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Buffalo chicken pasta is the easiest pasta recipe that works for a large gathering or a simple weeknight dinner! This creamy pasta dish features tender noodles, five types of cheeses, and a delicious buffalo sauce that brings the flavor. It’s incredibly easy to make and is the best kind of comfort food if you’re as big of a fan of buffalo sauce as we are!
This recipe has all the flavors of our buffalo chicken dip but is a dish that is well-suited as a main meal.
If you’re in the mood for something lighter, my one skillet salmon orzo is another pasta recipe you’ll want to try.
Why This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe Works
Creamy, cheesy base: A blend of cream cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, and smoked Gouda makes the sauce rich, smooth, and layered with flavor.
Buffalo sauce meets balance: Homemade or bottled sauce brings heat, while a touch of ranch or blue cheese dressing cools it down.
Tender chicken throughout: Shredded or chopped chicken folds into the sauce so every bite has protein and flavor.
Customizable heat level: Use more or less Buffalo sauce to match your spice preference, mild to fiery.
The Ingredients
It doesn’t take a whole lot to prepare this delicious chicken pasta bake. If you have pre-cooked boneless skinless chicken, you’re nearly halfway there!
For this creamy buffalo chicken pasta recipe, you will need:
- pasta ( penne pasta, rigatoni or ziti are our favorites)
- olive oil
- onion, diced
- garlic cloves, minced
- butter
- flour
- whole milk
- cream cheese
- cheddar cheese, grated
- mozzarella cheese, grated
- smoked Gouda cheese, grated
- homemade Buffalo sauce or Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce
- blue cheese dressing or Ranch dressing
- cooked chicken, shredded or chopped. You can use leftover smoked chicken for a smoky flavor, or you can even toss some frozen chicken in the Instant Pot.
- optional garnishes like chopped parsley, green onions, and more sauce or dressing
Recipe Tips
Save pasta water: Before draining, reserve about ½ cup. A splash will thin the sauce and help it coat the pasta smoothly.
Keep noodles from sticking: Toss the cooked pasta with a little butter or oil if you’re not using it right away.
Cube the cream cheese: Cutting it into smaller pieces helps it melt faster and more evenly in the sauce.
Buffalo sauce options: homemade buffalo sauce is our favorite, but store-bought (like Frank’s RedHot Wing Sauce) works perfectly.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in the microwave, adding a splash of milk if needed.
You can use leftover rotisserie chicken to make this recipe easy. You can also pre-cook chicken on the grill or bake some chicken quarters in the oven ahead of time. You can also cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot.
More Pasta Recipes
If you love pasta as much as we do, we have a lot more recipes on this site that you will want to try. Here are some more pasta recipes.
Buffalo Chicken Penne
Buffalo chicken penne pasta is creamy, spicy, and downright comforting. It delivers all the flavor of Buffalo wings wrapped up in cheesy pasta goodness. Serve it straight from the pot with extra sauce and a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese, and don’t be surprised when everyone goes back for seconds.
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Buffalo Chicken Pasta
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta, penne, rigatoni, or ziti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated smoked Gouda cheese
- ½ to ¾ cup homemade Buffalo sauce or Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce
- ¼ cup blue cheese or Ranch dressing
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped
Optional Pasta Bake
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Garnish
- fresh chopped parsley
- Buffalo sauce
- blue cheese or Ranch dressing
Instructions
- Place a large pot of water over high heat. Add a generous amount of salt and bring it to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Remove ½ cup of pasta water and set it aside for later. Drain the pasta and set it aside. If you want to prevent the pasta from sticking, you can toss it with a bit of butter or oil.
- Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the butter and stir until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring for a minute. It will look like a thick paste. Slowly pour in the milk, about ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly.
- Turn the heat down to low. Add the cream cheese and stir until completely melted.
- Add the grated cheese a handful at a time, stirring in between each addition. Let the cheese melt before adding the next handful.
- Stir in the Buffalo Sauce and blue cheese or Ranch dressing.
- Fold in the chicken and pasta. If the sauce seems a bit thick, stir in some of the extra pasta water to thin the sauce out and make it silky smooth.
To Make a Buffalo Pasta Bake
- Transfer the pasta to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the Panko and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil until the bread crumbs are lightly coated. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the pasta.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on top. Serve with additional Buffalo sauce and Blue cheese dressing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!This post was originally published on August 15, 2016.
I was clearing out my cupboard at the weekend and I found loads of tinned artichokes that I was wondering what to do with them. This is definitely being made soon!
Wow the flavours in that sauce sound incredible but really well balanced, fantastic sounding recipe!
Hi, Brian…you are right, the flavors all compliment each other and taste fantastic! Thanks for your comments 🙂
OMG! So tempting and your picture is so perfect.
Wow – what an amazing combination of flavors in one dish! I like that you made the sauce and then spooned it over the pasta rather than mixing it all together. It’s a great way to control the sauce to pasta ratio. Spelt pasta sounds so hearty and healthy – can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Hello, Holly….Yes, these flavors do really compliment each other and it is pretty much a one-dish meal. 🙂