Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Pasta Recipe
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This easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta recipe is made in just 29 minutes on the stovetop by adding shredded chicken and penne pasta to the most amazing creamy, cheesy sauce, filled with two cheeses, buffalo sauce and spices!
For almost a decade, this has been the most popular recipe on the blog! It has been viewed over a million times and has received dozens of 5 star reviews! Needless to say, people go crazy for this buffalo chicken pasta!
For years now I have been obsessed with all things buffalo chicken! Thanks to my friend Lindsay who first introduced me to Buffalo Chicken Dip back in 2010.
I now think of all the ways I can incorporate buffalo chicken into new recipes. From Buffalo Chicken Burgers and Buffalo Chicken Tacos, to Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers and Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls. I’ve found some interesting ways to spread out my obsession over several genres of food!
Now for one of my favorite combinations, buffalo chicken, cheese and pasta!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Shredded Chicken Breasts – boil or pressure cook 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then shred the chicken. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken. I like to use either this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or this Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken recipe when making this dish.
- Cream Cheese
- Buffalo Sauce – I like to use Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce, but any brand of buffalo sauce will work!
- Chicken Broth
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Kosher Salt
- Blue Cheese Dressing – ranch dressing can also be used instead, if that’s your preference!
- Uncooked Penne Pasta
- Green Onions – optional topping to add some color, flavor and crunch!
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – optional topping, for a little extra spice!
Step by step instructions
Just follow these 6 simple steps to make one of my all-time favorite recipes!
- Prepare the cheesy buffalo sauce. In a large pot or skillet on the stove over medium heat, add cream cheese, buffalo sauce and chicken broth. Whisk the ingredients together until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Spice up the sauce! Add paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Stir to combine.
- Make it creamy! Add blue cheese or ranch dressing to the sauce. Stir the sauce together until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Add the chicken. Add cooked, shredded chicken to the sauce, reduce the heat on the stove to low, then allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Cook the pasta. Add penne pasta to a large pot of boiling water on the stove. Cook according to package directions, then drain the pasta and add it to the buffalo chicken sauce.
- Finish and serve. Top the pasta with diced green onions and crushed red pepper flakes, if you’d like and serve immediately.
More recipes with buffalo sauce
Try these other popular WhitneyBond.com recipes with buffalo sauce!
- Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Tortellini
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Cheesy Sausage Balls
- Buffalo Cheesy Meatloaf
- Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken breasts, boil or pressure cook 1 lb of chicken and shred
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup blue cheese dressing
- 12 oz uncooked penne pasta
Optional toppings
- green onions, chopped
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the cream cheese, buffalo sauce and chicken broth.
- Whisk until creamy.
- Add the paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, salt and stir to combine
- Add the blue cheese dressing and stir to combine.
- Add the shredded chicken.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Add the penne pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Drain the pasta then add it to the cheesy buffalo chicken sauce and stir to combine.
- Top with diced green onions and crushed red pepper flakes, if you would like.
Video
Notes
- Vegetarian Option: Omit the chicken. The spicy, cheesy buffalo sauce is so good on its own, you could definitely do it without chicken! Also, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Gluten Free Option: Use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten free. Make sure the blue cheese dressing and chicken broth used are gluten-free.
Nutrition Facts
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126 Comments on “Buffalo Chicken Cheesy Pasta Recipe”
Can I omit the blue cheese dressing? My husband and I are not a fan… How do I substitute? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, I’ve had readers substitute the blue cheese dressing with ranch dressing, and they really liked it!
Tried this for the first time, with my adaptations of course. My wife is not a spicy food lover so I omitted the pepper flakes and added about 1/3 cup of finely grated carrot. I’ve known for years that carrots cut the spiciness without absorbing it. So the wife gets her flavor-without-burn and I just add a little straight buffalo or hot sauce before eating. Win Win!!
MMM! Girl, I’m right there with you. My life has been RUINED since having Buffalo Chicken Dip, I want it with everything!! Buffalo everything that is.
Thank you, I know this is going to be FIRE!
Could you substitute Tappatio sauce or Sirachi sauce for the buffalo sauce?
It would give it a slightly different flavor, but absolutely!
It would give it a slightly different flavor, but absolutely!
I just made this and it was SO good! I doubled the hot sauce because we like it hot and I added 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. I will definitely make this again!
