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Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo chicken pasta salad with buffalo-coated chicken, celery, and blue cheese tossed in ranch dressing. Penne or rotini pasta is cooked, chilled, and topped with extra blue cheese and green onions for a bold game day salad.
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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 and seasoning
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta Use 1 lb dried pasta.
  • Salt and pepper to taste Season the pasta water and/or salad to taste.
Buffalo chicken and sauce
  • 3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced Use cooked chicken breast; diced.
  • 0.5 cup buffalo sauce Toss with chicken to coat evenly.
Vegetables and finishing produce
  • 1 cup celery, diced Adds crunch and classic buffalo flavor.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Halve for even bites.
  • 1 cup ranch dressing Toss to coat and chill for flavor meld.
  • 0.5 cup blue cheese crumbles Fold in most, then top right before serving.
  • 0.25 cup green onions, sliced Top before serving for freshness.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and spread on a sheet pan to cool quickly.
Coat the chicken
  1. In a bowl, toss cooked chicken breast, diced with buffalo sauce until well coated. Set aside while you assemble the salad.
Assemble and dress
  1. In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, buffalo chicken, celery, and cherry tomatoes. Toss gently to distribute everything evenly.
  2. Add ranch dressing and toss to coat until the pasta looks evenly dressed. Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.
  3. Gently fold in most of the blue cheese crumbles. Keep the remainder for topping so it stays visible.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour. This resting time helps the ranch dressing cling to the pasta.
  2. Before serving, top with the remaining blue cheese crumbles and the green onions. Serve cold for the best texture contrast.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water so it doesn’t clump and the ranch dressing coats more evenly. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the vegetables and cheese may turn watery. For a lighter swap, use reduced-fat ranch dressing—start with about 3/4 cup and add more only if the pasta looks dry.