Last Updated on March 17, 2021 by Slow The Cook Down
Simple to make with just six ingredients, these buffalo chicken stuffed shells are one tasty dinner. Perfectly comforting, cheesy and packed with tangy flavors.
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Dinner just got delicious in the form of these buffalo chicken stuffed shells.
Ready to serve in around 40 minutes, they are a great weeknight meal that the whole family will love.
Made with simple ingredients, these shredded chicken stuffed shells are loaded with tangy buffalo sauce, mozzarella and blue cheese, and finished with a drizzle of cooling ranch dressing.
What's not to love?!
For more baked pasta recipes, be sure to check out my Philly cheesesteak stuffed shells and beef and tomato pasta bake.
Ingredients
- Jumbo pasta shells: My new favorite thing is these huge shells! Super fun to make and super tasty!
- Chicken: Use shredded chicken breast for this recipe, organic if you can.
- Buffalo sauce: For a delicious tang. Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Sauce is my go to, but you can use your favorite brand.
- Marinara sauce: The stuffed shells are baked on a layer of marinara sauce for a nice tomatoey flavor. Pizza or plain tomato sauce will also work well.
- Shredded mozzarella: For those awesome cheesy pulls.
- Blue cheese: Blue cheese and buffalo sauce work so well together. If you don't like blue cheese, you can omit it. Use a creamy gorgonzola of a milder flavor or a stilton to really pack a punch.
- Ranch dressing: This is optional, but a drizzle of ranch works a treat!
How to make buffalo chicken stuffed shells
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Cook the pasta shells.
- Mix together the chicken and buffalo sauce (photo 1).
- Stuff the shells with the chicken and place on top of the marinara sauce (photo 2).
- Sprinkle over the cheese (photo 3).
- Bake!
- Drizzle with ranch dressing and garnish with fresh parsley to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer to use chicken breast to stuff these shells as it shreds more easily than thighs. There are several options to cook the chicken breasts for shredding:
Boil: Cover the breasts with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until cooked through.
Stovetop: Cook the chicken breasts on both sides in a tablespoon of oil for around 7 to 8 minutes on each side til cooked through.
Oven: Cook in a preheated oven at 400F for around 25 minutes til cooked through.
You can also make in it an Instant Pot or slow cooker.
You then just need to shred the cooked chicken breasts with two forks before mixing with the buffalo sauce. Alternatively, you can also use rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked shredded chicken from the store.
We enjoyed these buffalo chicken stuffed shells over a couple of nights. Once the pasta bake has cooled, cover it or transfer to an airtight container and it will keep well for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the oven at 375F for 15 or 20 minutes to warm through.
Quite honestly, these stuffed shells can totally be enjoyed bu themselves, but you may want to add a bit of goodness to your plate in the form of a fresh salad or side of steamed or roasted veggies.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cook a few extra pasta shells incase some break during cooking and stuffing.
- Cook the pasta just before al dente as they will continue cooking when they are baked.
- Once the pasta shells are cooked, run them under cold running water to prevent them from sticking together.
- If the pasta starts to brown too quickly, place some foil over the top during baking.
- I made these stuffed shells in a 10.5 inch circular baking dish. If your dish is bigger or smaller, simply adjust the amount of pasta shells used.
More Pasta Recipes
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Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 20 jumbo pasta shells
- 3 cups shredded chicken (2 breasts / 14-15oz / 450g)
- ⅔ cup buffalo sauce (150ml)
- 1 cup marinara sauce (225ml)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella (110g)
- ½ crumbled blue cheese (60g)
- Optional: Ranch dressing for drizzling
Instructions
- Cook the pasta shells according to the package instructions, just before al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water and set to one side.
- Preheat the oven to 360F / 180c.
- In a bowl, mix together the shredded chicken with the buffalo sauce until well coated.
- Place the marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking dish and spread evenly.
- Stuff the shells with the buffalo chicken and place on top of the sauce.
- Top with the shredded mozzarella and blue cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Drizzle with ranch dressing and serve.
Notes
- Cook a few extra pasta shells incase some break during cooking and stuffing.
- Cook the pasta just before al dente as they will continue cooking when they are baked.
- Once the pasta shells are cooked, run them under cold running water to prevent them from sticking together.
- If the pasta starts to brown too quickly, place some foil over the top during baking.
- I made these stuffed shells in a 10.5 inch circular baking dish. If your dish is bigger or smaller, simply adjust the amount of pasta shells used.
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