Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad (Printer-Friendly)

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

# 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside to cool.
02 - In a medium bowl, toss the cooked chicken with buffalo wing sauce until evenly coated.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the 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 and well blended.
05 - Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld together.
07 - Before serving, top with crumbled blue cheese and fresh chives or parsley if desired.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes even better after sitting in the fridge, so you can make it ahead without worry.
  • The crunch from celery and peppers keeps every bite interesting, never mushy or boring.
  • It feeds a crowd without turning on the oven, which matters more than you'd think in July.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta in cold water right after draining or it'll clump together and turn gummy by the time you add the dressing.
  • Don't add the blue cheese until the last minute, it gets soggy and loses its crumbly texture if it sits in the dressing too long.
03 -
  • Use rotisserie chicken and pre-chopped veggies from the store if you're in a rush, no one will know and you'll save 15 minutes.
  • Toss the pasta with a tiny bit of olive oil after rinsing to keep it from sticking together while you prep everything else.
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