Description
This Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is a flavorful and easy-to-make dish combining tender shredded chicken, crunchy celery and carrots, rotini pasta, and a spicy buffalo ranch dressing. Perfect for a quick lunch, picnic, or potluck, this salad offers a creamy, tangy kick with the right balance of heat from buffalo wing sauce and coolness from ranch dressing.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 2 cups rotini pasta, cooked al dente and chilled
- 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 4 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot), plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing, buffalo wing sauce, and crumbled blue cheese until well combined. Taste the dressing and adjust the amount of buffalo wing sauce to your preferred level of spiciness.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and chilled rotini pasta, shredded cooked chicken, chopped celery, and shredded carrots. Gently toss these ingredients together to distribute evenly.
- Toss and Serve: Pour the prepared buffalo ranch dressing over the pasta and chicken mixture. Stir carefully until all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing. Serve the pasta salad chilled for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- For extra heat, add more buffalo wing sauce to the dressing.
- You can substitute rotini with other pasta shapes like penne or bow tie for variety.
- Use leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken for a convenient shortcut.
- Serve chilled and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use vegan ranch dressing and omit the blue cheese or use a dairy-free alternative.
