This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is a tasty and simple casserole that can be ready in just 30 minutes. Combining buffalo chicken dip and cheesy pasta in one pan creates a meal that everyone will devour in minutes.
This buffalo chicken calzone is another easy and quick buffalo chicken recipe that everyone enjoys, too.
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Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Our family loves anything with buffalo chicken in it. The kids always request this easy buffalo chicken dip for movie and game nights. So, I combined our favorite dip with a cheesy pasta bake for a quick and easy dinner.
Adding pasta noodles to cream cheese, hot sauce, and melted cheese makes this the best buffalo chicken casserole ever! The dish has all the flavors of buffalo chicken dip, but it's much heartier!
Keeping pasta, chicken, and cheese on hand at all times makes assembling a quick 30-minute meal easy. We always keep extra chicken in the freezer for chicken Alfredo gnocchi, cheesy chicken pasta, or buffalo chicken pasta.
Why This Recipe Works
This casserole is so easy to put together on busy nights. You can also prep it the night before and pop it in the oven when you get home from work.
The top layer of melted cheese will have everyone wanting to dive in as soon as the timer goes off. Give it a few minutes, add some toppings, and then go to town on the spicy chicken goodness!
Ingredients Needed
Enjoy all the flavors you love about buffalo chicken wings in a creamy, cheesy buffalo chicken casserole. This easy pasta bake recipe requires just a few simple ingredients.
- Chicken - You can use a rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken breasts, chopped grilled chicken, or canned chicken. We have used every kind of chicken in this buffalo chicken recipe, and it tastes amazing no matter what you use.
- Cream Cheese - Makes the pasta creamy and delicious.
- Shredded Cheese - A mixture of shredded mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese bakes up nice and gooey.
- Hot Sauce - We love using Frank's Red Hot sauce to give the buffalo pasta a hot and spicy flavor. Feel free to reduce the amount or use a wing sauce instead to make it milder.
- Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese Dressing - Either one will taste great. It all depends on which dressing you prefer with your buffalo chicken wings. Our family prefers ranch dressing, so we make buffalo ranch chicken.
- Pasta - For this easy casserole, use your favorite pasta noodles. We prefer penne noodles because they hold the sauce better. Bow-tie noodles would be awesome in this buffalo chicken pasta, too. Cook and drain the noodles before stirring them into the spicy mixture.
- Optional Toppings - Green onions and blue cheese crumbles are great toppings for buffalo pasta.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This easy buffalo chicken pasta recipe can be made in minutes. It is a great meal to have on the dinner table in under 30 minutes.
Be careful! This easy buffalo chicken casserole has a thick layer of gooey cheese on top. Everyone will be fighting for the first cheesy scoop!
- Stir the cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the shredded cooked chicken, cooked noodles, and some of the mozzarella cheese, then stir gently.
- Spoon the buffalo chicken mixture into a greased baking dish and top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and the cheese on top melts and begins to brown.
- Drizzle the hot buffalo chicken casserole with ranch dressing and hot sauce, then top with green onions and blue cheese crumbles.
BRUCREW TIP: Make this a low-carb buffalo chicken recipe by substituting cooked cauliflower for the noodles. It's a healthy chicken recipe just like that.
Storage Recommendations
Leftovers can be kept in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat single servings in the microwave.
Tips and Tricks
- Drizzle the cooked pasta noodles with olive oil to keep them from drying out and sticking together.
- Are you looking for buffalo pasta with a milder, buttery flavor? Use buffalo sauce instead of Frank's hot sauce.
- Shred block cheese instead of buying bags of pre-shredded cheese. Bagged cheese has a powder added to it to keep it from sticking and clumping together. Freshly shredded cheese tastes better and melts creamier.
- Blue cheese has a stronger flavor that some people do not enjoy. For those who love that flavor, serve blue cheese dressing and crumbles on the side.
Make it a Full Meal
This buffalo chicken casserole is a complete meal on its own. However, having extra sides and desserts always makes dinner better. Here are a few recipes we love with it.
FAQs
The pasta casserole can be made up to one day ahead of time. Mix everything together, then cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it.
