Creamy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pasta (Print View)

Tender chicken and pasta in a spicy buffalo ranch cream sauce, baked until golden and bubbly

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced

→ Sauce & Dairy

03 - 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
04 - 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
05 - 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
06 - 1/2 cup sour cream
07 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

→ Aromatics

09 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions, plus extra for garnish

→ Extras

11 - Salt and pepper to taste
12 - Nonstick cooking spray or butter for greasing

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
02 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ranch seasoning, buffalo sauce, heavy cream, and sour cream until smooth.
04 - Fold cooked chicken, half of the mozzarella cheese, all of the cheddar cheese, minced garlic, and green onions into the cream sauce.
05 - Add drained pasta and gently toss until evenly coated with the sauce mixture.
06 - Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
07 - Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top.
08 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with extra green onions before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a buffalo wing and ranch dream collided with pasta, making every bite exciting without needing complicated techniques.
  • Everything happens in one dish, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying dinner with people you care about.
  • The recipe doubles beautifully for feeding a crowd, and it reheats so well that leftovers are honestly better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting period—those 5 minutes let everything set so you get clean, full scoops instead of a soupy mess on the plate.
  • Always reserve some of the mozzarella for topping because that's where the visual appeal happens and the cheese gets those beautiful brown spots.
03 -
  • If your baking dish runs hot, tent the top loosely with foil for the first 15 minutes to prevent the cheese from browning too fast before everything gets hot through.
  • Leftover pasta reheats beautifully in a covered baking dish at 325°F for about 20 minutes, and honestly tastes even better the next day.
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