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Easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe for Weeknight Meals
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Easy Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe for Weeknight Meals

Tender chicken tossed in a rich buffalo sauce with pasta and melted cheese for the ultimate comfort meal. ✨🍗
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword Buffalo Chicken Pasta, Chicken Pasta
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (approx. ⅔ lb.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tabelspoon cooking oil
  • 2 tabelspoon butter
  • 8 oz. penne pasta
  • 1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1.5 cups chicken broth
  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
  • 2 green onions sliced (opt)

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken into ½-¾ inch pieces. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and salt, then sprinkle over the chicken. Toss to ensure the chicken is evenly coated with the spices.
  • In a large deep skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium-high until very hot. Add the chicken, letting it brown on all sides. It’s okay if the chicken isn’t fully cooked through at this stage.
  • In the skillet with the chicken, combine the uncooked pasta, canned diced tomatoes along with their juice, and the chicken broth. Give it a good stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  • Cover the pot with a lid and let the broth reach a vigorous simmer. It's fine if the broth doesn't completely cover the pasta. Once it’s simmering, give the pasta a quick stir, replace the lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
  • Let the pasta simmer in the broth for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until it's tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the mixture once or twice during this time, remembering to cover it again with the lid after each stir.
  • When the pasta is tender and just a bit of thickened liquid is left in the skillet, chop the cream cheese into pieces and add it to the pasta along with the butter, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir the mixture and cook over medium-low heat until the cream cheese has completely melted into the pasta.
  • Stir in the shredded Monterey Jack cheese, mixing until it melts into the sauce. Finish by sprinkling sliced green onions on top, and serve while it's hot.