Remove the casserole dish from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake until hot and bubbly.
You sure can. Substitute cooked cauliflower for the pasta noodles and enjoy.
It can. Use a crock pot to cook raw chicken breasts instead of using cooked chicken.
Add the chicken breasts and hot sauce to the hot sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Shredded the chicken in the juices.
Stir in the cream cheese, ranch dressing, and cheese, then let it cook for 15 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and top with more cheese right before serving.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
- Buffalo Chicken Nachos
- Buffalo Chicken Totchos
- Buffalo Chicken Wrap
- Buffalo Wing Chips
- Buffalo Chicken Slider
- Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Pizza
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Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
Combining buffalo chicken, cheese, and pasta in one casserole creates a meal that everyone will love. This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake is delicious and can be on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (8 ounces) uncooked, penne pasta (or substitute cooked cauliflower)
- 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup ranch dressing
- ⅓ cup hot sauce
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (or 1 - 12.5 ounce can chunk chicken breast)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook the pasta noodles, according to the package directions. Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep them from sticking.
- Stir together the cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce until creamy.
- Add the chicken, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, and cooked pasta noodles to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Spoon into the prepared dish.
- Combine the remaining two cheeses and sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted.
- Remove and serve immediately with green onions, hot sauce, and ranch drizzles. Serves 6.
Notes
- If you are using canned chicken, drain and break it apart with a fork before using.
- To keep the cooked pasta noodles from drying out and sticking together, drizzle them with olive oil.
- Are you looking for buffalo chicken pasta that has a milder, buttery flavor? Use buffalo sauce instead of Frank's hot sauce.
- Shred block cheese instead of buying bags of pre-shredded cheese. Bagged cheese has a powder added to it to keep it from sticking and clumping together. Freshly shredded cheese tastes better and melts creamier.
- Blue cheese has a stronger flavor that some people do not enjoy. Serve blue cheese dressing and blue cheese crumbles on the side as an option for anyone who loves that flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 416Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 858mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 21g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*This post was first published in October 2016. The post has been updated and republished in July 2021.
Christopher
OMG!! I just made this and it was sooooooo good. Thank you for putting this recipe out there! Never thought of doing it like that. You made my Sunday night! Oh btw I used Bleu Cheese Dressing and it was amazing!
Jocelyn
I am so excited to hear that you enjoyed the pasta. Thank you for letting me know the blue cheese dressing works great too. I've only done ranch because that is what my kids (and I) like.
Paula
Made the Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake twice one of the times I used Angle Hair Pasta and both were good but I like the angle hair pasta better. I took it to a lunching and everyone love it. Also good to take to lunch the next day. Thanks for sharing.
Mary
What could you suggest as an alternative to ranch since I have a child with an egg allergy? Maybe sour cream or make ranch from packet for the flavor? Looks delicious but hard when you have an egg allergy child. Any suggestions would be great!
Jocelyn
I think using sour cream with a ranch packet would work in place of the dressing. I hope your family enjoys it!
Tracy
I made this and added green chillies and diced jalapeños, then after baking served it with a dollop of sour cream. It was great! To break it up a bit I served tortilla chips and refried beans as a side dish!
Sally
We are having this tonite. I used greek yogurt ranch and whole wheat pasta.
Deb
How did it turn out??
Kristy
What kind of chicken should I use?
Jocelyn
Any kind of cooked and shredded chicken will work in this recipe. We usually buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it while it is warm. Or you can use canned chicken if you are in a hurry! Either one works great!
Jackie
This was fabulous! I seasoned and cooked chicken breasts in crock pot for about 4 hours on low so they were ready to shred when I got home (they were delicious by themselves!) , added Tabasco sauce but not a lot...no where near what recipe calls for because we are sensitive to real spicy hot foods. Also added green peas. We loved it!!
Magan
This sound delicious!!! What are some good side dishes to serve with this.?
Jocelyn
I actually just served the pasta by itself to my family. Coleslaw and celery sticks could be a good option to have along side it if you are wanting more. I hope that helps!
