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This cheesy buffalo chicken pasta bakes entirely in one dish! The zesty and flavorful dinner comes together with just 10-minutes of prep time, thanks to the convenient dump-and-bake method. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Table of Contents
If you love buffalo chicken recipes, be sure to try these crispy baked chicken wings, a pot of Crock Pot buffalo chicken chili, this buffalo chicken dip crescent ring, a pan of buffalo chicken lasagna roll-ups, and these party-friendly buffalo chicken sliders, too!
Why You’ll Love this Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
- Easy. This recipe takes advantage of my favorite dump-and-bake method to eliminate tedious prep work. There’s no need to boil the pasta in advance or to pre-cook the veggies. Instead, all of the ingredients mingle, share seasonings, and simmer together in one dish in the oven.
- Family-friendly. While classic buffalo wings can be a bit too spicy for a lot of kids, this dish appeals to even my picky little eaters. If you’re worried about the heat of the buffalo sauce, see my suggestions below for a more mild dish (that’s still flavorful).
- Versatile. The casserole is easily adaptable, so you can change up the ingredients to suit your family’s preferences or to use up whatever you have on hand. For instance, add more veggies to the meal by stirring in frozen peas at the end, or by adding broccoli florets or sliced mushrooms at the beginning. Try different types of cheese, or pick a “mild” buffalo sauce to keep it kid-friendly.
The Best Chicken to Use
You’ll need cooked chicken for this Frank’s buffalo chicken pasta, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:
- Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken and use in the recipe.
- Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed.
- Purchase Cooked Chicken: Instead of a rotisserie chicken, you can purchase cooked pulled chicken or cooked diced chicken at the grocery store.
- Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
- Canned Chicken: Yep, you can even use canned chicken in this casserole!
The Best Casserole Dish for this Easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
We rounded up the best casserole dishes you can buy, including 2 that I personally own and love! While I use different-sized casserole dishes for different dump-and-bake meals, the Staub Ceramic Rectangular Baking Dish earned the top spot. You can buy it on Amazon for $78.95 or at Target for $79.95. That said, I also love the beautiful, Scandinavian style of the Dansk Kobenstyle Baker shown here, available for $135.
The total baking time for this recipe will vary depending on your individual oven, and on the type of dish that you choose. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The penne should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pan of dump-and-bake buffalo chicken penne pasta. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken broth: adds flavor to the pasta and sauce as the ingredients cook together in the pan. Chicken stock also works well.
- Buffalo sauce: we prefer Frank’s RedHot buffalo wing sauce. For a mild option, my kids like Frank’s RedHot mild buffalo wing sauce. These give the pasta bake an acidic, spicy flavor.
- Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing: either of these creamy salad dressings will work well, so pick your favorite. My family prefers Ranch salad dressing, so that’s what I always use.
- Dried chives, parsley, garlic powder, dill, onion powder, and crushed red pepper flakes: pantry staple herbs and spices that add great flavor to the pasta.
- Chicken: you’ll need cooked chicken that’s shredded or diced into bite-size pieces. Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, or see my notes above for other options.
- Penne pasta: just the uncooked pasta — no need to boil it first.
- Petite-diced tomatoes: bulk up the dish and provide extra flavor and texture.
- Celery: for savory flavor.
- Cheese: I use a combination of grated cheddar cheese and grated mozzarella cheese, but you can use just about any cheese that you like. Other good options include Monterey Jack, American, Colby, Pepper Jack, or even some crumbled blue cheese.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Pasta
This dump-and-bake buffalo chicken pasta makes weeknight dinners easy! I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the sauce and the seasoning in a large casserole dish.
- Stir in the chicken, pasta, tomatoes, and celery.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the pasta is al dente, about 40-45 minutes.
- Stir the pasta mixture and sprinkle cheese on top.
- Bake until the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes.
- Let rest for a few minutes, garnish with green onions or fresh herbs, and drizzle with extra dressing and buffalo sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the easy buffalo chicken pasta with any of these sides:
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, 4-Ingredient Butter Swim Biscuits, 7UP Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Cheddar Biscuits with Chives and Bacon, or Drop Biscuits
- Cast Iron Cornbread, Sour Cream Cornbread, Honey Butter Cornbread, Fluffy Bakery-Style Cornbread Muffins, Broccoli Cornbread, Southern Cornbread, Jiffy Cornbread with Creamed Corn, Sweet Cornbread, Cake Mix Cornbread, or Corn Sticks
- No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread, Crusty French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Southern Caesar Salad, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Apples, Baked Apple Slices, or Applesauce
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower or Roasted Broccoli
- Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon or Roasted Root Vegetables
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the pasta dish a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the fridge overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta.
