If you love the bold, tangy flavor of buffalo chicken wings but want a cozy dinner that feels a little more special, this creamy garlic Buffalo chicken pasta is the answer. Tender chicken and rigatoni are tossed in a rich buffalo cream sauce with garlic, Parmesan, mozzarella, crisp celery, and blue cheese for an easy family dinner that tastes like your favorite game-day dip turned into a full meal.
It is creamy, cheesy, just spicy enough, and ready in about 35 minutes. Serve this Buffalo chicken pasta straight from the skillet for a comforting weeknight dinner, or make it ahead for a hearty dish to bring to a party, potluck, or football Sunday.
For more easy dinners your family will love, browse my Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes or try my Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta next.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- The creamy garlic buffalo sauce coats every piece of pasta.
- It has all the flavor of Buffalo chicken dip in a filling dinner.
- The sauce is rich without being difficult to make.
- You can adjust the spice level easily.
- It is perfect for a weeknight dinner, game day, or casual entertaining.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of milk or chicken broth.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This creamy Buffalo chicken pasta recipe uses simple ingredients, but each one adds something important to the finished dish.
Rigatoni pasta
Rigatoni is perfect because its ridges hold onto the creamy buffalo garlic sauce. Penne, rotini, shells, or bow ties will work well too.
Chicken breasts
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are quickly browned in the skillet before being folded into the pasta. You can also use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken to make this dinner even faster.
Garlic
Fresh garlic gives the cream sauce a deeper, more homemade flavor and balances the tangy buffalo wing sauce.
Buffalo wing sauce
Use your favorite bottled buffalo wing sauce, such as Frank’s RedHot Wing Sauce. Add a little more at the end if your family likes extra heat.
Cream cheese, heavy cream, Parmesan, and mozzarella
This combination makes the sauce smooth, creamy, cheesy, and rich. Cream cheese gives it that classic Buffalo chicken dip flavor, while Parmesan and mozzarella help the sauce cling to the pasta.
Celery and blue cheese
Fresh diced celery adds crunch and a little freshness to the rich sauce. Blue cheese crumbles bring in that classic Buffalo wing flavor. If blue cheese is not your family’s favorite, you can leave it off or use extra mozzarella instead.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Start by boiling the rigatoni in salted water until it is just al dente. Before draining it, save some of the pasta water. A splash of it helps loosen the sauce later if needed.
While the pasta cooks, season and brown the chicken in a large skillet. Once it is cooked through, transfer it to a plate.
In the same skillet, melt butter and cook the fresh garlic until fragrant. Pour in chicken broth and stir in softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the heavy cream, buffalo wing sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella, then stir until the sauce is creamy and melted.
Add the cooked rigatoni, chicken, and celery back to the skillet. Toss everything together until the pasta is coated in that creamy garlic Buffalo sauce. Finish with blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of blue cheese or ranch dressing if you like.
Tips for the Best Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Use freshly grated cheese when possible. Pre-shredded cheese contains coatings that can keep it from melting as smoothly into the sauce.
Do not overcook the pasta. It should be just al dente before it goes into the skillet so it stays tender instead of mushy.
Soften the cream cheese before starting. It will melt faster and create a smoother sauce.
Reserve pasta water before draining. If the sauce gets too thick after adding the pasta, stir in a little pasta water until it is silky and creamy again.
Taste before serving. Buffalo sauces vary in heat, so add another drizzle of wing sauce if you want a spicier pasta.
Make It Your Own
Use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken breasts from scratch.
Swap blue cheese dressing for ranch dressing, or offer both at the table.
Add chopped green onions over the top for a little extra freshness.
Use mild buffalo sauce for a family-friendly dinner, or stir in red pepper flakes for more heat.
Turn it into a Buffalo chicken pasta bake by transferring the finished pasta to a baking dish, topping it with extra mozzarella and cheddar, then baking until hot and bubbly.
What to Serve with Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This pasta is filling enough to be dinner on its own, but a crisp green salad or simple roasted vegetables make an easy side. Garlic bread is always a good choice for soaking up the extra creamy Buffalo sauce.
For a game-day menu, pair it with your favorite chicken wings, dips, and easy appetizers. You can find more dependable chicken dinner ideas in my Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes.
Creamy Garlic Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Tender chicken and rigatoni are tossed in a rich, creamy garlic Buffalo sauce with mozzarella, Parmesan, crisp celery, and blue cheese. This easy 35-minute pasta dinner has all the bold flavor of Buffalo chicken wings in one cozy skillet meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner, DINNER | PASTA
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Buffalo wing sauce, plus more to taste
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- Blue cheese or ranch dressing, for serving, optional
- Celery leaves or sliced green onions, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until just al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the cream cheese until fully melted and smooth.
- Add the heavy cream, Buffalo wing sauce, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Stir until the cheeses melt and the sauce is thick, smooth, and creamy.
- Add the cooked rigatoni, chicken, and diced celery to the skillet. Toss until everything is generously coated in the creamy Buffalo garlic sauce. Stir in a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce needs loosening.
- Remove from the heat and fold in half of the blue cheese crumbles. Top with the remaining blue cheese, celery leaves or green onions, and a drizzle of blue cheese or ranch dressing, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- For the smoothest sauce, shred the mozzarella and grate the Parmesan from a block.
- Use rotisserie chicken to make this even faster. Add 2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken with the pasta in Step 6.
- For a milder pasta, begin with ¼ cup Buffalo wing sauce and add more to taste.
- Leftovers will thicken in the refrigerator. Reheat gently with a splash of milk, cream, or chicken broth.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta and verify that your Buffalo wing sauce is gluten-free.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover creamy Buffalo chicken pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, warm it gently in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat. Add a splash of milk, heavy cream, or chicken broth to loosen the sauce and bring back its creamy texture.
Creamy Garlic Buffalo Chicken Pasta FAQ
Is Buffalo chicken pasta spicy?
It has a mild to medium Buffalo-style kick, but you are in control of the heat. Use less wing sauce for a milder dinner or add extra sauce and red pepper flakes for more spice.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. Use about 2 to 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and add it when you toss the cooked pasta into the sauce.
What pasta shape is best?
Rigatoni, penne, rotini, medium shells, and bow ties all work well because they hold onto the creamy sauce.
Can I make this without blue cheese?
Absolutely. Leave out the blue cheese and use ranch dressing for serving, or add a little extra mozzarella or Parmesan to the pasta.
Can I make it ahead?
You can make it ahead, but the pasta absorbs some sauce as it sits. Reheat it with a splash of milk, cream, or chicken broth to make it creamy again.
Final Thoughts
This creamy garlic Buffalo chicken pasta is everything you love about classic Buffalo chicken flavor in one easy, cheesy dinner. With tender chicken, garlic, a rich cream sauce, crunchy celery, and blue cheese in every bite, it is a simple recipe that feels special enough for game day but easy enough for any busy weeknight.
