This post may contain affiliate links, which are always marked with *. Please read my disclosure for more information.
Make this simple & delicious Buffalo Chicken Pasta in just 15 minutes! It's the perfect weeknight treat with all your favorite buffalo flavors - spicy sauce and tangy blue cheese, all mixed with pasta & chicken.
Jump to:
There are some recipes I'm more proud of than others. This Buffalo Chicken Pasta is one of them (my 5-minute blue cheese dressing and my epic recipe for buffalo cauliflower are two others).
This Buffalo Chicken Pasta combines two of the best things ever - buffalo sauce and pasta - to make a weeknight dish that's easy to make in just 15 minutes, and so full of flavor you'll be coming back for seconds, and thirds...
Seriously, no dish has ever finished faster in my house than this one!
When you've tried this - don't miss my Marry Me Chicken Pasta!
Why you will love this recipe
- It's easy to make with a few simple steps
- It's quick - when the pasta is done, so is the sauce
- All your favorite buffalo flavors - hot sauce, butter, blue cheese...
- Spicy, but not crazy spicy - so you can actually finish a bowl (or two)
- Green spring onion lightens it up - and adds a nice, fresh crunch
- Heats up really well if you somehow manage to have leftovers
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Chicken thigh filets have more flavor than chicken breast filets, but both work
- Crumbled blue cheese - I use the cheapest kind I can find
- Cream - I use heavy cream, but low fat or half n half work as well
- Green spring onions / scallions can be excluded or switched for a smaller amount of chives
- Hot sauce - I always use Cholula* or Franks Red Hot but any similar style sauce will work. You can also use a store bought buffalo wing sauce, but then use 50% more sauce and skip the second half of the butter.
- Salted butter can be switched for unsalted, with an added pinch of salt
How to make it
- Melt half the butter in a pan over medium-high heat
- When the butter is melted and slightly browned, add chicken and season with garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well.
- Cook 2-3 minutes, until chicken is cooked on all sides and almost all the way through
- Lower the heat to medium and add in hot sauce and the rest of the butter, then stir constantly while the butter is melting
- Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes
- Pour in cream, mix well, and simmer 1 minute
- Mix in crumbled blue cheese
- Mix in chopped green spring onion
- Mix well
- Drain the pasta, but make sure to reserve some of the pasta water. Then add the pasta to the sauce.
- Pour over pasta water
- Mix well, simmer 1 minute, and serve!
Tips & tricks
- Cut the chicken really small to maximize flavor and minimize cook time
- Make it even faster with already cooked chicken - either leftover or rotisserie chicken. Then skip the first half of the butter, and add the chicken after the hot sauce and butter has been well combined. Simmer to maximize flavor.
- Add the second half of the butter after the hot sauce to avoid it browning, for the silkiest flavor
- Don't overcook the pasta - cook it 1 minute less than done and it will finish cooking in the sauce
- Want to make it in the oven instead? Check out my Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 4 days
- Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months
Recipe FAQ
Yes, Buffalo sauce is basically hot sauce and butter. Sometimes there are other flavors added in as well, such as garlic, but it's not necessary.
Since Buffalo sauce is quite spicy it goes well with anything cooling, such as ranch dressing or plain sour cream. It's also delicious with tangy flavors that contrast with the spicy silkiness - which is why it's so delicious with blue cheese.
Yes, buffalo sauce should be spicy. You can adjust how spicy it becomes if you make it from scratch, just add more butter to make it less spicy and more hot sauce to make it spicier.
More 15-minute dinner recipes
Looking for more dinners you can make in just 15 minutes?
- Lemon Ricotta Pasta
- Larb Gai - Spicy Thai Minced Chicken Salad
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
- Creme Fraiche Carbonara with Bacon
And if you're as crazy about buffalo flavors as I am - don't miss my Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Did you love this recipe? Rate it five stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Print RateIngredients
- ⅔ lb spaghetti
- 3 tablespoon butter divided
- 1 lb chicken thigh filets cut in small pieces
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup hot sauce I like Cholula and Frank's Red Hot
- ⅔ cup cream full fat or half n half
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 4 green spring onions or scallions can be swapped for a smaller amount of chives
- ⅔ cup pasta cooking water
To serve (optional)
- chopped green spring onion or scallions can be swapped for chives
- crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Start by getting the pasta cooking. It will then be done at about the same time as the sauce. Cook the pasta until it is almost done, and it will finish cooking in the sauce.⅔ lb spaghetti
- Melt half the butter in a pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted and slightly browned, add the chicken and season with garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well and cook 2-3 minutes.3 tablespoon butter, 1 lb chicken thigh filets, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Pour over hot sauce and add the rest of the butter. Mix while the butter is melting, then bring to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes.½ cup hot sauce, 3 tablespoon butter
- Pour in cream, mix, and simmer 1 minute.⅔ cup cream
- Mix in crumbled blue cheese followed by green spring onion.½ cup crumbled blue cheese, 4 green spring onions or scallions
- Add the cooked pasta together with some of the pasta water. Mix well, bring to a boil, and simmer 1 minute until the pasta is done.⅔ cup pasta cooking water
- Top with som crumbled blue cheese and chopped spring onion, and serve!crumbled blue cheese, chopped green spring onion or scallions
Equipment needed for this recipe
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Chicken thigh filets have more flavor than chicken breast filets, but both work
- Crumbled blue cheese - I use the cheapest kind I can find
- Cream - I use heavy cream, but low fat or half n half work as well
- Green spring onions / scallions can be excluded or switched for a smaller amount of chives
- Hot sauce - I always use Cholula* or Franks Red Hot but any similar style sauce will work. You can also use a store bought buffalo wing sauce, but then use 50% more sauce and skip the second half of the butter.
- Salted butter can be switched for unsalted, with an added pinch of salt
Tips & tricks
- Cut the chicken really small to maximize flavor and minimize cook time
- Make it even faster with already cooked chicken - either leftover or rotisserie chicken. Then skip the first half of the butter, and add the chicken after the hot sauce and butter has been well combined. Simmer to maximize flavor.
- Add the second half of the butter after the hot sauce to avoid it browning, for the silkiest flavor
- Don't overcook the pasta - cook it 1 minute less than done and it will finish cooking in the sauce
- Want to make it in the oven instead? Check out my Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtgith container for up to 4 days
- Store in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Maria
Thank you for sharing <3 My whole family loved this easy and delicious recipe!
Rosemary
I love the simplicity of this recipe. Such an easy recipe to follow and the spicy flavors sound amazing. As a blue cheese lover, I can't wait to make it this week.
Thanks 🙂
Katie
Looks delicious! Can't wait to try this one.
Toni Dash
This quickly became a favorite meal at my house!!
Renee | The Good Hearted Woman
I don't know that we have a "ride-or-die" flavor (although we do use A LOT of ginger). But this Buffalo pasta is Amazing! We love all the great flavors, and it's delicious with a crisp green salad on the side!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
This Buffalo Chicken Pasta is making my tummy growl! I really love to try making this dish at home for my husband and son to taste. Thank you for making me really hungry! 🙂
Emmeline Kemperyd
YES that's the kind of response that makes this all worth it! Hope you enjoy!
Toni
Love it! So quick and easy to make!!
Denay DeGuzman
I loved how easy it was to assemble this chicken pasta. My family loved how delicious it tasted! This recipe's a keeper.
Alison @foodbymars
What a delicious dish! Love Buffalo Sauce on all the things!
Jayne
This is such an easy pasta dinner recipe. I love your step by step so easy to follow. Really is a 15 minute recipe. Thanks!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Jayne!