Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Our slow cooker buffalo chicken pasta is a meal that you can set and forget. Made with tender chicken, slow-cooked in a zesty buffalo sauce, all you have to do is add pasta before serving. This dish perfectly blends the tangy heat of your favorite buffalo chicken with the comfort of creamy pasta. Plus, with a mild buffalo sauce even our kids loved it!

Why you’ll love this slow cooker buffalo chicken pasta
It’s perfect for busy days, when you know you want to have a hearty and flavorful dinner. It’s easy to make this family friendly with a mild buffalo sauce. Or you can make it a bit more elegant by topping it with some blue cheese crumbles before serving. Plus, it’s a fantastic dish for game day or any gathering when you’d prefer to not deal with a big kitchen mess.
If you like this recipe, you have to try this slow cooker Olive Garden chicken pasta, and this Tik Tok ramen and this tomato and mascarpone pasta.
Searching for more one-pot recipes? Try our one pot pasta puttanesca, this french onion pasta or this super easy, cheesy broccoli orzo.

Ingredients & substitutions
- Chicken breast
- Buffalo sauce – Use your favorite buffalo sauce. We used Sweet Baby Ray’s Mild Buffalo Sauce and even the kids thought it was great. It’s not a bad idea to hav
- Cream cheese
- Ranch seasoning – This little packet brings a lot of flavor without having to measure the individual ingredients.
- Cheddar jack cheese – This blend of cheddar and monterey jack cheeses might not be available in all regions, if you can’t find it you can use a cheddar cheese.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make this crock pot buffalo chicken pasta
Add ingredients to the slow cooker. Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker pot. Add remaining ingredients on top. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Remove the chicken from the pot to shred with a fork. While the chicken is removed, whisk the sauce until smooth then return the shredded chicken to the sauce.
Cook the pasta. In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta to al denté according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain and transfer the cooked pasta to the slow cooker pot. Stir until everything is well combined and pasta is well coated with sauce. You can add a splash of the reserved pasta water, if needed to help thicken and stretch the sauce.
Garnish and serve. Top with sliced green onions and a drizzle of buffalo sauce.

Frequently asked questions

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Description
Our slow cooker buffalo chicken pasta is a meal that you can set and forget. Made with tender chicken, slow-cooked in a zesty buffalo sauce, all you have to do is add pasta before serving. This dish perfectly blends the tangy heat of your favorite buffalo chicken with the comfort of creamy pasta. Plus, with a mild buffalo sauce even our kids loved it!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2–3 breasts)
- 1 ranch packet
- 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1 block)
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar jack cheese (or cheddar)
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups buffalo sauce (depending on your preference)
- 16 ounces pasta
- Sliced green onion, for garnish
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to slow cooker, except pasta and green onions.
- Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Remove chicken, shred and return to slow cooker.
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, drain and transfer pasta to slow cooker.
- Stir until well combined.
- Garnish with sliced green onions.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Penne
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 417
- Sugar: 3.1 g
- Sodium: 258.8 mg
- Fat: 15.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.4 g
- Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 30.6 g
- Cholesterol: 100.7 mg
