This One Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe is easy to make in a skillet with a delicious cream sauce and your choice of pasta. Use fresh, rotisserie, or leftover chicken!
Be sure to try my Buffalo Chicken Pizza next!
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
My favorite part about this pasta, (other than the incredible cream sauce), is that you can throw everything into One Pot and it comes out perfect every time.
This recipe is great with fresh, leftover, or rotisserie chicken. You can use any kind of pasta for this recipe, and feel free to make it with ranch dressing instead of blue cheese if preferred.
Check out my process shots below along with my PRO tips for success!
How to Make it
See recipe card at bottom of post for ingredient quantities and full instructions
Gently boil the chicken for 15 minutes, until cooked through. Drain and shred. Toss with Blue Cheese (or ranch) dressing and set aside.
Sauté butter, celery and onions for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add chicken broth and undrained diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Submerge the pasta underneath the liquid. Cover and boil until al dente. (Lift lid and slide a silicone spatula along the bottom of the pot a few times during cooking to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick.)
Reduce heat to low. Add the buffalo sauce, cream cheese, cheddar, mozzarella. Stir to combine, then mix in the chicken. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if desired. Pasta sauce will continue to thicken upon standing.
Pro Tips
- Use slightly less than a pound of pasta if you like extra sauce. It will take a little longer to thicken up but this is preferable if you plan on having leftovers, as the pasta will absorb more sauce in the fridge.
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened when you add it to the pasta to ensure it melts well.
- Boil the chicken gently to ensure it doesn’t become tough.
- 2.5 cups cooked chicken may also be used.
- Shred the cheese from a block for extra creamy results. Bagged shredded cheese doesn’t melt (or taste) as good.
- Add the cheese to the sauce over low heat. If the heat is too high, the dairy will separate and the consistency will become grainy.
- Ranch can be used instead of blue cheese if preferred.
- This recipe can be made with 2.5 cups of chicken broth and 1.5 cups of water, but I prefer to use 4 cups of chicken broth.
My Preferred Brands For This Recipe
- Frank’s Buffalo Wings Sauce
- Marie’s Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing is by far my favorite choice anytime I use blue cheese. You can find it in the refrigerated area of the produce section.
- Dragone low moisture whole milk mozzarella is my brand of choice. It has great flavor and melts really well.
- Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese is always my go-to for cheddar.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
PRO Tips for Reheating:
- For best results, reheat in a double boiler. The consistency, texture, and flavor is much better than microwaving. (Here’s how to make your own double boiler.)
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- A 14-inch skillet is perfect for this recipe. (And it’s oven safe!)
- Box Cheese Grater– Always shred cheese from a block for creamy/melty results. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose and prevents it from melting as well in soups/sauces.
- Pasta Strainer
- Silicone Spatula– I use this every time I cook!
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Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, equal to 1 lb.
- ½ cup blue cheese dressing, can sub ranch
- 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes, undrained, (1 can)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb. penne
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1.5 cups cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, optional
Instructions
- PRO Tip: Set the cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese out ahead of time. We want them near room temperature when we add them to the pasta.
Gently Boil/Shred the Chicken:
- Place chicken in a pot of water and bring to a gentle boil. (A gentle boil ensures that the chicken doesn’t become tough.) Cook for 15 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and use two forks to shred. Toss with blue cheese dressing and set aside.
- Pro Tip: Add 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes to the water to add more flavor to the chicken.
Prepare the Pasta:
- Melt butter in a large high-walled skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the undrained diced tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add the pasta. Submerge the pasta into the liquid and let it come back up to a boil.
- Cover and let it boil for 10-13 minutes, or until al dente. Refer to box for guidance on cooking time. Don't cook any more than al dente as we will be keeping it over low heat until the sauce is thickened. Lift the lid and run a silicone spatula underneath the pasta a few times throughout cooking to ensure the pasta doesn't stick. Test a pasta noodle for doneness before proceeding.
- Reduce heat to low. Add the buffalo sauce, cubed cream cheese, and shredded cheese. Use a silicone spatula to gently stir. The sauce will seem thin at first, but it continues to thicken as it stands, and will thicken further at the next step.
- Add the shredded chicken and red pepper flakes.
- Optional: Once sauce is near your desired consistency, swirl in 2 Tablespoons COLD butter. This is a technique that chefs use called “Monter au Beurre”, which creates a smooth finish when added to warm sauces.
