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It’s hard to beat this One Pot Buffalo Chicken “Helper”. Think spicy buffalo chicken meets cozy weeknight casserole. It’s made entirely in one pot and comes together in less than an hour. Made with chicken, spices, buffalo sauce, short-cut pasta, herbs, and plenty of broccoli. Cook everything together in a big skillet, add cheese, and finish this off in the oven. Simple, but so delicious. This is the perfect weeknight casserole that’s fun for game night too.
OK, so this casserole or hamburger “helper” style dinner is very different, but so delicious. This time of year I really love to incorporate cozier, more homestyle family dishes. It’s the beginning of fall, back-to-school season, and football just kicked off a new season. There are many nights of staying in ahead!
Creighton, my oldest brother, loves a hamburger helper-style dinner situation. I recreated the store-bought favorite a couple of years ago. He now asks me to make that dish on a regular basis. It’s one of his favorites.
With that in mind, I wanted to share a new spin on this old-school retro recipe.
As mentioned, it’s football season, and another favorite family dinner is buffalo chicken. Therefore, I thought it could be delicious to bring the two recipes together.
I wanted to add a vegetable to this version so I threw in some broccoli. I also added cheese on top and baked the whole dish in the oven until it was nice and melty. It then became more casserole-like.
It’s different, fun, easy to create, and a meal that everyone really does enjoy!
Details for you
Step 1: find the right size pan
First of all, find yourself a nice big pot or braiser to cook this in. I love this one and think it’s the perfect size for this recipe.
Don’t use anything too small or it’s just going to be a mess.
Step 2: cook the chicken
Now, start cooking! Simply add the onion and chicken to your pot and brown it all over. Next, add some spices, and then the pasta and broccoli.
I love adding broccoli to pasta dishes like this, especially one with cheddar cheese. It’s a favorite combination. Not only does the broccoli incorporate a vegetable into the recipe, but it also adds great flavor. I love it with the spicy buffalo sauce too.
Step 3: Let the pasta cook
Once the pasta and broccoli are both added, pour over a mix of water and milk. Add a squeeze of ketchup (sounds weird, but trust me), then cook everything together until the pasta is al dente.
It’s important to stir the pasta frequently to ensure that nothing is sticking. But other than that, everything is EASY.
Step 4: add the buffalo sauce
When the pasta has cooked, mix in the hot sauce, butter, and pickled jalalpeños. Hot sauce + butter equals homemade buffalo sauce.
The final step is to stir in a handful of cheddar cheese, then bake until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with fresh green onions or parsley (it needs a little color!). Then enjoy!
As I always like to say – homemade is best!
I’m excited to have this recipe on hand for cozy fall and winter dinners to come. As expected, Creighton loved every bite. If you like buffalo mac and cheese, you can’t beat this!
Looking for other easy family dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Healthier Homemade One Pot Hamburger Helper
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
One Pan Autumn Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
Easy Southern Style Baked Mac and Cheese
Pumpkin Cheese Stuffed Pasta Bolognese Bake
One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Buffalo Chicken “Helper” be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Buffalo Chicken “Helper”
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 649 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 chicken breast or thighs, cubed
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 cups milk (use what you drink)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 1/3 cup salsa verde
- 1 1/2-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- green onion and cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onion, and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly seared all over, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder, cook for another minute.2. Add the pasta and broccoli. Mix gently, then pour over 1/2 cup water and the milk. Add the ketchup and stir to combine. Season with salt.3. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pasta is al dente, stirring often. Stir in the jalapeños, salsa, hot sauce, and butter. 4. Stir in the 1 1/2-2 cups cheese. Cook another few minutes until very creamy. Remove from the heat, top with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 425 for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. 5. Divide the pasta among bowls and top with green onions and cilantro.
This post was originally published on September 14, 2023
Double the liquid. Half the hot sauce. Perfect.
Hey Kelly,
Awesome!☃️ I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!
Can anyone tell me exactly how much chicken you used, in weight? I’m trying to figure out what a good ration of pasta to protein is.
Hi Michaela! It just depends on large your chicken is, and how much chicken you want with your pasta! I’d do three chicken breasts or thighs if you’re wanting more chicken, so about 18-20 oz chicken! Let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂 xT
Thanks, that’s helpful! My chicken thighs were way smaller than my breasts, so three thighs were about 16oz and three breasts were more like 2 pounds and I just didn’t want to overwhelm the other ingredients.
I had high hopes for this but I ran into the same issue many others did with the lack of liquid. It was also VERY spicy.. which I love but others may not. I also think it would be helpful to note in the first step of the instructions that you need to use an oven-safe pan.
Hi Steph,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. xx
This looks so good! Is it possible to cook this in a crockpot?
Thanks so much, Lauren! So sorry, I am honestly not sure, I have never tested this recipe in the crockpot. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Absolutely loved it!
Think it’d still work if we swapped the brocoli for cauliflower?
I’ll probably try it anyway, but if you already tried it, I’d like like to hear your feedback.
Hey David,
So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Totally, that will work nicely for you. Have a wonderful week! xx
This recipe was tasty but I had to add way more liquid in order to cook the pasta. Used franks buffalo hot sauce and the jalapeños and it was bursting with flavour!
Hey Leah,
Happy Monday! I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish and appreciate you making it! Have a wonderful week! xxT
I made this recipe tonight, and it was really good. I didn’t have Frank’s brand hot sauce so I used what I had. I did have to add additional liquid because what the recipe called for had cooked away before the pasta was done (probably my stove cooking too hot). The only thing I would do differently next time, and there WILL be a next time, is add more jalapeños and broccoli for personal preference.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I found your site by searching for what I could cook with some random ingredients I had on hand. I’m glad I found you, and am looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Hey Cindy,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment:) So glad it was enjoyed! Happy Friday! xT
This sounds amazing and I really want to try it but I need to leave out the pasta. I think I’m going to add zucchini noodles. Should I skip the water?
Hi Denise,
I’m so sorry, I have never tested this, but yes I would definitely reduce or omit the water. Let me know how this turns out for you! x
This recipe is awesome! I’m not a huge fan of Buffalo sauce on anything but wings….but this flavor was awesome & the Buffalo flavor wasn’t overpowering. It was really subtle, yet very flavorful & delicious. We will definitely make this again.
Hey Andrea,
Love to hear this:) Thanks for your feedback and making this recipe, so glad it was a hit! xT
Tastes great but I suggest either adding cooked pasta at the end or longer simmering. Pasta was too hard. Broccoli was too soft.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you had some issues with the cook time for the pasta. xx
Made this with rotisserie chicken, added chicken broth and left out the salsa and jalapeños! 10/10!
Hey Brittany,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Again, I’m making one of your one-pot recipes with pasta and you call for an insanely less amount of liquids and cook time than you should… this has now come up twice with your recipes, namely including pasta… why? You claim to know how to cook but clearly give inaccurate cook times and variations. I’m sad because I have your cookbooks and cook a lot of your recipes but this is NOT it.
This review is extremely harsh and rude. Tieghan’s recipes are amazing and 99.9% of the time perfection! I’m not sure why you would feel the need to ridicule her when YOU had an issue with the recipe. Obviously there are many, including myself, who did not!
Just tried this tonight. Love one pot meals! I had to add more liquid, reduced the butter… and no jalapeños for me. It was Delish! There’s leftovers a-plenty.
Hi Katie! Thanks so much for trying out the recipe! Love to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Just made this for my family – I put in less cheese & hot sauce than called for, but more jalepenos, & it was a hit! Really hits the Hamburger Helper spot without feeling bad about God knows what you’re ingesting. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Hope you have an amazing Christmas! xT