I’m making this today but exchanging the Blue Cheese for Ranch since we don’t have blue cheese. Will let you know how it goes!
Sounds great Brittany! I know that a lot of people have done the ranch/blue cheese swap and loved it! I hope you do too 🙂
Family really loved this! Didn’t have to change a thing. Thanks for the great recipe, this will become a regular in our house.
That’s so great to hear Amy!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
When i was making the sauce the cream cheese still had little chunks did i do something wrong lol :[
Hi Jackie, you want to make sure and melt the cream cheese completely before adding the spices. Maybe just up the heat on your stove a little or use a spoon to break down those little pieces of cream cheese left! Hope this helps 🙂
Made this for dinner. I’m a vegetarian, husband is not. I added celery to the cream cheese mixture and next time I’ll add cauliflower too. I took my portion out before adding his chicken. I used whole grain pasta, the sauce is thick and creamy and can totally handle the grainier noodle. So easy and so decadent! Thank you for the awesome recipe, we really did enjoy it. Oh, and I used light bleu cheese and light cream cheese and it was still delicious!
That’s awesome, thanks for sharing your version Sloane! Love to hear how people make LLB recipes their own!
I just made this and it is absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Yay, thanks for sharing Jessica! So glad you loved it!
I would like to make ahead of time…Can I reheat this in the oven when we are ready to eat?
I re-heat mine on the stove, but I’m sure the oven would work fine too!
Thank you! I didn’t know if the re-heat would dry it out.
I can’t wait to try! I’m making this for my family on Sunday.
I’m planning on trying this tonight. It looks a w e s o m e. But the real reason I’m commenting is your photos. I’m blown away by your photos. There are restaurants who can’t get pictures of their food to look so good. Kudos!! Nice job!
You are awesome Kay, thank you so much!!! How did you like the pasta? It’s the most popular recipe of all time on Little Leopard Book, and a personal favorite of mine!
I was having a mac ‘n cheese party and had an idea for buffalo blue cheese chicken mac and cheese, so I googled it and yours was the recipe I decided to try. It was FABULOUS! I made it with whole wheat penne and a simple homemade blue cheese sauce (I live overseas and have access to blue cheese but not blue cheese dressing). Incredible (and so easy!). I will definitely be making this again!! Oh, and I used Frank’s hot sauce (not wing sauce) because it’s all I could get my hands on — but it still tasted perfect!
These are the comments I love to get! Thank you so much for sharing Amanda! I love to know how people made my recipes work for them! I posted a similar recipe yesterday, but made it “Mexican Style”! Here’s the link in case you want to check it out!
I just made this without the pasta, used ranch instead of blue cheese. Just rolled it up in a tortilla and it was great, thanks.
Awesome idea! Glad you liked it 🙂
this looks delish,except im not a big fan of blue cheese, do you think i could substitute with ranch dressing?
I love all the buffalo chicken recipes! I’m glad there are other girls out there that appreciate buffalo chicken as much as I do 🙂 Thanks for another awesome meal idea!
Thanks Chelsea! I do love my buffalo chicken 🙂
Jaimeson and I want you to make this next weekend please!!!!! THANK YOU in advance!!!
Anything for my loyal little leopard followers 🙂
is there something you can substitute the blue cheese dressing for?? we arent fans of blue cheese but everything else looks so yummy!
Hi Becky! I’ve had friends replace the blue cheese dressing with ranch dressing and loved it! Hope this works for you 🙂
I made this tonight and substituted the blue cheese for ranch. It’s DELICIOUS!
So glad you enjoyed it Catherine! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I want to make this tonight! Would it be possible to take this exact recipe, add some shredded cheese and breadcrumbs and throw it in a casserole dish?
Hi Cody, I’ve never tried the recipe that way, but it sounds delicious! A nice little cheesy breadcrumb crust on top, I couldn’t imagine that not being amazing 🙂
So your saying if you just boil the chicken breasts in water. You can substitute that water for the chicken broth u need for the recipe?
Yes sir! You should also have some leftover that you can save in a container in the fridge for any other recipes you’re making that call for chicken broth!
Oh YUM! Does that ever look good. I’m up for anything with blue cheese in it!
Thanks Jenna! I’m with you, such a sucker for cheese… but blue cheese specifically!!!
I love your spicy chicken pasta!! Will try to make this sometime!