Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

5 from 1 vote

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Buffalo chicken pasta spices up traditional versions of the picnic side dish with the flavor of everyone's favorite appetizer. This kicked up dish can serve as a spicy side dish at your next picnic or barbecue or even as a dinner or lunch all on its own.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Pasta, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 547kcal

Author: Meaghan @ 4 Sons R Us

Ingredients

1 lb pasta ziti, penne, rigatoni all work
2 1/2 - 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
3 stalks celery washed & thinly sliced
1/2 bunch green onions thinly sliced
1 8 oz block cheddar cheese cubed
3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mayo
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp honey
2-4 tbsp hot sauce test sauce & adjust spice level if needed (I used Texas Pete)
1/2 tsp celery salt
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Boil the pasta according to the package directions, in lightly salted water.
Once cooked transfer the pasta to a colander to drain, and then run under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking.
To a large mixing bowl add the cooked & cooled pasta, chicken, celery, onions & cubed cheese. Toss lightly until combined.
In a separate mixing bowl add the mayo, lemon juice, mustard, hot sauce, and honey. Whisk everything together until evenly combined.
Taste the dressing, adding more hot sauce if needed.
Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl so it's all used.
Toss everything just until evenly combined.
Serve immediately, or cover & refrigerate for 2 hours until chilled. The flavors will deepen as the pasta salad chills, and stir well before serving.

Notes

I highly recommend using green onions for a bit of mild onion flavor. If you want more bite, you could add diced red onion.
For extra heat, you could also add a a clove or two of pressed garlic.
This is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken. Don't have any? Use canned chicken and drain it well first.
To add even more classic buffalo flavor, you could add blue cheese crumbles to the salad.

Nutrition