This creamy Instant Pot buffalo chicken pasta is comfort food perfected. If you’re a buffalo chicken lover, you’ll go nuts over this pasta.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This one pot pasta recipe is easy to make and clean up.
How long it takes: 55 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot
Servings: 6
Fall has arrived in Michigan! As I write this, it’s super gray and rainy outside but my porch is brightly decorated with giant pots of mums and all the pumpkins and gourds you can imagine.
We’re hosting a lot of friends and family over the next few weeks (this chili will be happening!), and I’m feeling festive. I really do love fall. It’s just the impending months of snow that I’m not too wild about.
With the cooler temps, we’re all craving cozier meals. This buffalo chicken pasta fits the bill.
About this Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Satisfying and cozy. This pasta recipe is ultra-creamy, filling, and has just enough spicy heat to warm you up from the inside out. It’s perfect for game days, fall entertaining, or just chilly nights when you need a quick and easy meal.
- Made in one pot. The Instant Pot does it all. It’s so easy, you won’t believe it. My Instant Pot pasta recipe with sausage, spinach, and tomatoes has been super popular so I’ve been bringing you more pasta recipes for your pressure cooker. Instant Pot macaroni and cheese is so ridiculously creamy and Instant Pot spaghetti and meat sauce is another favorite. Scroll to the end of the post for more Instant Pot recipes.
How To Make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Start by sautéing the chicken, celery, and onions until the chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic, and your kitchen will smell heavenly.
Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and hot sauce (as little or as much as you like, you can always add more later). Scrape the bottom of the pan. This will prevent any of those pesky burn notices.
Add the pasta and submerge it all into the liquid. It’s time for the pressure cooker to work its magic. After it pressurizes (about 15 minutes), it only has to cook for 5 minutes.
The pasta will look a bit soupy when you remove the cover. Don’t worry! It will thicken when you add the cheese. Let it rest for 10 minutes or so, partially covered, to let the pasta absorb the liquid.
When you’re ready to serve the Buffalo chicken pasta, garnish it with blue cheese crumbles and green onions.
Ways To Change This Pasta Recipe
- Not crazy about blue cheese? Substitute an equal amount of your favorite ranch dressing for the blue cheese dressing. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese.
- Make it a casserole. Spread the Buffalo chicken pasta in a baking dish coated lightly with nonstick spray (9 x 13 inch works well), top with a little extra cheese and bake at 350ºF or until golden brown and bubbling.
- Use regular pasta of your choice. This recipe is just as delicious with regular white pasta instead of whole wheat pasta.
- More Buffalo chicken recipes: Try crockpot Buffalo chicken dip, crockpot Buffalo chicken sandwiches or air fryer Buffalo cauliflower bites!
Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Buffalo chicken pasta reheats really well! You can easily pop it in the microwave, but it’s also great baked (follow the directions above or in the recipe card).
More Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces, about ¾ inch
- ½ cup diced yellow onion (1 small onion)
- 1 stalk celery, diced small
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
- 12 oz. whole wheat rotini, uncooked
- 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes (no-salt-added, if possible)
- ⅓ cup hot pepper sauce, such as Frank’s
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
- ¾ cup blue cheese dressing
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Crumbled blue cheese for garnishing, optional
- Green onions for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot to Sauté. Add oil, chicken, onion and celery; season with salt and black pepper Cook until chicken is no longer pink and onions are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes..
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.
- Add chicken broth, diced tomatoes and hot sauce. Stir to combine, scraping all browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add pasta, making sure pasta is submerged in liquid.
- Set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook for 5 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to pressurize. When the timer goes off, carefully quick release the pressure.
- Remove lid, keeping Instant Pot on Warm. Add cream cheese, blue cheese dressing, and shredded mozzarella. Stir gently until cheese is melted. With Instant Pot remaining on Warm setting, let pasta rest for 10 minutes. It will thicken slightly.
- Serve topped with blue cheese crumbles and green onions.
Notes
- Nutrition information does not include optional garnishes.
- Amp up the vegetables: Add a diced sweet bell pepper or diced carrots when you sauté the chicken, onion, and celery.
- To make ahead or turn into a freezer meal: Make as directed and then pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and cover with foil. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to bake. Place cold pan in cold oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Cook for an hour, uncovering in the last 15 minutes, or until heated through. It may require slightly longer cooking time if frozen. Casserole can be thawed overnight in fridge before baking, if you prefer.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Haven’t tried this yet, concerned about the sodi. Why is the sodium so high if you use low sodium broth?
Our nutritional information is always an estimate, but this recipe gets sodium from broth (even low-sodium), canned tomatoes, hot sauce, cheese, and blue cheese dressing. Of course this will vary on the brands you use, which is why our nutrition information is an estimate.
How do you adjust this recipe if you want to leave out the pasta?
You could probably just leave out all the chicken broth and pasta and it might turn out still? I haven’t tried it though, so I can’t promise good results. You might want to try these buffalo chicken sandwiches: https://www.rachelcooks.com/slow-cooker-spicy-buffalo-chicken/
Used your suggestion to substitute ranch, hubby doesn’t care for blue cheese. I would have preferred the blue cheese this was both easy and delicious. My favorite combination of your recipes.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it really means a lot!
my husband would enjoy this
My husband loved it too!