Description
These Ultimate Buffalo Garlic Chicken Bites are creamy, bold, and packed with heat. Juicy seared chicken tossed in a velvety garlic-buffalo sauce comes together in under 30 minutes—perfect served over pasta, rice, or on its own for a crowd-pleasing main dish.
Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 cloves garlic minced
½ cup buffalo sauce
4 ounces cream cheese softened
8 ounces rotini pasta cooked al dente
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or green onion for garnish
celery sticks for serving optional
Instructions
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook rotini until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving some pasta water.
2. Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Heat olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6–8 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
5. In the same skillet, lower heat to medium. Add a little more butter if needed.
6. Sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
7. Add buffalo sauce and cream cheese. Stir until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
8. Return cooked chicken to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce. Simmer 2–3 minutes.
9. Stir in the cooked pasta. Add pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Cook 1 more minute to heat through.
10. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley or green onion, with celery sticks on the side.
Notes
Let the cream cheese soften before using to ensure a smooth sauce.
Use fresh garlic for the best flavor—garlic powder just isn’t the same here.
Don’t overcook the pasta; slightly firm (al dente) noodles hold up better in the creamy sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 105mg
Keywords: buffalo garlic chicken, buffalo chicken pasta, creamy buffalo chicken