Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Dive into a bowl of comfort with this zesty Buffalo Chicken Pasta that's bursting with flavor and loaded with protein! Featuring tender chicken, creamy ranch dressing, and a kick of buffalo sauce, this dish comes together in a snap for a weeknight win. Get ready to satisfy your cravings and impress your taste buds!
Prep
15
min
Cook
40
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- ½ tsp pepper (2.5 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 2.5 lb chicken breast (1.13 kg)
- 2 cups chicken bone broth (480 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 1 block reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (240 ml)
- 1 cup Fairlife milk (240 ml)
- 2 cups reduced-fat shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack (480 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 10 oz pasta (cellentani is perfect) (284 g)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (5 ml)
- 1 tsp paprika (5 ml)
- 1–1½ tsp ranch seasoning (since you like ranch flavor) (5 ml)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust later) (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1½ cups buffalo sauce (360 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add chicken, broth, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika to crock pot. Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- 2
Shred chicken directly in the crock pot.
- 3
Stir in cream cheese, milk, and Greek yogurt until fully melted and smooth.
- 4
Stir in dry pasta. Cook for 30–40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until al dente.
- 5
Stir in shredded cheese until melted.
- 6
Garnish with parsley and an optional ranch drizzle.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 195-205°F rather than just 165°F before shredding, since collagen needs sustained heat above 160°F over time to break down into gelatin, making the meat tender enough to pull apart easily.technique195-205°F
- ✓Bring cream cheese to room temperature before adding it to the hot crock pot mixture, because cold cream cheese seizes into clumps when it hits liquid at 180°F+ rather than emulsifying smoothly into the sauce.ingredientroom temp, ~70°F
- ✓Stir in the Greek yogurt only after the crock pot temperature has dropped slightly from active simmering, since yogurt proteins denature and curdle above roughly 180°F, breaking the sauce's smooth texture.techniquebelow 180°F
- ✓Check pasta doneness at the 30-minute mark rather than waiting the full 40 minutes, since pasta cooked in a low-liquid, high-fat sauce environment absorbs moisture more slowly and unevenly than in boiling water, risking mushiness if oversaturated.timing30-40 minutes
- ✓Add shredded cheese gradually in 2-3 batches off direct heat rather than all at once, because rapid overheating of cheese proteins above 150°F causes fat separation and a greasy, broken sauce instead of a silky emulsion.techniquebelow 150°F, 2-3 batches
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
40
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Dive into a bowl of comfort with this zesty Buffalo Chicken Pasta that's bursting with flavor and loaded with protein! Featuring tender chicken, creamy ranch dressing, and a kick of buffalo sauce, this dish comes together in a snap for a weeknight win. Get ready to satisfy your cravings and impress your taste buds!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- ½ tsp pepper (2.5 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 2.5 lb chicken breast (1.13 kg)
- 2 cups chicken bone broth (480 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 1 block reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (240 ml)
- 1 cup Fairlife milk (240 ml)
- 2 cups reduced-fat shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack (480 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 10 oz pasta (cellentani is perfect) (284 g)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (5 ml)
- 1 tsp paprika (5 ml)
- 1–1½ tsp ranch seasoning (since you like ranch flavor) (5 ml)
- 1 tsp salt (adjust later) (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1½ cups buffalo sauce (360 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add chicken, broth, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika to crock pot. Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- 2
Shred chicken directly in the crock pot.
- 3
Stir in cream cheese, milk, and Greek yogurt until fully melted and smooth.
- 4
Stir in dry pasta. Cook for 30–40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until al dente.
- 5
Stir in shredded cheese until melted.
- 6
Garnish with parsley and an optional ranch drizzle.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 195-205°F rather than just 165°F before shredding, since collagen needs sustained heat above 160°F over time to break down into gelatin, making the meat tender enough to pull apart easily.technique195-205°F
- ✓Bring cream cheese to room temperature before adding it to the hot crock pot mixture, because cold cream cheese seizes into clumps when it hits liquid at 180°F+ rather than emulsifying smoothly into the sauce.ingredientroom temp, ~70°F
- ✓Stir in the Greek yogurt only after the crock pot temperature has dropped slightly from active simmering, since yogurt proteins denature and curdle above roughly 180°F, breaking the sauce's smooth texture.techniquebelow 180°F
- ✓Check pasta doneness at the 30-minute mark rather than waiting the full 40 minutes, since pasta cooked in a low-liquid, high-fat sauce environment absorbs moisture more slowly and unevenly than in boiling water, risking mushiness if oversaturated.timing30-40 minutes
- ✓Add shredded cheese gradually in 2-3 batches off direct heat rather than all at once, because rapid overheating of cheese proteins above 150°F causes fat separation and a greasy, broken sauce instead of a silky emulsion.techniquebelow 150°F, 2-3 batches