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Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo chicken pasta salad with buffalo-coated chicken, celery, and blue cheese folded into ranch dressing. Penne or rotini gets tossed cold so every bite is spicy, creamy, and ready for game day.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
  • 3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
  • 0.5 cup buffalo sauce
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 0.5 cup blue cheese crumbles
  • 0.25 cup green onions, sliced
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and prep
  1. Cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool quickly and stop cooking.
  2. Toss the diced cooked chicken breast with buffalo sauce until every piece is well coated and glossy.
  3. Combine the cooled pasta, buffalo chicken, celery, and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl.
  4. Add the ranch dressing and toss until the pasta is evenly coated.
  5. Gently fold in most of the blue cheese so it stays in creamy crumbles rather than fully melting.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour to let flavors meld and the dressing thicken slightly.
  2. Top with the remaining blue cheese and green onions right before serving for fresh contrast and visible crumbles.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta well under cold water so it doesn’t clump and the ranch dressing coats smoothly. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because ranch and blue cheese can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use low-fat or Greek-yogurt ranch dressing and keep the buffalo sauce the same.