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Buffalo Chicken Pasta – a creamy stove top chicken pasta dinner that has all the flavor of Buffalo Chicken Wings! It is loaded with ranch dressing, two kinds of cheese, and plenty of buffalo sauce!
Buffalo chicken anything is pretty much a hit with most people. You can go with a Buffalo Chicken Wrap for a quick lunch. Or go for Instant Pot Chicken Wings on game day. Either way, the flavors are something classic that everyone loves.
My family loves buffalo sauce. We always have the big size jar in the fridge at all times, and usually one in the pantry for back up. My son loves to mix it with a tiny bit of ranch as a dipper for chicken tenders, put on his mac and cheese, or even put on eggs. So when I was trying to come up with a dinner I knew he would enjoy, turning his favorite into a creamy buffalo chicken pasta seemed like a great idea!
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Ingredients
This is a simple buffalo chicken pasta recipe that is all done on the stove top. So it is ready in about 20 minutes and great for a busy weeknight.
- Pasta – You can use any short cut pasta for this. Penne, Rotini, Bowtie etc. are all good choices.
- Chicken – One pound of chopped and cooked chicken is what the recipe calls for. You can use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or you can cook pieces of chicken; whatever you have works for this.
- Buffalo Sauce – I use Frank’s Red Hot for this recipe.
- Cheese – Cream cheese, Cheddar, and Mozzarella all come together to make this pasta dish. Cream cheese melts to make the sauce creamy and then cheddar and mozarella are added later to give that great cheese taste!
- Ranch Dressing – Good old fashioned ranch dressing from the bottle is all you need
- Seasonings – garlic powder, salt and pepper is all that is called for.
- Chicken Broth – this is a very indulgent recipe, but I didn’t want to take it over the top, so instead of any milk or cream I use chicken broth to get the sauce to come together.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Start by cooking the pasta according to the package directions. I like to go about 1 minute under the directions on the box, so when I am mixing everything together the pasta doesn’t get over cooked.
- In a large skillet that can fit everything melt the cream cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing and chicken broth together. You can cut the cream cheese into cubes to get it to melt faster. You will need to stir it and work the cream cheese to get it to melt and be nice and smooth.
- Stir in the seasonings and the cheese. Everything gets mixed together until a creamy smooth sauce has formed.
- Finally stir the chicken and pasta in with the sauce until everything is coated and well blended. Then it is ready to serve! If you love your buffalo chicken with blue cheese you could crumble a little blue cheese over the top.
Tips for Making Ahead
- If you want to make this ahead it is best to under cook the pasta by about 2 minutes.
- Then follow the rest of the recipe as written, and once everything is mixed together pour into a casserole dish and cover.
- Now you can store in the fridge until you want to serve. Then just place in the oven (another layer of cheddar cheese over the top would always good a good idea) at 350 degrees to heat it through and finish cooking the pasta.
If you are a buffalo chicken fan, you are also going to love these Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches!
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Pasta
You can serve with a simple side salad or carrot and celery sticks. But here are some of my favorite side dishes.
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Easy Biscuits
- Roasted Green Beans
- Italian Cheese Pull Apart Bread
- Roasted Asparagus
This is one of the top requested dinners in my house, and the leftovers are great for lunch the next day. And if you like things spicy adding even more buffalo sauce on top is a great idea! My husband is a huge blue cheese fan, so if we have blue cheese crumbles in the house, he adds those to his.
How To Store Leftovers
You can store in an air tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The pasta will soak up some of the sauce as it sits, so you may want to add a little milk when you reheat to get it nice and creamy again.
Or if you want to freeze the leftovers let them cool completely and then put in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Honey Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
- Pesto Cavatappi
- Sausage & Rice Skillet
- Chicken Tostadas
- Buffalo Chicken Burger
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz short cut pasta, dried
- 8 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/3 cup ranch dressing
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound cooked and shredded chicken
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta 1 minute short of the package directions.
- In a large skillet heat cream cheese, buffalo sauce, chicken broth, and ranch dressing together over medium heat until smooth and melted.
- Add garlic powder, salt and pepper and stir until combined.
- Mix in cheddar and mozzarella cheese until completely melted and smooth, stirring continually.
- Add cooked chicken and pasta and toss until everything is well coated and heated through.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This sounds like an incredibly delicious meal!! A must try!
The best kind of pasta! Love the flavors of the buffalo sauce and ranch together!
I love anything that is buffalo chicken! I cannot wait to try this one out! Looks so good!
Pasta is our favorite family dish! Love it so much!
I’ve made this dish yesterday and everyone one loved it. It’s so creamy and delicious!
This was really amazing! Quickly became a favorite at my house.
Made this for dinner tonight and it has easily become a new family favorite meal! Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
This is so delicious. My family loved the spicy flavor and the chicken and pasta. Such a hearty meal.
This is such a great idea! Love all the flavor and the little spicy from the buffalo sauce!
Perfect for those chilly evenings! Everyone loved it!
Excited to satisfy my pasta craving with this!