Our Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleaser, perfect for picnics, potlucks, tailgating, or a casual weeknight dinner. It’s the ultimate comfort food, combining tender pasta, juicy chicken, and a tangy buffalo sauce, all tossed in a creamy dressing.
Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just looking for a satisfying meal, this pasta salad is sure to hit the spot.
Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
- Quick and Easy: Minimal prep time, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Make Ahead: Easily made ahead and ready to go as soon as you need it.
- Flavorful and Satisfying: A perfect blend of spicy, creamy, and savory flavors.
- Versatile: Great for potlucks, picnics, tailgating, or a light lunch. Can be served hot or cold!
- Customizable: Adjust the spice level to your liking and add your favorite toppings.
With its bold flavors and easy preparation, this Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is sure to become a new family favorite.
Tips for Making the Best Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Here are some tips to elevate your Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad:
- Cook Pasta Perfectly: Cook your pasta al dente to ensure it holds its shape and doesn’t become mushy.
- Marinate the Chicken: Marinate the chicken in your favorite buffalo sauce for a more intense flavor.
- Choose the Right Cheese: A combination of cheddar and crumbled blue cheese adds a tangy, creamy flavor.
- Fresh Vegetables: Add fresh vegetables like celery, red onion, or carrots for a crunchy texture and added nutrients.
- Customize Your Spice Level: Adjust the amount of buffalo sauce to your desired spice level.
- Serve Chilled: For a refreshing summer meal, chill the salad before serving. It is also great warm or hot, so experiment and find your favorite way.
- Add a Crunch: Top with crushed tortilla chips, crushed crackers, or chopped nuts for a satisfying crunch.
- Get Creative with Toppings: Experiment with different toppings like fresh herbs, sliced olives, or pickled red onions.
By following these tips, you can create a delicious and satisfying Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad that everyone will love.
It goes fast, make extra!
Storing Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
To store your Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad, follow these steps:
- Transfer to an Airtight Container: Place the salad in an airtight container, ensuring it’s sealed tightly to prevent air and moisture from getting in.
- Refrigerate: Store the salad in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy Within 3-4 Days: For optimal freshness, consume the salad within 3-4 days of preparation.
Note: Avoid freezing this salad, as freezing can affect the texture of this recipe.
More Delicious Pasta Salad Recipes
Do you love pasta salad as much as we do? We eat it as a side dish, yes, but we will also make it for lunch, dinner, snacks or just because!If you love pasta salad just as much, we also have this Creamy Bacon and Avocado Pasta Salad, Best Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, Grilled Duck Breast Pasta Salad and our Retro Cold Pasta Salad which is a Suddenly Salad Copy Cat Recipe.
Recipe for Tailgating Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Tailgating Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta any type
- 2 cups grilled chicken breast chopped
- 1 cups celery chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- ¾ cups blue cheese dressing can substitute ranch dressing
- ½ cups hot sauce use more if you like it really spicy!
- ½ cups blue cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Boil a pot of water. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain the pasta, and rinse with cold water until pasta is cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pasta, celery, onion, chicken, blue cheese dressing and hot sauce. Mix thoroughly.
- Transfer to a serving dish. Top the pasta with crumbled blue cheese. Serve cold.
I’ll take mine extra spicy please! I am loving all these delicious looking football foods!
This looks sooooo good! I love pasta salad and the creamy blue cheese and chicken ….oh my!
What a great combo! Perfect for game day or for any cookout!
This recipe looks yummy. I am going to have this for my entree!