Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad (Printable)

A zesty cold pasta salad featuring tender buffalo chicken, crunchy vegetables, and creamy ranch dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz rotini or penne pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed
03 - 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 cup celery, finely diced
05 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Dressing

08 - 3/4 cup ranch dressing
09 - 1/4 cup sour cream
10 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

→ Garnish

11 - 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water, then set aside to cool.
02 - In a medium bowl, toss cooked chicken with buffalo wing sauce until evenly coated.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, buffalo chicken, celery, red bell pepper, red onion, and cherry tomatoes.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, sour cream, and lemon juice until smooth.
05 - Pour dressing over pasta mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
07 - Before serving, top with crumbled blue cheese and fresh chives or parsley if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It disappears at every gathering because the creamy, spicy contrast keeps people coming back for more.
  • You can make it entirely ahead of time, so there's no last minute stress before guests arrive.
  • The crunch from celery and peppers gives it texture that feels more like a real meal than a side dish.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day when everything has mingled together overnight.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta after draining or it will clump together into a sticky mass that no amount of stirring can fix.
  • Toss the chicken with buffalo sauce before adding it to the salad, otherwise the heat won't distribute evenly and you'll get bland bites.
  • If you add the blue cheese too early, it will dissolve into the dressing and turn everything a weird gray color instead of staying in nice crumbles.
03 -
  • Use a pasta shape with ridges or hollows so the creamy dressing clings to every piece instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • If you're sensitive to raw onion, soak the chopped red onion in ice water for ten minutes before adding it, the sharpness mellows but the crunch stays.
  • Taste the buffalo chicken before mixing it in, if it's not tangy or spicy enough, you can fix it right then instead of discovering it after everything is combined.
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