Elizabeth c dallas texas
I didnt realize the pasta called for mozzarella cheese i used Monterrey jack cheese and my pasta was super dry 🙁 i added some sour cream and it helped a little
Jocelyn
Using a different cheese may have been the reason for it being dry. Did you add the sour cream before or after baking?
Mary Lynn
I made it tonight and was very disappointed at the consistancy, I tough it was dry, and I agree I think Bleu Cheese would be much better (being from buffalo) but I had to add milk to loosen the thick cheesy consistancy. Maybe if I shredded the cheese myself. I don't know, but not my favorite
Jocelyn
I hate to ask this but are you sure you measured everything correctly? This dish is far from dry. I have made it many times and it is always creamy and gooey! I'm sorry to hear it didn't turn out for you.
Angel
I added more hot sauce and Ray's buffalo wing sauce to the ingredients. It probably turned into maybe 3/4s cup of sauce and it was really creamy. I shredded my own cheddar cheese and it was fine.
June
What is ranch
And can u use either worstershire sauce or Tabasco sauce
Jocelyn
Ranch is bottled salad dressing you buy at the grocery store. Tabasco sauce is a hot sauce, so it will work for this dish. Worcestershire sauce would not taste right. I hope you enjoy the pasta!
Barb
Except if you are from Buffalo. We don't "do" ranch dressing. BLEU CHEESE and nothing else
Jocelyn
I haven't tried this pasta with bleu cheese, so I don't know how that would be. Actually I know wouldn't like it because I don't like bleu cheese dressing. Let me know if you try it with the other dressing and how you like it.
Colleen
My children DO NOT LIKE BLUE CHEESE!!! But they have never complained about dishes ive made, like yours here, whrn it cintains blye cheese. You have to think of the ingrediants in the blue cheese dressing as individual ingrediants in a recipe in a convenient form. (Dressing). They actually prefer the blue cheese to ranch ingredient meal . The flavor of the dressings change in a complete dinner/casserole)
Jocelyn
That's great that your kids like it when you sub blue cheese. I'm still going to make mine with ranch dressing though because I prefer it that way. But I think it is awesome that so many people have made this recipe with blue cheese and like it that way! We all have different tastes and preferences!
Mike
I agree Bleu Cheese dressing on Buffalo Wings!
Rett
Thank you! I was going to say that, too!
Cindy
I am from Rochester, we use bleu cheese on wings too...have you subbed it for ranch??
Jocelyn
I have actually never used bleu cheese in this dish because I don't like it. But lots of others have left comments saying they used it instead of the ranch. It's just a preference thing.
Colleen
Yes. We keep both dressing and dry packets in both flavors in refrig and pantry. If we run out of one we substitie the other. Even mixing the two. The base for both is the same. Blending both mellows the flavor, of which neither is very strong when in dressing form.
Cindy
I'm going to try this with blue cheese dressings
Kelsie
What do you put the oven on and for how long
Jocelyn
The recipe card clearly states to heat the oven to 375 degrees in step one and to bake it for 20 minutes in step 5. I hope that helps and that you enjoy the cheesy pasta 🙂
Shari
It does not clearly say anything about the temp and how long it takes to cook. I was getting aggravated until I saw this. Thanks!
Jocelyn
The recipe card clearly states the temperature and time in step 1 and step 5. I am sorry you had a hard time finding it.
Missy
You have to click "print" to get the recipie card. Without the card all you see is ingredient list and instructions without the temp/time...i was going nuts also!!!..using my cell i wouldnt normally look for a "print" symbol caus i cant print from my phone.... but i accidently clicked it and bingo!
Jocelyn
I just checked on my desktop and mobile and I could see the entire recipe just fine. Plus, the temperature and time are in the instructions, so it shouldn't matter if you can't see the "card".
JLO
People must be blind...lol
Sarah
On my phone, it wasn't showing the card but on desktop it was showing clearly. I think that part of the page wasn't "loading" in time to see it on some peoples phones
Zac
Frank's RedHot sauce with lime
Becca
This quickly made it into the "favorite dinner" sections of my recipes!! I don't bother broiling it (mostly becasue my broiler is un-usable) and it still get nice and brown on top. So delicious... a little spicy but worth it!!
