Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This buffalo chicken pasta is incredibly creamy, hearty and a little spicy! This quick and easy recipe takes only 25 minutes to make. It is easy enough for a busy weeknight. Great for leftovers, meal prep and gatherings. This family friendly dinner is loved by both kids and adults!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This buffalo chicken pasta is so creamy!
- The sauce is creamy, spicy and so flavorful.
- This comfort food recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make.
- It is made with pantry staples.
- This is a great way to use up leftover chicken. Check out this Dutch Oven Roasted Chicken or these Baked Chicken Thighs for how to make juicy chicken.
- Feel free to use any pasta you want. You could make buffalo chicken bowtie pasta or buffalo chicken spaghetti.
- Or, make buffalo chicken tortellini.
- Both kids and adults love this recipe.
- With gluten free pasta, this recipe is gluten free.
- Check out these Buffalo Chicken Thighs for another great dinner!
Ingredients & Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for creamy buffalo chicken pasta. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients list and instructions.
Any type of pasta works! For this recipe, I used gluten free penne pasta. For a lower carb version, use spaghetti squash, hearts of palm pasta or cooked cauliflower.
The cream cheese adds all the creaminess! Both regular and dairy free cream cheese work well. For dairy free, Kite Hill is a great brand.
The hot sauce packs all the heat. Frank’s Red Hot is a great option. Feel free to adjust amounts to decrease or increase heat level.
Chicken broth helps smooth out the sauce while adding some flavor and protein. Feel free to substitute cream or milk for an even creamier sauce.
Minced garlic adds a great garlicky flavor. Fresh is best. If needed, substitute garlic powder.
Both sea salt and pepper add a subtle taste.
Use cooked, shredded chicken. Leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken may be used. Cooked ground chicken is another great option too.
Lastly, freshly parsley adds a touch of freshness, color and flavor. Substitute dried parsley if that is all you have.
Taste & Texture
This buffalo chicken pasta tastes very similar to buffalo chicken dip. It is a little spicy, hearty, and savory. The creamy buffalo sauce tastes like buffalo Alfredo.
The texture is so creamy and smooth! This is the ultimate comfort food dish.
How to Make
Step 1
First, cook penne pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain pasta and set aside.
Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add cream cheese, hot sauce and chicken broth. Cook until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally.
Step 3
Then, add in minced garlic, sea salt, pepper and shredded chicken. Stir to combine. Then, cook for 2 minutes on low heat.
Step 4
Add in cooked pasta. Stir to combine. Cook for 3 minutes on low heat. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Step 5
Finally, remove from heat.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Cook pasta according to package directions. Then, drain and set aside.
Any type of chicken works! This is a great way to use up leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Make sure chicken is shredded or cut up into bite sized pieces.
For less spicy, use slightly less hot sauce. This recipe is medium spicy.
Feel free to stir in some shredded cheese for a more cheesy flavor. Or, try this Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Spicy Level
This buffalo chicken pasta is medium spicy. It is not mild, but it is not burning hot either.
For a more spicy flavor, add more hot sauce.
For less spicy, use less hot sauce. In addition, feel free to add in some Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing to the sauce.
These dressings are also great drizzled on top after cooking.
Stir in some shredded cheese to the sauce while cooking. Or, top with shredded cheese as a garnish. The cheese helps cut some of the spicy flavor.
Flavor Variations & Add Ins
Consider these add ins to the buffalo chicken pasta.
Add in shredded cheese or shredded mozzarella. This will cut down on some of the spiciness.
Top with chopped green onions. This adds a bit of freshness.
Crumble blue cheese on top. This will also add creaminess.
Use spaghetti squash for a lower carb option. For more low carb ideas, try kelp noodles, miracle noodles or hearts of palm pasta.
Use another type of pasta. Make buffalo chicken tortellini. Try angel hair, rotini, pappardelle, bucatini or fusilli.
Replace shredded chicken with ground chicken.
How to Serve & Store
Serve buffalo chicken pasta hot and fresh! This dish is best served as fresh as possible.
This pasta dish pairs well with a side salad. In addition, serve alongside a slice of garlic bread or baguette.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add buffalo chicken pasta to a microwave safe dish. Drizzle a little water on top. Then microwave in 30 second increments until warmed through. Stir between each increment.
I do not recommend freezing leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Buffalo chicken is spicy and flavorful. It pairs well with more subtle tasting side dishes. Salads are great with buffalo chicken.
Buffalo wing sauce and chicken go well together. In addition, pasta goes well with the sauce. Chopped veggies like carrots and celery go well with buffalo wing sauce.
To reheat, add leftovers to a microwave safe dish. Add a little water on top and microwave. Microwave in 30 second increments, stopping to stir gently between each.
Sure! Use cooked cauliflower instead of pasta. Alternatively, use hearts of palm pasta or some spaghetti squash.
Yes. Any type of noodle works well here. Even spaghetti squash and hearts of palm pasta work well.
You May Also Like
- Buffalo Chicken Thighs
- Buffalo Chicken Fries
- Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Healthy Hamburger Helper
If you make this buffalo chicken pasta recipe, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along! For more ideas, check out these Dinner Recipes.
Get the Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne, gluten free or regular
- 8 ounces cream cheese, regular or dairy free
- ⅓ cup hot sauce
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- 1 pound cooked shredded chicken
- fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
- First, cook penne pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add cream cheese, hot sauce and chicken broth. Cook until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally.
- Then, add in minced garlic, sea salt, pepper and shredded chicken. Stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat.
- Add in cooked pasta. Stir to combine. Cook for 3 minutes on low heat. Garnish with parsley if desired.
- Finally, remove from heat.
Notes
- Any type of pasta works well! I used gluten free penne pasta.
- Both dairy free and regular cream cheese can be used.
- Shredded chicken, leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken work well. Just be sure to cut up into bite sized pieces.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- This recipe makes 4 large servings or 6 regular servings.
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9 Comments on “Buffalo Chicken Pasta”
Followed the direct instructions and this dish was awesome! I did add a little more hot sauce because I love soicy! Also added crumbly Bleu cheese right before serving. Yum!
Loved how simple this recipe was–one of my teens made it for dinner and it was a hit. It’s such a great way to get buffalo chicken flavors without going through a ton of wings (we have three big eaters here!).
We are obsessed with Buffalo-flavored everything here, and this was no exception! The kids loved it! Saving to make again!
I made this last night for dinner, my husband really loved it. Thanks for the detailed instructions.
This was so comforting!
Creamy, yet hot and spoonable! So I could sit on the sofa and watch Midsommer Murder and not have to worry about missing my mouth!
Just what this single girl needed on her weekend off.
I added a sprinkle of celery salt at the end because I love it and felt the celery kind of went with the buffalo element.
THANK YOU!
I love the little kick in this buffalo chicken pasta recipe! It was so addicting!
I have a question! I’m making this with cubed baked chicken, hearts of palm and cauliflower. Can I mix it all up in a casserole dish, let it cook then refrigerate…then bake it in the oven for a while the next day? I want to sort of prep it for the next day bc I won’t have much time to make it the day of. My thought is that it will help the palm “pasta” and cauliflower absorb more of the sauce flavor too. What do u think? Thanks!!
I meant let it cool lol, thanks autocorrect I don’t want to bake it all together until the next day. Or should I heat it up in a big pan with a lid instead of baking?
Yes! I would mix it all up, refrigerate overnight, then cook in a pan. As it cooks, you may need to add a bit more broth or liquid if the cauliflower really soaks up the liquid. Hope you love it!