Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Whip up this buffalo chicken pasta for dinner this week. A chicken dinner that is loaded with cream cheese, ranch dressing, sour cream, buffalo hot sauce, and tender pasta. This is a comfort food pasta dish that carries some heat. A house favorite you have to try soon. This Buffalo Chicken Pasta is a hit.

This is a great dinner idea that you can use fresh chicken or even rotisserie chicken. This is an easy meal to throw together for a quick meal. Check out our salsa chicken it is a 30 minute dinner recipe.

This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Is…

• A Cheesy Pasta
• Weeknight Meal
• Topped with Blue Cheese Crumbles
• Family Friendly
• Complete Meal
• Easy Chicken Dinner

Make sure to check out our classic buffalo chicken dip recipe as well, for more buffalo recipes.

Ingredients Needed

• Pasta – So you can use any medium-style pasta. Rotini, spiral pasta, penne pasta, and more.
• Olive Oil – You will need just a little oil for cooking your chopped chicken.
• Chicken – Any boneless chicken works for this chicken dinner. You can use leftover chicken that isn’t overly seasoned. Just season the same as the recipe card, just heat to warm the chicken up. Then move on to the next steps.
• Salt and Pepper – Flavor to taste.
• Ranch Seasoning – This is the packet dry ranch. You can buy ranch or make homemade dry ranch seasoning.
• Cream Cheese – This adds a creamy and rich texture to the chicken and pasta.
• Milk – You can use whole milk for a richer flavor or 2% or Skim to lighten up the pasta dish.
• Chicken Broth – The chicken broth helps to enhance the flavor even more.
• Buffalo Hot Sauce – You can buy mild, medium, or a hot sauce. Pick for your heat tolerance.
• Blue Cheese – we used blue cheese crumbles. Or drizzle with a blue cheese dressing instead if you want.
• Cheese – we reached for cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar is our favorite for this pasta buffalo chicken.

How to Make

Full steps on how to make buffalo chicken pasta is in the printable recipe card. This is a visual walk through on how it is made.

Step One: Cook the pasta with the package directions to al dente. Then heat oil in large skillet. Cook seasoned chicken over medium heat.

Cook the chicken until it is completely cooked.

Step Two: Next you will remove the chicken and then add in the cream cheese, sour cream, broth, and bring to a simmer. You want the cream cheese to melt.

Step Three: Add in the buffalo sauce and milk and cook until smooth and creamy.

Step Four: Next add in the chicken and cooked pasta, stirring to coat. Then add in half the blue cheese and cheddar cheese.

Step Five: Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, and top with the green onions.

Variations To Recipe

Here are a few ways to change up this easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta. From changes with pasta noodles to different ways to top this creamy buffalo chicken pasta.

• Use your usual pasta for this. Medium type of pasta works. Rotini, shells, elbow, bowtie pasta, etc.
• If you don’t like blue cheese leave it off, and drizzle with ranch on top of buffalo pasta or serve it plain.
• Make sure to use skinless chicken breasts or thighs Just trim the chicken an then cook fully in the skillet.
• Season the pasta in a large pot with salt as you are cooking your pasta.
• Drizzle with extra buffalo sauce if you want to dress up the pasta more.
• Pour the pasta in a casserole dish or leave in cast iron skillet. Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted on top. This takes about 5-10 minutes.

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate: If you don’t eat all the buffalo chicken pasta casserole, store in an airtight container. The pasta dish can store for 3-4 days.

Reheat: Then to reheat just warm in the microwave or in the oven. If you heat up the chicken dish in the oven then cover with foil an heat at 350 degrees until it is warmed through.

Freezing: For freezing you can freeze this dish but the buffalo chicken sauce can become a bit gritty once it thaws after being frozen. We recommend for best results not to freeze the pasta dinner.

Helpful Tools:

We use a classic stainless steel strainer for our pasta. It just works great for us. We don’t love the snap on the pot style, as we have had them fall off in the past.

Try this rotary cheese grater it works so well with grating perfectly grated cheese. Give it a try and see how you like it.

Practical notes

How to thin the pasta sauce a bit?

So this is a thicker sauce for the buffalo pasta. If you want to thin it up a bit add in a tablespoon of milk. Stir well and if you want it thinner still, repeat that step until it reaches the desired texture.

Can we make this casserole without chicken?

Want a meatless dinner? If so skip the chicken an make it without. Just leave out the chicken an still cook your dish the same.

Want more skillet dinner ideas?

• Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
• Kung Pao Chicken
• Beef Stir Fry
• Taco Rice Skillet

Have you tried the recipe? If so, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below or drop a comment. Also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Facebook Pinterest or our Facebook Group

Ingredients

Makes 6 people

• 3 cups Pasta, uncooked
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 cups Chicken, chopped
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Ranch Seasoning
• 4-8 ounce Cream Cheese, softened (as desired)
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup Milk, as desired (optional)
• 1-2 cups Chicken Broth, as needed
• 1/4 cup Buffalo-style Hot Sauce
• 1/2 cup Blue Cheese, divided
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Green Onion, sliced thin

Equipment

• 1 Large Skillet
• 1 Strainer

Method

1. Cook your pasta as directed on the package. Drain but do not rinse in cold water.
2. Then in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat.
3. Season the diced chicken with salt, pepper, and ranch seasoning.
4. When the oil is hot, add in the chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes or until the diced chicken is fully cooked.
5. Remove the chicken and place on a clean plate.
6. Then in the same skillet add your chicken broth, and bring to a simmer. Then stir in the sour cream and cream cheese. Mix until the cream cheese is fully melted.
7. Next add in the buffalo sauce, and milk. Then add in most of the shredded cheese. Reserve some for topping. Mix until cheese is melted.
8. Add in diced cooked chicken and pasta. Stir to coat.
9. Top with remaining cheese and green onions. Then serve and enjoy this buffalo chicken pasta dish.

Kitchen notes

Chicken

– You can use pre-cooked chicken if you want. Just season with the ranch and salt and pepper. Pasta – Now you can use any medium size pasta for this chicken dinner. Bake – Want to finish this dish off in the oven? Top with cheese and then bake in the oven at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted.