This slow cooker buffalo chicken pasta is a delicious, creamy dish made with tender chicken, zesty hot sauce, and hearty pasta. It's perfect for meal prep because it tastes even better the next day! It's like your buffalo chicken wing takeout but in a format that's balanced for regular weeknight dinners.
My partner is obsessed with Franks hot sauce, to the point where we have multiple versions of it in our fridge and pantry. I went through a bit of a culling phase and really wanted to use up some of those half bottles because I was in a bit of a mood. The outcome was a couple of batches of this slow cooker buffalo pasta.
It's a gym prep favourite for a few people that I do meal preps for on a weekly basis - especially once I figured out the timing of when to put the pasta in and the type of pasta to include (unfortunately it's not shells as pictured, but they do work well if you want to eat it straight away).
TL;DR
- Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 4 hours
- Meal prep: Perfect for meal prep because it balances protein from chicken, carbs from pasta, and veggies from spinach.
- Fridge storage: 4 days (glass container recommended).
- Freezer storage: 3 months (undercooked pasta).
- Reheating: Microwave 2-3 minutes or stovetop.
- Customise: Adjust level of spiciness, veggies and protein.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
Slow cooker. Slow cooker recipes are a true hands-off option and a gamechanger for meal prepping.
Chicken breast. This is a lean protein option which is great for meal prepping.
Spicy. It's got a good kick of flavour from the spice, but not overpowering for a week-long meal prep. Mix-and-match with other spicy chicken dishes like my Cajun chicken pasta or gochujang chicken pasta.
Ingredients
Chicken breast. Lean protein that becomes tender and easier to shred in the slow cooker.
Dried parsley and dill. These add a subtle, fresh note that cuts through the richness of the hot sauce. Dill in particular pairs really well with buffalo because it mimics the flavour profile you'd usually get from the ranch dressing (usually served with buffalo wings)
Frank's hot sauce. Classic buffalo flavour base, but can be swapped with sriracha or other hot sauces depending on preference.
Diced tomatoes. Adds body and balances the spice with slight acidity.
Chicken stock. Helps create the sauce base-use my homemade chicken stock for extra flavour. If you are using a store-bought version, aim to get one with minimal filler ingredients.
Greek yogurt. Creates creaminess without heaviness. Cream cheese is typically used, but for meal prep these heavier creams and cheeses can be too rich. This is why I substitute with Greek yogurt like I do in my creamy beef stroganoff without cream and Cajun chorizo orzo bake.
Spinach. Adds vegetables and wilts easily into the sauce without overpowering the dish. You can definitely omit, but I recommend incorporating if you're having this dish a few days in a row for balance.
Pasta. Fusilli or penne are best for slow cooker and meal prep as they hold their shape. Long pasta - like spaghetti or fettuccini - can be good meal prep options as they are heartier, but in the slow cooker they can be difficult to manage.
I have tested this with shells, and I can confirm they work great if you want to eat this straight away but not the best if you plan to meal prep.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Do you need to use Frank's hot sauce?
Not strictly-but if you want that classic buffalo flavour, Frank's RedHot is the best option. It has a mild heat and a vinegar-forward tang that gives buffalo dishes their signature taste, rather than just making them "spicy."
You can substitute with other hot sauces, but it will change the final result. For example, Sriracha will make the dish slightly sweeter and thicker, while Tabasco is sharper and more acidic, which can overpower the balance-especially after reheating.
If you do swap it, just keep in mind you may need to adjust things like acidity (with a splash of vinegar) or sweetness to get closer to that classic buffalo-style flavour.
Substitutions and variations
Protein. Swap chicken breast for shredded chicken thigh for extra richness or use pre-cooked pulled chicken to save time. If you use pre-cooked chicken, you'd pretty much just need to heat up the sauce ingredients to combine, make the pasta then add it all together.
Vegetables. You can bulk this out further with vegetables like capsicum, zucchini, mushrooms which all hold up well in the slow cooker and add extra volume without overpowering the buffalo flavour.
Greek yogurt. If you don't have Greek yogurt, you can use light cream cheese, sour cream, or even a splash of cooking cream-just keep in mind Greek yogurt is lighter and tangier, while these options will make the sauce richer and slightly heavier for meal prep.
How to make slow cooker buffalo chicken pasta
Step 1: Heat your searing slow cooker insert over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil, then cook the diced onion and garlic until softened and fragrant.
If you don't have a searing slow cooker, you can do this in a pan.
Step 2: Add the chicken breast and sear lightly on each side until just browned (not fully cooked). This builds flavour before slow cooking.
