To say buffalo chicken dip is addicting is an understatement. I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a potluck where the buff-chick dip didn’t all go — and go fast! I feel confident saying that any one of us well-meaning health conscious adults, would sit down and eat an entire tray of buffalo chicken dip if it weren’t for judgement.
That same love extends to this delicious buffalo chicken pasta salad. In fact, it’s even better as a summer barbecue side dish than the real deal dip because it’s cold and refreshing. The contrast between this dish and the foods hot off the grill create a perfect balance. Add a big scoop to your plate along with baked beans, coleslaw, watermelon, and potato salad — drooling yet?
This buffalo chicken pasta salad is creamy yet, has a kick of heat, and juicy, crunchy veggies. It’s so good, you’ll get asked to bring it to every party — but if you’re like me, you’ll made an extra pan to keep at home all for yourself! Shhh! I won’t tell if you don’t.
This recipe doesn’t take much work, but here are a few tips:
- Cook pasta ahead of time. It will need at least 20 minutes to cool before you can combine it with other ingredients.
- If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, feel free to leave it off. It will be just as delicious. But I say the bluer the better and I love lots piled high!
- You could cook up your own chicken breasts, but for times sake, I usually pick up a grocery store rotisserie chicken and shred the meat.
- Adjust amount of buffalo/hot sauce to your liking. I prefer the flavor of Sweet Baby Ray’s Buffalo Wing Sauce in this recipe, but you can use the brand you like best.
- This side dish can be served right away, but the flavors really blend if you can let it sit refrigerated for a few hours before serving.
*Note: Tuck this recipe away for fall too, because it will do just as well on game day!
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rotini pasta, cooked al dente (or any bite-sized pasta of your choice), cooled
- 5.3 ounces nonfat plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup lite Ranch salad dressing
- 2/3 cup buffalo sauce (start with 1/2 cup hot sauce if you can’t find buffalo sauce)
- ~2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups cherry tomatos, halved
- ~ 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 2-3 ounces blue cheese crumbles, optional + more for topping
Directions
- In a large serving bowl, add greek yogurt, ranch, and buffalo sauce. Stir until combined.
- Add cooled pasta and toss until well coated.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
- Cover and store in fridge for a few hours before serving. Sprinkle on more blue cheese before serving if desired.
Note* Pasta salad stores well in fridge for several days.
Also see, Survey reveals top 5 most popular hot sauces.
