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Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo chicken pasta salad with ranch dressing—penne or rotini coated in hot sauce chicken, plus celery, cherry tomatoes, and blue cheese. Chill it for an hour so every bite gets that tangy buffalo-ranch coating.
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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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta Salad Base
  • 1 lb penne or rotini pasta Use boxed pasta; cooking time will vary by brand.
  • 3 cup cooked chicken breast, diced Dice into bite-size pieces.
  • 0.5 cup buffalo sauce Look for cayenne-forward buffalo-style sauce.
  • 1 cup celery, diced Chop into small, crisp pieces.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved Halve for juicy bursts.
  • 1 cup ranch dressing For best coating, use a thick, pourable ranch.
  • 0.5 cup blue cheese crumbles Fold in most; reserve for topping.
  • 0.25 cup green onions, sliced Add right before serving for a fresh bite.
  • salt and pepper Season to taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Cook the penne or rotini pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
  2. Spread the rinsed pasta on a sheet pan to cool slightly while you prep the chicken mixture.
Coat chicken with buffalo sauce
  1. Toss the diced cooked chicken breast with the buffalo sauce until well coated so the pieces look shiny and evenly red-orange.
Build the salad
  1. Combine the cooled pasta, buffalo chicken, celery, and halved cherry tomatoes in a large bowl for even distribution.
  2. Add the ranch dressing and toss until everything is coated and glossy.
  3. Gently fold in most of the blue cheese so you keep small crumbles visible without crushing them.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld and the texture set.
  2. Top with the remaining blue cheese and sliced green onions before serving for a fresh, high-contrast finish.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta with cold water and cool it briefly so it doesn’t clump once dressed. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the blue cheese and green onions are best added right before serving. Freeze: no (pasta salad texture changes). Dietary swap: use Greek yogurt-based ranch for a lighter, higher-protein version while keeping the tangy ranch flavor.