Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe

Introduction

There’s something magical about the moment spicy Buffalo sauce meets silky cream and tender pasta—comfort food suddenly feels electrifying. This Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta takes the fiery flavors you love from game-day wings and tucks them into a velvety, week-night-friendly dish. With pantry staples, one pot, and just 30 minutes, you’ll transform ordinary chicken breasts, a splash of hot sauce, and a handful of cheese into a restaurant-quality meal that has everyone scraping the bowl. Grab your favorite noodles, loosen that apron, and let’s turn up the heat—gently.

Why This Works

• Flavor balance and ingredient accessibility: Frank’s RedHot, cream cheese, and sharp cheddar create the signature Buffalo tang tempered by luscious dairy—no specialty stores required.
• Ease of preparation: Everything cooks in one skillet plus one pasta pot, keeping dishes minimal and cleanup breezy.
• Impressive results with minimal effort: A glossy, neon-orange sauce clings to every noodle and bite of juicy chicken, delivering wow-factor that tastes like you spent hours stirring.

Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) penne or rigatoni pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ cup (180 ml) Buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot Original)
• 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, softened and cubed
• ¾ cup (180 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 1 cup (100 g) shredded sharp white cheddar
• ½ cup (50 g) crumbled blue cheese, plus extra for serving
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Optional: chopped fresh parsley or chives for garnish

Instructions

1. Step 1: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 1 minute shy of package directions for al dente. Reserve ½ cup starchy pasta water, then drain.
2. Step 2: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then sear 4–5 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate; tent loosely with foil.
3. Step 3: Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, sauté garlic 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in Buffalo sauce, scraping browned bits. Whisk in cream cheese until melted and smooth—about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in chicken broth and heavy cream; simmer 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
4. Step 4: Return chicken (and any juices) to the skillet along with the drained pasta. Toss over low heat 1–2 minutes, thinning with reserved pasta water if needed. Fold in cheddar and half the blue cheese until melted. Taste and adjust heat with extra Buffalo sauce. Serve hot, topped with remaining blue cheese, green onions, and fresh herbs.

Handy Tips

• Don’t rinse the pasta—its starch helps the sauce cling.
• Low-fat cream cheese works, but sauce will be slightly thinner; compensate by simmering an extra minute.
• For kid-friendly heat, dial Buffalo sauce back to ½ cup and add ¼ cup tomato sauce to mellow.

Heat Control

Medium-high heat sears chicken quickly without drying; once sauce ingredients join the skillet, drop to medium-low to prevent the dairy from curdling. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce coats the back of a spoon and bubbles lazily around the edges.

Crunch Factor

While the dish itself is silky, contrast comes from a last-minute shower of sliced green onions and reserved blue cheese crumbles. For an extra crunch, toast ¼ cup panko in butter until golden and sprinkle over each portion just before serving.

Pro Kitchen Tricks

• Cube chicken while it’s slightly frozen—cleaner cuts, less mess.
• Use pre-grated cheese but dust lightly with cornstarch to prevent clumping in the sauce.
• Place the empty cream-cheese wrapper in the skillet for 30 seconds—heat softens the last bits so none goes to waste.

Storage Tips

• Cool leftovers completely, then store in airtight glass containers up to 4 days.
• To reheat, splash 2 tablespoons milk or broth per cup of pasta, cover, and microwave 60-second bursts, stirring between, until piping hot.
• This dish does not freeze well; cream-based sauces can separate upon thawing.

Gift Packaging Ideas

Layer dry penne, a mini bottle of Buffalo sauce, vacuum-sealed cheddar, and a cute wooden spoon in a tall mason jar. Tie with a red-and-white checkered ribbon and attach a tag with cooking instructions for a spicy “meal-in-a-jar” gift.

Flavor Variations

• Different spices: Swap Buffalo sauce for chipotle purée and add a pinch of smoked paprika.
• Creative toppings: Pickled jalapeños, crushed kettle-cooked chips, or a drizzle of ranch.
• Ingredient swaps: Use shredded rotisserie chicken for a 10-minute version, or trade cheddar for pepper jack and stir in roasted red peppers.

Troubleshooting

• Texture problems: If sauce breaks, whisk in 1 tablespoon cold cream over low heat until re-emulsified.
• Ingredient replacements: Out of heavy cream? Sub half-and-half plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch.
• Over/undercooking signs: Chicken should reach 165 °F (74 °C) internally; dry edges mean it’s overdone. Sauce should coat pasta without pooling—add reserved pasta water sparingly.

FAQs

• Can I freeze it? Cream-based sauces separate when frozen; we recommend enjoying fresh or refrigerated.
• Is it gluten-free? Use gluten-free penne and verify your Buffalo sauce is wheat-free—most major brands are.
• Can I double the recipe? Yes. Use an 8-quart pot for pasta and a 14-inch skillet or Dutch oven for sauce. Increase simmering time by 2–3 minutes to thicken the larger volume.

Conclusion

This Creamy Buffalo Chicken Pasta proves that weeknight dinners can still spark joy—and a little fire. Once you master the backbone of this recipe, feel free to riff: swap proteins, tame or amplify the heat, or fold in seasonal vegetables. However you spin it, the combo of tangy Buffalo and silky cheese will keep you coming back for seconds. Snap a pic of your neon-orange masterpiece, tag us, and let the world know comfort food just got a bold new avatar.