Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad (Easy + DELICIOUS!)
A bold and creamy pasta salad loaded with spicy buffalo chicken, crisp veggies, and a tangy blue cheese dressing. It’s quick to make, easy to customize, and the perfect side—or main—for BBQs, lunches, and potlucks.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup celery diced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley minced
- ⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp minced shallot
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool quickly. Chill in the fridge if prepping ahead.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayo, lemon juice, shallot, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Coat the chicken with buffalo sauce in a large bowl.
- Toss the salad: Add cooled pasta, tomatoes, celery, and parsley to the bowl with the chicken. Drizzle with the dressing and mix until everything is coated.
- Top with crumbled blue cheese just before serving.
Notes
Pasta options: Rotini, bowties, or shells all work well in place of penne.
Make-ahead tip: Prep up to 24 hours in advance. Add the blue cheese just before serving to keep it from getting soggy.
Protein shortcut: Rotisserie chicken works great here—just shred and toss with sauce.
Milder version: Mix a bit of mayo or ranch into the buffalo sauce if you want less heat.
Serving idea: Great cold, but also good slightly warm if you’re not using mayo-heavy dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 867mg | Potassium: 319mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg