Buffalo ranch chicken pasta is a flavorful and comforting dish that combines the zesty flavor of the classic Buffalo ranch chicken recipe with tender, al dente pasta. If you're looking for a delicious and satisfying meal, this is the perfect choice.
Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pasta combines the irresistible flavors of buffalo sauce and ranch seasoning. This dish is perfect for those weeknight dinners where you want something flavorful but also quick and easy to prepare.
It's absolutely delicious with cheesy garlic bread and a green salad for a quick dinner.
If you love these flavors, try these buffalo ranch chicken wraps recipe or this cheesy buffalo chicken dip!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- It's quick and easy to prepare and a great way to use leftover chicken.
- Great combination of creamy and spicy flavors.
- It's an all-in-one dish making mealtime easier!
- Inexpensive ingredients make it an affordable meal.
- A family-friendly recipe that everyone will enjoy.
- Perfect for a potluck and great to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
Making this spicy chicken pasta uses simple ingredients you should easily find at your local market.
Be sure to check complete list along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Pasta: Any short pasta works great to make this dish. We are using bowtie.
- Chicken: Use chopped or shredded rotisserie chicken to save time. You can also use canned chicken as a time saver or cook off a few pieces of chicken in advance.
- Ranch Seasoning: This seasoning packet adds plenty of the flavor to season the chicken.
- Cayenne Pepper: To add a bit more heat to the dish.
- Veggies: Onion is cooked to layer in flavors to this chicken pasta recipe while the celery is added at the end to give it some crunch.
- Bleu Cheese Crumbles: The perfect cheesy companion to buffalo sauce
- Dairy: We are using a combination of cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream to create the ultra creamy texture in buffalo chicken pasta.
- Franks Red Hot Sauce: Our favorite to make the homemade buffalo sauce for this buffalo chicken ranch pasta.
Substitutions and Variations
- Bleu Cheese Crumbles: Really the best for this dish but you can also try it with goat cheese or feta cheese instead since they are a tiny bit similar in flavor.
- Sour Cream: Use Greek yogurt instead though it does alter the taste a tiny bit.
- Franks Red Hot Sauce: Use your favorite brand instead.
- Add Vegetables: Add some diced sweet bell peppers, diced carrots, sliced zucchini, corn, or peas to the sauce. Stir in chopped baby spinach or baby kale right before serving. It's also a great way to use up leftover vegetables. Stir them in right before serving.
- Toppings: Feel free to add fresh tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, diced avocados, chopped cilantro, or green onions. For added creaminess and flavor you can also add a dollop of sour cream on top before serving.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This recipe is incredibly easy to make, taking only a few minutes and a few steps. It's a fast one!
The highlights are listed here, but you'll find the exact instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Once cooked drain it and set aside.
- Add the butter to the pot and cook the minced garlic for half a minute.
- Add the onions and Frank's Hot Sauce to the pot and cook until the onions are tender.
- Puree the hot sauce mixture until smooth.
- Add the cream cheese and stir until it's melted into the buffalo sauce.
- Mix in the sour cream, chicken broth, and heavy cream and cook until bubbly.
- Add half the crumbled bleu cheese to the pot and cook until it's melted.
- Combine the shredded chicken with the pepper, ranch, seasoning, and cayenne pepper.
- Add the seasoned chicken, pasta, and uncooked celery to the sauce and stir to combine and coat all the ingredients with the sauce.
- Garnish the buffalo chicken pasta with the remaining bleu cheese, green onions, and drizzle with reserved Buffalo sauce.
Hint: DO NOT cook the celery. The cool crunch is what makes this dish really pop - just like regular Buffalo ranch chicken.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy this Buffalo chicken wonton cups.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in the fridge for up to four days in an air-tight container.
Freezer: Store in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Place the chicken in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350° F or until heated through. You can also reheat in the microwave.
Make Ahead: Make the pasta, sauce, and chicken up to 2 days ahead of time, and store them separately. Combine and heat when ready to served.
What to Serve with a Buffalo Ranch Chicken Recipe
This Buffalo ranch chicken pasta recipe is hearty and filling, so it doesn't really need heavy sides.
We love to serve it with garlic bread or bread and butter and a nice side salad. Some great salad choices include this mixed greens salad, spinach salad, or this cold asparagus salad.
You can also add on a simple vegetable side dish such as sauteed cauliflower, green beans with parmesan, or explore more pasta side dishes.
Tasty side dishes are a great addition to any meal. Check out some ideas at What to Serve With Swedish Meatballs.
Side dishes take any meal to the next level. To explore some ideas, go to What to Serve With Coq Au Vin.
Tips
- Use fresh garlic for the best flavor in this recipe.
- Chop the celery finely so that it is evenly distributed throughout the pasta dish.
- Cool down the dish slightly before serving to allow the creamy buffalo sauce to thicken more.
- Don’t forget to garnish with bleu cheese crumbles for the added flavor it brings to the dish!
- Cook the pasta just until al dente.
FAQ
The best way to shred rotisserie chicken is by using two forks. Simply pull apart the chicken with your hands, then use the forks to pull and separate it into small pieces.
Yes, you can substitute regular cream cheese with reduced-fat cream cheese or light cream cheese. Additionally, you may use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. These adjustments will work but may alter the flavor of the dish therefore, for the best results, we recommend sticking to the ingredients as listed in the recipe.
You can reduce the spiciness slightly by reducing or omitting the cayenne pepper from the ingredients list. However, the Frank's hot sauce will still make it somewhat spicy.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
Do you like Buffalo Chicken? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Easy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb short pasta we used bowtie
- 1 lb shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 White onion diced
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 teaspoon ranch seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1 cup Bleu cheese crumbles
Creamy Buffalo Sauce
- 6 ounce Cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup franks red hot sauce
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Prepare pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Return the pot to the stove over medium low heat and melt the butter. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Next, add the hot sauce. Whisk until combined. Add diced onions and cover. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Use a blender or food processor to purée the buffalo sauce. (Set aside 1 tablespoon for step 10) and return the rest to the pot. *you can also use an immersion blender for less dishes*
- Add the cream cheese to the pot and stir until melted. Once melted, add sour cream, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Whisk until combined, then cook for 5 minutes, or until bubbling.
- Next, stir in ½ of the crumbled Bleu cheese. Cook for 5 minutes, or until melted.
- Add shredded chicken to a mixing bowl and toss with pepper, ranch seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Add chicken and pasta to the sauce.
- Chop the celery and add to the pot. *Do not cook the celery, the crunch makes all the difference!*
- Stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Garnish with Bleu cheese and green onions if desired. Drizzle with reserved buffalo sauce and enjoy
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