If doing this in a pan, add the chicken, onion and garlic to the slow cooker after searing.
Step 3: Add hot sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken stock, parsley, and dill. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
Step 4: Shred the chicken with two forks.
Step 5: Add pasta directly into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook for 20 minutes for meal prep texture, or 30 minutes if serving immediately.
Step 6: Just before serving, stir through Greek yogurt and spinach until wilted and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste before serving or portioning.
Lauren's Top Tips
Don't overcook the pasta. It will continue to soften as it sits, so slightly undercook for meal prep.
Add dairy last. Stir in Greek yogurt at the end to prevent splitting.
Taste and adjust. Before serving, have a taste and adjust if needed. Too spicy? Add a little more Greek yogurt. Not spicy enough? Add more hot sauce.
Recommended Equipment
A searing slow cooker makes this recipe much easier as you can brown the onion, garlic, and chicken directly in the same pot before slow cooking.
Meal prepping buffalo chicken pasta
This slow cooker buffalo chicken pasta is a great meal prep option because it's balanced with protein from chicken, carbs from pasta, and vegetables from spinach, while also holding its flavour and texture well over multiple days.
Storing
Store in airtight glass containers for up to 4 days. Avoid plastic as the sauce may stain.
Let the pasta cool for no more than 2 hours before sealing to prevent excess moisture buildup which can impact the texture of the pasta.
Reheating
Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, or on the stovetop with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.
Freezing
This recipe makes around 10 serves, so freezing is ideal if you won't eat it within 4 days.
Freeze in portions using Souper Cubes or airtight containers. You can freeze with pasta included as this will work well with the instructions I have provided for meal prepping, or freeze just the chicken mixture and cook pasta fresh if preferred.
Bulk Meal Prep
Slow Cooker meals are really good bulk meal prep options - in particular using chicken breast. I do meal preps for my gym community once a week and more often than not I'll use both chicken breast and the slow cooker to make it easy to create the 10+ meals.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
This usually happens if the pasta is added too early or cooked for too long. For best results, add the pasta in the final 20 minutes (for meal prep) or 30 minutes (if serving immediately) so it holds its shape.
Using sturdier pasta shapes like penne or fusilli also helps prevent it from breaking down during cooking and reheating.
It's really easy to adjust depending on your preference. For a milder version, reduce the amount of hot sauce and increase the Greek yogurt slightly to mellow out the heat.
If you want it spicier, add extra hot sauce at the end of cooking rather than at the beginning-this keeps the heat more pronounced. You can also add chilli flakes or a dash of a hotter sauce, but taste as you go so it stays balanced for meal prep.
If the sauce tastes too sharp, it's usually from the hot sauce and tomatoes combined. You can balance this by adding a little more Greek yogurt or even a small pinch of sugar to round out the flavour.
Letting it sit overnight also helps, as the flavours mellow and balance over time.
Other slow cooker meal prep recipes you'll like
Or, you can have a browse through my slow cooker recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Save Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg (3 ⅓ lb) Chicken breast, approx. 8 breasts
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 brown onion
- 2 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
- 1 cup Hot sauce, Frank's recommended, see note 1
- 400 g (1 ½ cups) diced tomatoes, subs note 2
- 1 cup chicken stock, storebought or homemade
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, see note 3
- 200 g Spinach
- 500 g (approx. 5 cups) pasta, see note 4
Instructions
Preparing
- Dice the1 brown onion and finely chop the 6 cloves garlic.
Cooking
- If you have a searing slow cooker, put it on browning or searing, add a drizzle of oil, then cook the brown onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.Alternatively, you can do this on a pan and then add to the slow cooker.
- Add the 1.5 kg (3 ⅓ lb) Chicken breast and sear lightly on each side for 2-3 minutes until just browned (not fully cooked). This helps build flavour before slow cooking.
- Pour in the 1 cup Hot sauce, 400 g (1 ½ cups) diced tomatoes, and 1 cup chicken stock, then stir through the 2 tbsp dried parsley and 1 tbsp dried dill. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the chicken breast is tender and easily shreds with a fork.
- Shred the chicken using two forks then stir through the sauce.
- Add the 500 g (approx. 5 cups) pasta directly into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook for: 20 minutes for meal prep (firmer texture for reheating) or 30 minutes if serving immediately (softer texture)
- Just before serving, stir through the 1 cup Greek yogurt and 200 g Spinach until the spinach is wilted and the sauce is creamy.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (see note 5), then serve or portion for meal prep.
Zac
Great option for lunch prep!!
Thanks Lauren.