Vanessa
What kind of hot sauce do you use?
Jocelyn
We usually buy Frank's Red Hot, but I have also used Sweet Baby Ray's Wing Sauce too!
Nadine
Make a sauce using Lawry's Fajita mix-half of that and about 2/3 cup water...cook down until 1/3 cup....it's DELICIOUS and not quite as hot as Frank's. Lawry's is a GREAT fajita mix and especially for chicken...saute onions and red or yellow peppers and YUM.....
Pat Wilson
Is this real spicy hot? Also could you freeze it and bake later?
Jocelyn
I didn't think it was that spicy. There is only 1/3 cup in the whole pasta dish. It blends with the ranch, cheese, and pasta, so you do not just taste hot sauce. If you are worried it will be too spicy, try cutting it down to 1/4 cup. Also, I haven't tried freezing this dish, so I'm not quite sure how it would do. I think it would be fine if you put all together and then freeze it later. I would let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you bake it. I hope that helps.
Alyssa
What kind of hot sauce do u use. I'm thinking of making this dish tonight
Jocelyn
We like Frank's Red Hot the best. But I have also used a buffalo wing sauce and we really liked that one too. I hope you enjoyed it.
Elizabeth
Does it have to be green onion or will any be ok? I'd love to make this and have everything but green onions lol.
Jocelyn
You could totally leave the green onion out. I just used it as a garnish when I served it. I hope you enjoy it!
Lisa
I did the noodles gluten free and used a 9x13 pan. I wanted to use up the 12 oz of noodles that I had. I also blended some of the cheese in with the noodles before I topped it with more cheese. We love cheese. It was still creamy on the inside after.
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures
I can only imagine preparing a meal every night is hard work! This looks delicious!
Heather Kinnaird
I cannot wait to make this! we lob buffalo chicken dip and pasta always goes over well in our house, so the two combined are sure to be a hit
Medha
This looks super creamy and full of flavor 🙂
Sherry
Do I boil chicken first or fry
Jocelyn
You will use cooked chicken in the recipe. I usually use canned chicken or buy a precooked chicken and shred it for meals like this.
Amanda
I put a couple skinless boneless chicken breasts in the crockpot on low for 6hrs and shredded it. Yumm
Beverly Armstrong
When you cook a couple in the crockpot, do you season with anything? Any liquid necessary?
Thanks, Bev
Jocelyn
When I cook chicken in a crockpot, I usually add about 1/2 cup chicken broth (or water) for every pound of chicken. This way the chicken doesn't dry out as it cooks. If you are cooking it for this particular recipe, there is no need to season it. If you are cooking it for other things, you can sprinkle it with salt and pepper or your favorite poultry seasoning. I hope that helps and you enjoy the recipe.
Beverly
I just wanted to say what a patient person you are and that this recipe looks really good and easy.
Jocelyn
🙂
Aria
How is it and what does it taste like because I want o cook my mom dinner tonight.
Teresa
It just like chicken wings if you think of it that way just adding pasta and cheese.
I made this and doubled it I'm feeding 4 it was great will be making it again.
Cuivre
I used two 9.75 oz cans of chicken breast meat-I diced up finely. This was a GREAT tasting dish! I used Franks Red Hot sauce for wings.
mary roering
I boiled the chicken first...this is so flavorful and delicious!!!!! yummy
Monica
Does this freeze well? I’m working on freezer meals for when our baby boy is born and this dish is one of our favorites. But I’m not sure how it would hold up being frozen.
Jocelyn
I have honestly never tried freezing this casserole. But I think it would work just fine. Make everything up until you bake it, then let the pasta cool to room temp. Cover and freeze in a tightly sealed container. Then thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. Uncover and bake until heated through. I hope that helps and congratulations on the new baby boy!
Missy@My Sh!tty Kitchen
This is right up my alley, I love buffalo flavors! I will be making this! Thanks for sharing!