Notes
- Use slightly less than a pound of pasta if you like extra sauce. It will take a little longer to thicken up but this is preferable if you plan on having leftovers, as the pasta will absorb more sauce in the fridge.
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened when you add it to the pasta to ensure it melts well.
- Boil the chicken gently to ensure it doesn't become tough.
- 2.5 cups cooked chicken may also be used.
- Shred the cheese from a block for extra creamy results. Bagged shredded cheese doesn't melt (or taste) as good.
- Add the cheese to the sauce over low heat. If the heat is too high, the dairy will separate and the consistency will become grainy.
- Ranch can be used instead of blue cheese if preferred.
- This recipe can be made with 2.5 cups of chicken broth and 1.5 cups of water, but I prefer to use 4 cups of chicken broth.
So very good! I used leftover rotisserie chicken and made a half batch using just six ounces of penne, which was perfect for the three of us. Otherwise followed directions exactly.
I’m so happy that you loved it Karla! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
Thank YOU for such a wonderful recipe. It was so good that my son who is home on leave from the Army asked me to make it again the very next day. I love being able to spoil him with great food.
I’m so happy it was enjoyed by such a special guest! I thank him for his service 💖 and thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Can you omit tomatoes? I have picky eaters in my family.
Hi Caroline, you can, but the juice from the can of diced tomatoes is needed to cook the pasta, so you may need to add about 1/3 cup additional chicken broth.
Fast and easy weeknight meal. The recipe is easy to follow and the results were delicious and comforting on a cold winter night. I used rotisserie chicken tossed in the blue cheese dressing and added a few chunks of gorgonzola (probably 2 oz of crumbles) that I had on hand. I also recommend using brick cheese rather than pre-shredded. It melts better.
I served this to three adults, and we had ample leftovers for all of us for the following day.
This has been one of my husbands favorite meals for so long. I’m so happy it was a hit in your house Jean! Rotisserie chicken is such a great timesaver. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such great comments!💖
So delicious! Definitely an indulgent dinner! Highly recommend.
Thanks so much Cassie, I’m so happy you liked it!💖
Yum!!! Slight changes; seasoned 2 chicken breasts with nashville hot seasoning and baked them before shredding (didn’t have a specific recipe picked out earlier in the day). Used light ranch on the chicken, used 1/3 less fat cream cheese, reduced sodium broth, tri-color farfelle, and bagged shredded cheese (again, found this recipe and used what I had). This turned out perfectly for me! Thanks for a great recipe!!
You’re very welcome Sarah, thank you for the great comments and review! I’m glad you were able to adapt to what you had on hand, nice work!🙌
This had great flavor and was a good fall comfort food meal. I found it to be too cheesy and thick (personal preference) for my liking. To tweak for us, I would probably half the amount of all cheeses and use 3/4 lb. of the pasta. Thank you!
Fair enough for sure Kathy! I love my pasta to be nice and saucy, and if we have leftovers, they don’t dry up as pasta continues to absorb liquid during storage. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
I’m not a super adventurous cook, but as long as something looks good and isn’t too complicated to where it will give me anxiety making it I am down to try things with a recipe in front of me.
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a decent time and decided to try to make it tonight. After trying it there are only a few modifications I’d do if I make it again. First thing I noticed was the pasta to chicken consistency was off in my opinion. A pound of pasta just overwhelms a pound of chicken. I’d either increase the amount of chicken, or decrease the amount of pasta. next, I’d cook the pasta a little longer. I followed the instructions on the pasta to make it al dente and when all was said and done the pasta didn’t taste done enough. Last thing is I’d kick the spice up a notch. After a taste test I added even more buffalo sauce and it still didn’t seem to be enough. I’d either do an entire cup of buffalo, or just do something hotter. All in all it is a tasty meal. And I made way too much for one person, even though I planned on leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Amazing! We love all things Buffalo Chicken and this recipe delivers 🙂 Thank you!!!
You’re very welcome Kristen! My husband is the same way, he loves everything buffalo chicken! Thanks so much for the great review!💗
SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!
I love the enthusiasm Julianne🙌 My husband is obsessed with this one, plus it’s a one pot recipe which is so awesome! Thanks so much for the great review!
Just made this for 2 teens and my BF. For lunch. So easy to make a d everyone loves it!! Yummmm
This is one of my favorites! I’m so happy the teenagers approved, nice work Nori! Thanks so much for the great review!😃