Why You’ll Love This this Spicy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This buffalo chicken pasta brings together tender, perfectly spiced chicken strips with that tangy, creamy sauce we all crave when buffalo chicken hits the menu.
You get all the bold flavors of buffalo wings, but in pasta form, which means you can actually eat it with a fork instead of getting sauce under your fingernails.
The combination of Frank’s RedHot, creamy mayo, and blue cheese dressing creates this rich, slightly spicy sauce that coats every piece of penne perfectly.
Ingredients List
This spicy buffalo chicken pasta requires just a handful of simple ingredients that you probably already have hanging around your kitchen.
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon pepper
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into strips
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Frank’s red hot sauce
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 large red onion, sliced into quarter rings
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing
- 3/4 cup milk
- Let’s be real – this isn’t exactly a health food with all that mayo and blue cheese dressing, but hey, sometimes comfort food wins
- You can lighten it up by using Greek yogurt instead of some of the mayo, or try a lighter blue cheese dressing if that makes you feel better
- The celery does add some actual vegetables to the mix, so we’re calling that a win
- If you want to bump up the nutrition, throw in some extra veggies like bell peppers or broccoli – your pasta won’t judge you for being responsible
Step by Step Directions
Making this buffalo chicken pasta is straightforward and comes together in about 30 minutes with everything cooking simultaneously.
- Cook the penne pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, season the chicken strips with paprika, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the seasoned chicken strips.
- When the chicken is about halfway cooked through, add the diced celery and sliced red onion to the skillet.
- Continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- Add Frank’s red hot sauce to the skillet and sauté everything together for about 2 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, blue cheese dressing, and milk until smooth.
- Pour the creamy mixture into the skillet with the chicken and heat through while stirring to combine.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss everything together until the pasta is well coated with the buffalo sauce.
- Serve immediately while hot.
For even better heat retention and distribution, consider upgrading to a premium cast iron skillet that will maintain consistent temperature throughout the cooking process.
Substitutions and Variations
- Protein switches – Leftover rotisserie chicken saves time, or you could use ground chicken, turkey, or even keep it vegetarian with cauliflower florets.
- Dairy-free version – Cashew cream or your favorite plant-based mayo and milk substitutes can make this work for dairy-sensitive folks, though you might need to adjust the seasonings a bit.
- Make it a salad – Serve this whole mixture cold over greens for a buffalo chicken pasta salad that’s perfect for potlucks.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This buffalo chicken pasta is basically a party on a plate, but it plays well with others too.
- Classic celery sticks and carrot sticks – Because buffalo anything just feels naked without that satisfying crunch, plus they help cool down your mouth when things get too spicy.
- Simple green salad – Something light and fresh to balance all that creamy, saucy goodness, maybe with a basic vinaigrette that won’t compete for attention.
- Garlic bread or crusty rolls – Perfect for sopping up every last drop of that buffalo sauce, because letting any of it go to waste would be a genuine tragedy.
- Corn on the cob – Adds a sweet contrast to the heat, and honestly, corn and buffalo flavors are surprisingly good friends.
- Coleslaw – The cool, crisp texture cuts through the richness beautifully, plus it keeps with that whole buffalo wing atmosphere we’re going for.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
After making this dish more times than I care to admit, I’ve picked up a few tricks that’ll save you from the mistakes I see people make all the time.
- Don’t overcook that chicken – Nobody wants rubbery buffalo chicken, so pull it off the heat the second it hits 165°F, because it’ll keep cooking a bit in all that hot sauce.
- Save some pasta water – That starchy liquid is liquid gold for loosening up the sauce if it gets too thick, much better than adding more milk and watering down all those flavors.
- Let the hot sauce cook with the chicken – Those two minutes of sautéing aren’t just for show, they help the sauce actually stick to the meat instead of sliding right off.
- Room temperature dairy is your friend – Cold mayo and blue cheese dressing can seize up when they hit that hot skillet, so let them sit out while you prep everything else.
- Taste as you go with the heat level – Start with less hot sauce than you think you need, because you can always add more but you can’t take it back once your mouth is on fire.
- Don’t rinse the pasta – Those little ridges on penne need to stay slightly starchy so the sauce has something to grab onto, otherwise everything just slides around sadly on your plate.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty pasta dish packs serious flavor along with substantial calories and protein.
- Calories per serving: Approximately 680-720 calories (based on 6 servings)
- Protein: About 32-35 grams per serving from the chicken breast and dairy components
- Carbohydrates: Around 65-70 grams primarily from the penne pasta
- Fat content: Approximately 28-32 grams, mainly from olive oil, mayonnaise, and blue cheese dressing
- Sodium levels: High sodium content (800-1000mg per serving) due to hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, and seasoning
- Fiber: About 3-4 grams per serving from the pasta and vegetables
- Calcium: Good source from the milk and blue cheese dressing
- Vitamin A: Present from the paprika and hot sauce
- Potassium: Moderate amounts from chicken, celery, and onions
- Cholesterol: Approximately 65-75mg per serving from chicken and dairy ingredients
Fun “Did You Know?”
Buffalo sauce was actually invented by accident in 1964 when Teressa Bellissimo at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, needed a quick snack for her son and his friends.
She mixed hot sauce with butter and served it over chicken wings. This happy accident created what we now know as buffalo sauce!
I find it fascinating that pasta became America’s second most popular food after bread.
When you combine these two beloved foods in our spicy buffalo chicken pasta, you’re creating a dish that bridges Italian tradition with American innovation in one satisfying bowl.
