Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

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This BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA SALAD is perfect for a summer potluck or gathering when you want to spice things up! Tender chicken, a spicy dressing, and the sweet crunch of fresh carrots and celery make for the perfect pasta salad.

buffalo chicken pasta salad in white bowl.

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Not only are we big fans of buffalo chicken, we are also obsessed with summer salads.

Not so much the kind that start with lettuce, but the kind that start with pasta, potatoes, or even jello. 😉

I mean, our vegetable salad is absolutely delicious and perfect for summer, but sometimes you need something like baked potato salad, Amish macaroni salad, or Snickers apple salad. Salads that really aren’t…salad.

Enter this spicy buffalo chicken pasta salad! It’s loaded with tender chunks of chicken, crisp veggies, plenty of hot sauce, and ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Served cold, this is a fun side dish that will spice up any summer gathering.

We’ve also been known to make a sandwich out of our buffalo chicken salad. The perfect lunch for those that like spice!

Table of Contents

Ingredient Notes:

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ingredients for buffalo chicken pasta salad.

Farfalle Pasta – Any small shape of pasta would work fine here.

Diced Chicken – We had some pre-cooked chicken ready to go. Try my Crockpot Shredded Chicken recipe! A rotisserie chicken would work too.

Hot Sauce – We love Frank’s Red Hot, but you can use your favorite wing sauce if you prefer.

Ranch Dressing – Blue cheese dressing is also totally acceptable, if you’re into that sort of thing.

What We Love About This Recipe!

We’ll take any excuse to eat buffalo chicken, and we love pasta, so there is a lot to like about this combination! It’s also so easy to make, the pasta takes no time and we usually have pre-cooked chicken ready to go just for recipes like this.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe:

Pasta: We used farfalle but any small shape of pasta will work well in this dish. Cook the pasta per the package instructions before draining and adding to a large mixing bowl.

Once that’s done, you’re just about finished. This is a very simple buffalo chicken pasta recipe, so all that’s left is to mix everything up.

Helpful Tips!

Got a large gathering or you just really, really love buffalo chicken pasta? Just double the pasta and adjust the other ingredients accordingly.
If you want more heat, try a spicier hot sauce or wing sauce. A pinch or two of ground cayenne would also heat things up nicely.

Sauce: Toss the pasta with the ranch or blue cheese dressing, hot sauce, chicken, and some carrots and celery for a tasty summer lunch or side dish.

ingredients for pasta salad in white mixing bowl.

I used my shredded chicken from the freezer in this dish. Find out how easy it is to make right here. It will seriously change weeknight dinners!

Mix it Up!

Love blue cheese? Use that in place of the ranch!

Sprinkle shredded cheddar or crumbled blue cheese right on top of the salad before serving.

FAq’s:

How long does this pasta salad need to chill?

We like to let this chill for 2 hours in the fridge before serving. This will ensure the pasta is good and cold and that the flavors have had time to soak into the pasta.

What type of chicken is best in this dish?

We like to use leftover chicken in recipes like this, such as diced grilled chicken from the night before, shredded rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken. Our Instant Pot Whole Chicken shreds beautifully for use in recipes like this.

Is this super spicy?

As written, we think this recipe has a little kick but we’d still consider it mild. To make it even more mild, use Frank’s wing sauce instead of Frank’s hot sauce. To make it more spicy, use your favorite hot wing sauce and/or mix dried cayenne into the pasta salad.

MORE BUFFALO CHICKEN RECIPES!

buffalo chicken pasta salad in bowl with fork.

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