This zesty dish combines the bold flavor of buffalo chicken with creamy, cheesy goodness for an unbeatable combination! Enjoy Crock Pot Buffalo chicken Pasta when you're looking for a dish that's tangy, spicy, hearty, and easy to prepare!
Buffalo sauce is a tangy and spicy condiment made from hot peppers, vinegar, butter, and other spices. It has a unique flavor that blends the boldness of pepper with zesty acidic notes from the vinegar. It's perfect for adding an extra kick to anything you're cooking.
While this tangy, zesty sauce is most popular to use on buffalo wings, it can easily be used to make crock pot buffalo chicken pasta! All you need are a few simple ingredients and your slow cooker!
Simply whisk together a seasoned sauce containing canned chicken soup, ranch seasoning, Italian seasoning, and other spices. Add in pieces of diced chicken breast and let it cook until tender. Then, stir in the sour cream, ranch dressing, and cheese to make the sauce creamy. Toss in the pasta until coated, and you have buffalo chicken pasta that's ready to eat!
Why You'll Love This Pasta
- The herb flavor of ranch combined with the bold flavor of buffalo chicken gives a zesty pop of flavor that will keep you coming back for more.
- Buffalo chicken pasta is easy to prepare and cook. All of the ingredients get added to the crock pot to combine and develop flavors.
- This a great recipe for making a delicious dinner for a party or game day party.
- The leftovers taste even better the next day and are great for lunches or meal prep.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast - You'll need boneless skinless chicken breast diced into pieces to add satisfying protein to the dish.
- Yellow Onion - Adds a bold onion flavor to the dish, complementing the rest of the flavors.
- Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup - Gives the chicken a rich, creamy base to cook in while adding lots of flavors.
- Ranch Seasoning - The bold herb flavors of ranch pair well with the spicy, tangy buffalo sauce.
- Spices - A mix of black pepper, salt, paprika, garlic, powder, and Italian seasoning enhances the flavors of the chicken, pasta, and creamy sauce.
- Buffalo Sauce - Made with tangy vinegar and hot peppers, buffalo sauce adds a zesty kick to this crock pot dish.
- Sour Cream & Ranch Dressing - Added after the chicken is cooked, these two ingredients provide flavor and a creamy texture.
- Shredded Cheese - A mix of cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese work together to give the dish a creamy and cheesy texture and taste.
- Penne Pasta - You'll need cooked pasta to add to the chicken. We enjoy penne because of its shape and texture, but you can substitute most pasta shapes.
How To Make Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Mix the sauce ingredients: Add the chicken soup, ranch seasoning, black pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and buffalo sauce into the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients fully.
Prepare and add the chicken: Trim any excess fat off of the chicken breast, then pat dry with paper towels. Dice into one-inch pieces, then add them to the bottom of the crock pot with the sauce and toss to coat fully.
Cover and cook: Add the lid to the top and cook on HIGH for 2½ - 3½ hours or on LOW for 5 - 6 hours.
Add the sour cream and cheese: Once the chicken is cooked, stir in the sour cream, ranch dressing, and shredded cheese. Cover with the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Add in the pasta: While waiting for the cheese to melt. Cook the pasta according to the box instructions. Drain fully, then add to the chicken and sauce. Stir until completely coated and serve while hot. Enjoy!
Tips For The Best Pasta
- When preparing the chicken, make sure you cut it into pieces. This helps the chicken to cook evenly and prevents some pieces from being overcooked while others are undercooked.
- Do not add the sour cream or ranch dressing until the end, as these can separate when they are slow-cooked too long in the heat.
- To ensure the pasta doesn't get mushy, add it near the end of cooking time or after you turn off the crock pot.
- Add buffalo sauce or cayenne pepper to the dish for more heat.
Variations
- Use other cuts of meat: You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs for the chicken breasts if desired. Other cuts of white meat, such as turkey and pork, can also be used.
- Substitute different pastas: Most types of pasta will work in this crock pot recipe, such as shells, rigatoni, rotini, and macaroni.
- Add more vegetables: To add a little more nutrition to the dish, you can add some diced bell peppers, celery, and carrots.
- Topping ideas: Sprinkle top with crumbled bleu cheese, sliced green onions, or fresh parsley for more flavor.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Once the pasta is cooled, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: To reheat, place pasta in a skillet on medium heat and stir until heated through. Or, warm leftovers in the crock pot on LOW setting with a bit of water or chicken broth.
Freezing: This pasta can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Place cooled pasta in an airtight, freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
While you can cook on high, it's always better to cook on low as it produces a very tender and moist chicken that grabs onto flavor well.
You want to make sure the pasta is a shape that holds the creamy sauce well. Penne works great, as well as shells, elbows, and rotini.
For this recipe, it is recommended that the pasta is cooked BEFORE adding it to the crock pot. This will ensure that it does not get too mushy from being cooked long and slowly.
More Crock Pot Chicken Dinner Recipes
- Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Crock Pot Chicken and Broccoli
- Crockpot Chicken Potatoes and Green Beans
- Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 oz cans
- 1 ounce ranch seasoning (1 packet)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¾ cup Buffalo sauce
- 2 cups sour cream
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- ½ cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 pound penne pasta (cooked)
Instructions
- In a 6-quart slow cooker, add chicken soup, ranch seasoning, black pepper, salt, paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and buffalo sauce. Mix until well combined.
- Add chunks of chicken to the sauce and mix until coated.
- Cover and cook on high for 2½ - 3½ hours or on low for 5 - 6 hours.
- Stir in the sour cream, ranch dressing, and cheese. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Then, stir in cooked penne pasta.
- Serve while hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Use uniform chicken pieces so they cook evenly and absorb the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta at the very end to prevent it from becoming soft.
- Stir in cheeses and sour cream at the end to keep the sauce creamy and prevent it from separating.
- Taste the sauce before serving and adjust the buffalo sauce to control the heat level.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Hayley says
Turned out perfect. Only used 1/4c of buffalo sauce so there was just a hint of the flavor without it being too spicy/over powering.
Ryan Allen says
I am so glad you liked it.