Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is a creamy and spicy pasta salad recipe made with tender shredded chicken, rotini pasta, crunchy celery, cheddar cheese, and a bold buffalo ranch dressing. It’s an easy side dish recipe for parties or a great meal prep lunch, ready in no time.
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I make this as a pasta salad side dish for summer cookouts, potlucks, and game day parties, but it works for meal prep or even an easy lunch during the week. If your family loves buffalo chicken wings, this pasta salad won’t disappoint you.
And you’ll also love this 10-Minute Buffalo Chicken Salad and Buffalo Chicken Sliders, which are great lunches.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Cook the rotini pasta according to the package directions. (around 10 minutes to cook) Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water once cooked. In a small bowl, mix together the ranch and buffalo sauce.
2. To a large bowl, add the drained, cooled pasta, shredded chicken, celery, shredded cheese, green onions, garlic powder, pepper, and the buffalo ranch sauce. Toss together until well coated.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill if desired before serving.
Serve & Enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Be sure to rinse the cooked pasta under cold water so it cools down quickly and doesn’t become sticky.
- Use rotisserie chicken; it works perfectly in this recipe and makes prep even faster.
- For a milder flavor, use a little less buffalo sauce and add extra ranch dressing.
- If you like extra spice, drizzle more buffalo sauce on top before serving.
- Chill the pasta salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to help the flavors blend together even more.
- If the pasta absorbs too much dressing after sitting in the fridge, simply stir in a splash of ranch or buffalo sauce before serving.
- This recipe is best served cold and can easily be made ahead for parties, cookouts, or meal prep.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz of rotini pasta
- 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken
- 3/4 cup of ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup of buffalo wing sauce
- 1/2 cup of celery diced
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rotini pasta according to the package directions. (around 10 minutes to cook) drain and rinse the noodles under cold water once cooked. In a small bowl mix together the ranch and buffalo sauce.
- To a large bowl, add the drained, cooled pasta, shredded chicken, celery, shredded cheese, green onions, garlic powder, pepper and the buffalo ranch sauce. Toss together until well coated.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill if desired before serving.