- Storage: This casserole is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The pasta will dry out a bit as it sits.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole because cooked pasta has a tendency to get gummy and mushy when thawed.
Recipe Variations
- For a vegetarian buffalo chicken pasta, omit the chicken and replace it with 1-2 cans of drained and rinsed white beans. Swap out the chicken broth and use vegetable broth or vegetable stock.
- Don’t have penne pasta? Substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as rotini, rigatoni, or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the penne (about 11-12 minutes recommended on the package directions) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.
- Add more vegetables. For instance, stir in frozen peas or frozen corn at the very end (right before you sprinkle the cheese on top). You can also stir in some sliced fresh mushrooms, diced green pepper, sliced or grated zucchini, grated carrots, or broccoli florets at the beginning of the baking time.
- If you’re cooking for a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan (or a 2-quart casserole dish). The rest of the instructions remain the same.
Tips for the Best Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. A glass or ceramic casserole dish will take longer than a metal pan, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta (the noodles should be tender).
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- For a more mild, family-friendly pasta bake, use mild buffalo sauce. You can also replace some of the buffalo sauce with extra chicken broth. For instance, use just ½ cup of buffalo sauce and ½ cup of Ranch dressing, and instead increase the chicken broth to 3 ½ cups. This will yield a more mild-flavored sauce for the pasta. You can always give individual servings more flavor at the end by drizzling on extra buffalo sauce and Ranch dressing.
- If you want to cook your own chicken to use in this dish, you’ll need to start with about 1 lb. of raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Boil the chicken for about 10-15 minutes, then shred or dice to use in the casserole.
- If starting with low-sodium chicken broth, you will likely need to add some salt to the sauce before baking. The pasta needs at least a little bit of salt to absorb as it cooks for flavor.
- Garnish the finished dish with fresh herbs (such as fresh parsley or fresh chives), with sliced green onion, and with a drizzle of both salad dressing and buffalo hot sauce.
More Dump-and-Bake Pasta Recipes to Try
Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole
48 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parm Casserole
50 minutes mins
Hot Dog Casserole
55 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total: 1 hour
A zesty and cheesy buffalo chicken pasta recipe that bakes in a single dish!
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup Ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing, plus extra for serving
- ¾ cup buffalo sauce, plus extra for serving (I use Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings sauce or Frank's RedHot Mild Buffalo Wings sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken (or other diced cooked chicken)
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Garnish: fresh chopped herbs such as chives or parsley; sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the prepared baking dish (or in a separate large bowl), whisk together the chicken broth, salad dressing, buffalo sauce, chives, parsley, garlic powder, dill, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the chicken, uncooked pasta, diced tomatoes, and celery. Make sure that all of the ingredients are evenly distributed in the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover; stir gently with a fork. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Place the dish back in the oven (uncovered), just until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Let rest for about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and sliced green onions. Drizzle each serving with additional salad dressing and buffalo sauce.
Notes
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. A glass or ceramic casserole dish will take longer than a metal pan, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta (the noodles should be tender).
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- For a more mild, family-friendly pasta bake, use mild buffalo sauce. You can also replace some of the buffalo sauce with extra chicken broth. For instance, use just ½ cup of buffalo sauce and ½ cup of Ranch dressing, and instead increase the chicken broth to 3 ½ cups. This will yield a more mild-flavored sauce for the pasta. You can always give individual servings more flavor at the end by drizzling on extra buffalo sauce and Ranch dressing.
- If you want to cook your own chicken to use in this dish, you’ll need to start with about 1 lb. of raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. Boil the chicken for about 10-15 minutes, then shred or dice to use in the casserole.
- If starting with low-sodium chicken broth, you will likely need to add some salt to the sauce before baking. The pasta needs at least a little bit of salt to absorb as it cooks for flavor.
- Garnish the finished dish with fresh herbs (such as fresh parsley or fresh chives), with sliced green onion, and with a drizzle of both salad dressing and buffalo hot sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of the pasta bakeCalories: 441kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 23gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 1412mgPotassium: 446mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 693IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 139mgIron: 2mg
Made this recipe with what I had and turned out great!
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that, Bri!