Buffalo Chicken Pasta is a creamy, flavorful and easy meal. Full of chicken, pasta, cheese and buffalo sauce, this is a casserole dinner that’s sure to be a big hit.
Buffalo chicken wraps are another one of our favorite buffalo chicken recipes and a wonderful way to use up leftover chicken.
This buffalo chicken pasta casserole is a quick and easy comfort food meal. A great mix of chicken, cheese, pasta and buffalo sauce that will leave you feeling satisfied.
We love serving this with a side of Texas toast, celery and carrots or a side salad for a complete meal.
Ingredients needed
Chicken – Use any kind of cooked chicken you have on hand like rotisserie chicken, cooked chicken breast, or even canned chicken. Shred the chicken into small pieces to make it easier to eat.
Buffalo sauce – I like using Frank’s buffalo sauce or this easy homemade buffalo sauce.
Pasta – Choose your favorite pasta. I like rigatoni, mostaccioli, penne, ziti, and rotini.
Cheese – I used a mixture of mozzarella and colby jack cheese. You could substitute with cheddar or another cheese that melts well.
Cream cheese – Be sure to softened the cream cheese.
Ranch dressing – This adds creaminess and flavor to the dish. You can also replace ranch with blue cheese dressing.
Garlic powder – Adds extra flavor. Feel free to omit if you don’t like garlic.
Optional – Diced green onions and or blue cheese crumbles for garnish.
How to make buffalo chicken pasta
Scroll to the bottom for full, printable recipe, ingredients and video.
- Pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain off water once finished cooking.
- Mix: In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, buffalo sauce, garlic powder and ranch dressing until combined. Stir in shredded chicken and half the cheese. Stir in pasta.
- Bake: Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mixture into dish and top with extra cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Recipe tips and variations
- Let the cream cheese soften at room temperature before mixing with other ingredients. If limited on time, place cream cheese in microwave for 10-15 seconds to help soften.
- Try adding a few vegetables for added texture. Saute 1 cup diced celery and 1/4 cup diced onion for 4-5 minutes and add to the pasta mixture before baking.
- I recommend shredding your own cheese. It melts really well and is so much more creamy. Pre-shredded cheese works well too but there is something so delicious about freshly shredded cheese.
- Don’t have buffalo sauce, make your own or substitute with Frank’s hot sauce.
How to store
Store: Be sure that the buffalo chicken pasta bake has completely cooled. Cover with foil and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also place into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
How to freeze buffalo chicken pasta bake
Freeze after baking: Make sure the casserole is completely cooled. Place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.
Freeze before baking: You can also freeze before baking. Assemble the casserole and then place in a freezer safe casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil and freezer.
More easy pasta recipes
- Baked mostaccioli – Cheesy pasta bake with crumbled Italian sausage.
- Baked ravioli – Ravioli baked with sauce and cheese.
- Fiesta chicken casserole – Pasta baked with chicken, cheese, black beans, corn and more.
- Cream cheese pasta – Easy cream cheese sauce with pasta.
- Green pasta sauce – Delicious and nutritious sauce made with spinach.
*** If you made this recipe, please feel free to leave a comment and star rating below.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz uncooked rigatoni pasta
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (I use Frank's Buffalo sauce or homemade.)
- 1/2 cup ranch salad dressing (You can substitute with blue cheese dressing.)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups colby jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook pasta according to box directions. Drain water once finished cooking.
- In a large bowl, stir together softened cream cheese, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing and garlic powder. Stir in cooked chicken and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup colby jack cheese. Stir in cooked pasta.
- Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour pasta mixture in baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese melts.
Sonia liaqat
I’m going to bookmark this now to try to whip up for dinner next week.
Maria Gonzalez
I made the chicken buffalo pasta and it was delicious everybody loved it thank u so much for this amazingly delicious pasta and it’s very easy to make
bigg boss 14
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Jessica Formicola
You had me at buffalo chicken! I will definitely be making this pasta for dinner tonight!
Fwinnie
This was soooo delicious! I have eaten on it for 3 days lol. It’s so easy. I also made your homemade buffalo sauce, which was very good as well. Came together awesomely. Thank you for posting both recipes. It took me a while to find you again to give my 5 star rating for you, but I wanted you to know how great each was! 😋
heather
Thank you so glad you liked it!
Swathi
This is delicious Buffalo. chicken pasta looks delicious I need to try it.
Catalina
This pasta looks so cheesy and irresistible! A must try for sure!
Orlie
This looks amazing! I love everything buffalo chicken related. I can’t wait to try this!
Terri A Steffes
This looks so good. I want to make it now. I think it would be a great supper!
Allyson Zea
We make this all the time and it’s super delicious! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Brandy Ellen Writes
I must try this! I love bufflao chicken flavored stuff, and this cheesy pasta recipe looks so flavorful. I’m going to bookmark this now to try to whip up for dinner next week.
Beth
I’m excited to make a vegetarian version of this. It looks delicious!
Tasheena
This looks so yummy. Looking forward to to making this for my family.
Pam Wattenbarger
Oh my goodness. I have all of these ingredients on hand and I am trying this tomorrow. It looks so good!
Amber Myers
Oh yes please. We love pasta here, so I am excited to try this out. It looks heavenly.
Brianne
Holy moly! That looks so good. I love all that cheese and that buffalo flavor. I have to make this for the family. They’re going to love it.
Sarah Bailey
Oh yes please! This sounds like it would be right up my street, I have to admit I do love a good pasta dish and this sounds like one I would really enjoy,