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Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo chicken pasta salad with buffalo-coated chicken, celery, and blue cheese folded into cool ranch dressing. Spicy hot sauce pasta flavor gets better after chilling so the textures stay crisp and bold 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: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta base
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta
  • 0.5 Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cups 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

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to cool it quickly and stop the cooking. Let it drain well so the salad doesn’t get watery.
Coat the chicken
  1. Toss diced cooked chicken breast with buffalo sauce until well coated. Keep coating thorough so every piece has a visible buffalo sheen.
Build the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, buffalo chicken, celery, and cherry tomatoes. Stir gently until everything is evenly distributed.
  2. Add ranch dressing and toss to coat until the pasta looks glossy and lightly dressed throughout. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Gently fold in most of the blue cheese to create pockets without crushing it too much. The top can still be speckled for that classic look.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour to let the ranch dressing set and the flavors meld. Cover the bowl so the blue cheese stays fresh.
  2. Before serving, top with the remaining blue cheese and green onions for a fresh bite and visible garnish. Serve cold so the pasta salad holds its texture.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinse the pasta with cold water and drain well—this prevents a watery salad once the ranch dressing is added. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the texture softens slightly after day 2. Freezing isn’t recommended for best texture. For a lighter option, use light ranch dressing and reduce the buffalo sauce to 1/3 cup.