Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad is a perfect side dish for a summer picnic or potluck, and it can also be a full meal in itself if you add a big green salad.
Being a native Buffalonian means anything related to Buffalo chicken is pure comfort food for me, harkening back to my first experiences with Buffalo wings (which in Buffalo, of course we just call “wings”).
During high school I worked in a pizzeria, which was without a doubt the most fun job I’ve ever had before my transition to becoming a full-time blogger. We were always busy, always running around juggling orders, customers, and food prep, but most shifts went by in a snap. And not to mention, break time always involved good food (like Greek chicken salad, chicken finger sub slathered with blue cheese sauce and a side of bbq for dipping, steak bomber with extra onion and a drizzle of hot sauce, or white pizza with double tomatoes and spinach).
Anyway, for me, that job demystified “Buffalo” sauce, which is just a combo of hot sauce (Frank’s, if you want to be authentic) and melted butter, in varying ratios to make it hot, medium, or mild. Where I worked, mild and medium sauces also had a touch of ketchup added in for a hint of sweetness to help mellow out the hot sauce, which additionally contributes a touch of a vinegary tang that I love. And they also offered what they called “suicidal” wings, which were wings tossed with straight hot sauce doused in cayenne pepper (ugh, lol…I was too chicken – pardon the pun – to even try them).
It seems like the Buffalo chicken craze has taken over the food world with everything from dip, to grilled cheese sandwiches, to casseroles. You can’t go wrong with just about anything related to Buffalo chicken, pasta salad included.
This pasta salad features chicken (rotisserie chicken is a huge timesaver here), diced carrot, celery, and scallion in a creamy piquant sauce. GO VEGGIE Lactose and Soy Free Sriracha Bars keep it lactose-free with less saturated fat and more calcium than ordinary cheese.
Of course this pasta salad makes a fabulous side dish for all your summertime parties, but leftovers make a pretty good meal on their own. Chicken and the sriracha bars add protein, and let’s not forget the addition of veggies to help round out the meal. If you want to go all out and make this an even more balanced meal, serve this pasta salad on a bed of salad greens.
What’s your favorite Buffalo chicken-inspired recipe?
- 8 oz (225 g) small pasta, any shape you like (I used farfalle)
- ½ cup mayo
- 2-4 tablespoons hot sauce (more or less to taste)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken (rotisserie chicken works great here)
- 3 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
- 2 medium stalks celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 (6 oz/168 g) package GO VEGGIE Lactose and Soy Free Sriracha Bars, cubed
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions; rinse, drain, and set aside to cool.
- Stir together the mayo, hot sauce to taste, ketchup, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the chicken, scallion, celery, carrot, cubed sriracha bars, and cooled pasta.
- Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve or keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days before serving.
Disclosure: I received the GO VEGGIE products that I used in this recipe for free, and I also received compensation for this post. I am happy for the opportunity to share brands that I believe in with my readers, and I hope you enjoy my recipe. As always, opinions stated are my own.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
A lovely summer salad. Perfect for eating outdoors.
Cheers,
Rosa
This salad is perfect for all of those 4th of July picnics going on this weekend! I love farfalle in salads and soups – perfect shape for this salad. I’ve always been a sucker for buffalo chicken tenders, but this may steal the top spot!
Happy 4th of July, sweet Faith! Have a wonderful weekend…
What a great idea, especially for these hot days. I love Buffalo wings and Frank’s in in my pantry!
Thanks for the AMAZING recipe Faith! I did use white cheddar which was great (No GO VEGGIE products I`ve seen in Baja Mexico) Made this for a BBQ yesterday & got RAVE reviews!!
Stoked to have found your site!