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Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo chicken pasta salad with buffalo-coated chicken, celery, and blue cheese in ranch dressing. Penne or rotini is tossed hot with buffalo chicken, then chilled so the flavors meld for game day.
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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: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Penne or rotini pasta
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta Use 1 lb for a hearty salad base.
Chicken and buffalo sauce
  • 3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced About 2 chicken breasts cooked and diced works well.
  • 1 cup buffalo sauce Check label for heat level; classic buffalo sauce is best for coating.
Vegetables and toppings
  • 1 cup celery, diced Adds crunch and balances the heat.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Halve to keep pieces scoopable.
  • 1 cup ranch dressing For a creamy buffalo-ranch coating.
  • 0.5 cup blue cheese crumbles Use full-fat for stronger flavor.
  • 0.25 cup green onions, sliced Fresh bite for serving.
Seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste Add gradually to avoid over-salting after chilling.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and cool it quickly.
Coat the chicken with buffalo sauce
  1. Toss diced cooked chicken breast with buffalo sauce until well coated. Keep tossing until every piece looks shiny and evenly orange-red.
Assemble the salad
  1. Combine pasta, buffalo chicken, celery, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Mix gently so the vegetables stay intact and the chicken is distributed.
Add ranch and blue cheese
  1. Add ranch dressing and toss to coat. Ensure the pasta looks creamy and lightly sauced throughout.
Finish with most of the blue cheese
  1. Gently fold in most of the blue cheese. Stop when blue cheese is scattered in small pockets, not fully blended.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour. Cover it so the top stays creamy and doesn’t dry out.
Serve
  1. Top with the remaining blue cheese and green onions before serving. Serve cold for the best contrast of creamy ranch, crunchy celery, and cool tomatoes.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse pasta thoroughly with cold water so it won’t clump after chilling. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; blue cheese and green onions are best added right before serving for peak texture. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in the vegetables and ranch dressing. For a lighter option, use low-fat ranch dressing and reduced-fat blue cheese while keeping the same buffalo sauce amount.