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Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo chicken pasta salad with spicy buffalo-coated chicken, celery, and blue cheese folded into creamy ranch dressing. Chilled penne or rotini keeps the pasta bouncy while the heat and tang from buffalo sauce soak in.
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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: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 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
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, usually about 10–12 minutes. Drain the pasta, then rinse with cold water to stop cooking and let it cool.
Coat the chicken with buffalo sauce
  1. Toss the diced cooked chicken breast with buffalo sauce until every piece is evenly coated. Set aside while you assemble the salad.
Assemble the buffalo chicken pasta salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, buffalo chicken, diced celery, and halved cherry tomatoes. Mix gently so the vegetables stay intact.
Dress with ranch
  1. Add ranch dressing and toss to coat until the pasta is creamy and lightly speckled with buffalo chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Fold in blue cheese
  1. Gently fold in most of the blue cheese, keeping a portion reserved for the top. Stop mixing as soon as the cheese is evenly distributed.
Chill
  1. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour. This chilling time helps the buffalo and ranch flavors meld and thickens slightly for better coating.
Finish and serve
  1. Right before serving, top the salad with the remaining blue cheese and sliced green onions. Serve cold, with visible buffalo coating on the chicken pieces.

Notes

For a cleaner texture, cool the pasta completely after rinsing so the ranch doesn’t thin. Refrigerate covered for 3–4 days; the flavors hold up well, but blue cheese topping may soften. Freezing is not recommended. If you want a lighter option, use low-fat or Greek-yogurt ranch-style dressing for a similar tang with fewer calories.