Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
This buffalo chicken pasta salad recipe combines rotini, shredded chicken, celery, and a ranch based dressing. The blue cheese crumbles soften into the ranch just enough to leave little tangy pockets throughout the bowl.
Equipment
- Large stockpot - for boiling the pasta
- Large mixing bowl - with lid for storage
- Rubber spatula - for folding ingredients together
- Sheet Pan or Large Plate - for cooling pasta
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise - 180g
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing - 120g
- 1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce - 120ml
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook rotini according to package directions until al dente (10-12 minutes). Drain in a colander and rinse briefly under cold water. Spread pasta on a sheet pan or large plate for a few minutes to cool faster.
- While pasta cooks, dice celery, shred carrots on a box grater, thinly slice scallions, and shred or dice cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ranch dressing, and Frank's RedHot Original until smooth. Add salt and pepper and whisk again. Taste and adjust heat or creaminess to your preference. Set aside at room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, chicken, celery, carrots, and scallions. Pour dressing over the top and fold gently with a rubber spatula until evenly coated.
- Fold in crumbled blue cheese, reserving a small handful for topping. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight. Stir before serving and garnish with reserved blue cheese and extra scallion slices if desired.
Notes
- Cool the pasta fully: Warm pasta will break the mayonnaise and make the salad greasy instead of creamy. Spread it out on a sheet pan to cool quickly.
- Dice celery small: Large chunks throw off the texture balance in every bite.
- Use rotisserie chicken for speed: It cuts active cooking time roughly in half compared to poaching chicken breasts.
- Taste the dressing first: Hot sauce brands vary in heat, so adjust the ranch-to-hot-sauce ratio to match your preference.
- Chill before serving: 20 minutes in the fridge lets the pasta absorb some of the dressing instead of sitting in a puddle of it.
- Add blue cheese last: Folding it in at the very end keeps the crumbles intact instead of smearing throughout the salad.
- Save extra dressing for leftovers: Pasta soaks up liquid as it sits, so a spoonful of extra dressing on day two brings it back to life.
- Season the chicken lightly: A small pinch of salt and pepper on shredded chicken before mixing helps it carry more flavor once coated.
- Use a rubber spatula: Folds ingredients together more gently, preventing pasta from breaking apart.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor improves after a few hours, but this salad does not freeze well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 22gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 620mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
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