue cheese dressing with Ranch dressing.
• There is a lot of sauce in this recipe, so that it doesn’t get dry. Don’t worry! It turns out perfectly dressed.
• You could add some spinach or zucchini to the pasta to add some greens to the bowl.

Questions About the Recipe

Can I make the Buffalo Chicken Pasta ahead of time?

Yes. After cooking the pasta, let it cool completely before storing in an air tight container. Or you can put it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat it on the stove when you’re ready to enjoy it. I usually add a little bit of water or milk to the pot as it reheats to ensure the sauce gets creamy again.

Can I use a different shapes pasta?

Yes, you can use any shape of pasta that you like. Try shapes like rotini, farfalle, ziti, or rigatoni. I avoid long pastas, like spaghetti or fettuccine, because it just doesn’t feel like the right fit for this sauce. You can use use dried or fresh pasta, or even make your own!

How can I make this a low-carb meal?

For those watching their carb intake, replace the pasta with cauliflower. It will still taste delicious but it won’t have the extra carbs and calories that come with the pasta. You could also use a low-carb noodle, like Miracle Noodles or make your own spiralized noodles with carrots or zucchini.

Notes About the Recipe

• If you like the pasta extra saucy, you can reduce the amount of pasta used or increase the amount of sauce. Some readers prefer to double the sauce so it’s super creamy. 
• Stir in the cheese on low heat. This will prevent the cheese from separating and becoming grainy. Also be aware that pre-shredded cheeses are coated with an anti-caking agent that can make the pasta gummy and weird. I always avoid using shredded cheese. It’s best to shred your own from a block of cheese.
• If the sauce is a little loose, continue to cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Don’t let it cook too long though, as it will continue to thicken when removed from the heat.

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