Creamy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Pasta (Print Version)

Spicy, cheesy pasta bake with buffalo-ranch flavors and tender chicken

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta

→ Chicken

02 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced

→ Sauces & Seasoning

03 - 1 oz ranch seasoning packet
04 - 1 cup buffalo wing sauce, mild or hot
05 - 1/2 cup sour cream
06 - 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
07 - 1/4 cup whole milk

→ Cheese

08 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

→ Garnish

10 - 2 green onions, sliced
11 - 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine ranch seasoning, buffalo sauce, sour cream, cream cheese, and milk. Whisk until smooth.
04 - Stir in cooked pasta and chicken until well coated.
05 - Fold in 1 cup mozzarella and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese.
06 - Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and cheddar over the top.
07 - Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
08 - Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Garnish with green onions and blue cheese if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour: perfect for weeknight cooking when you want something impressive but don't have much time.
  • The flavor balance is addictive: spicy buffalo plays beautifully against cooling ranch and creamy cheese, so no single note overpowers.
  • One dish handles everything: pasta, protein, and sauce bake together, meaning fewer pans to clean and less standing around watching things cook.
02 -
  • Cook your pasta slightly undercooked: This sounds wrong but saves your dish—pasta continues absorbing liquid and cooking during those 25–30 minutes in the oven, so if you cook it to al dente now, it'll be mushy later.
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest: I learned this the hard way when I tried to scoop the first batch and got a soupy mess; those 5 minutes let the cream cheese firm up just enough to hold everything together while still staying creamy inside.
03 -
  • Make it spicier without buying a second sauce: stir in diced fresh jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne powder directly into the sauce mixture before baking—this gives you control over exactly how much heat you want.
  • Cook it ahead and refrigerate: assemble everything in the baking dish the morning of, cover with plastic wrap, and bake straight from cold (add 5–10 minutes to cooking time since it starts cool); this is a genuine timesaver on busy evenings.
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