Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatball Tortellini is a creamy comfort meal of yummy meatballs, cheesy tortellini, and a bold buffalo flavor. This one-pot dish turns frozen meatballs into a Buffalo chicken and pasta lover's dream. It's a simple recipe that's perfect for busy nights, game-day gatherings, or anytime you're craving bold, creamy flavors.

Buffalo chicken meatballs in orange sauce, topped with ranch and green onions, in a bowl on wood.

Recipe at a glance (TL;DR)

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 hours on low
Main Ingredients: chicken meatballs, Buffalo sauce, and fresh tortellini
Servings: 6
Difficulty level: Lazy! True dump-and-go
Style: potlucks, game day, busy weeknights.

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Why use a slow cooker to make this comfort meal?
Ingredients you'll need
Step-by-step photos
Serving ideas
Ways to customize your buffalo chicken pasta
How to store leftovers
Expert tips for the best meatballs and tortellini.
More amazing Slow Cooker Tortellini recipes:
📖 Recipe

Why I love this one-pot family dinner

This dish is everything you love about Buffalo chicken wings - minus the messy fingers. The chicken meatballs are deliciously coated in your favorite sauce and perfectly offset by soft pillows of cheese tortellini. So much yum in one bowl!

I love making this for larger gatherings. It is great on a buffet since it is so rich, and a little bit goes a long way. Make this for your next potluck and thank me after.

Why use a slow cooker to make this comfort meal?

One-pot wonder: All the great ingredients cook together right in your slow cooker. No extra bowls or other pots to clean. Perfect to serve right from the slow cooker, too.
Hands-free cooking: Just add everything and let your slow cooker do the work.
Simple ingredients: Made with pantry staples and easy-to-keep-on-hand ingredients.

Ingredients you'll need

The following ingredients are all you'll need to make creamy Buffalo chicken meatball tortellini. Full quantities are in the recipe card below.

Buffalo chicken tortellini ingredients-green onions, cream cheese, wing sauce, cheese, broth, ranch, tortellini, and meatballs.

Protein

Frozen Chicken Meatballs

Refrigerated

Cream Cheese whipped cream cheese melts the easiest, but any will do
Ranch Dressing I like to make mine using a mix, but bottled works
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Tortellini fresh or frozen

Pantry

Buffalo or Wing Sauce
Chicken Broth

Garnish (optional)

Blue Cheese Crumbles
Sliced Green Onions

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🎥 WATCH A VIDEO SHOWING HOW TO MAKE IT 🎥

Preparing your slow cooker

Lightly coat your slow cooker with a non-stick spray, oil, or butter before cooking
Avocado oil and olive oil are both great choices for this recipe
Use a slow cooker liner for the easiest cleanup (always an optional step)

Step-by-step photos

frozen meatballs in a greased slow cooker

Add frozen meatballs to a well-greased slow cooker

Meatballs covered in creamy orange sauce with melted cheese, cooked together in a slow cooker.

Add in all remaining ingredients (except tortellini) and stir to combine. The sauce will look lumpy from the cream cheese, but it will melt into a smooth, creamy sauce once cooked and stirred.

Meatballs covered in creamy orange sauce with melted cheese and tomato pieces, cooked together in a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3. After cooking, stir really well until all the cheese is fully incorporated.

A black spoon stirs cheese tortellini into creamy buffalo sauce with meatballs in a pot, preparing a pasta dinner.

15 - 30 minutes before serving, stir in tortellini. Make sure it is all as submerged in the sauce as possible. Cover and continue to cook until pasta is al dente.

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Serving ideas

This dish is a full meal on its own, however, you can enhance it by serving:

Alongside a crusty loaf of bread
Next to a crisp, cool garden salad
With some crisp homemade tortilla chips
Topped with a drizzle of blue cheese dressing, crumbled blue cheese, and sliced green onions.
With some party forks as a fun appetizer

A bowl of creamy slow cooker pasta with meatballs, topped with blue cheese and green onions, served with crinkle-cut air fried carrot chips on the side

Ways to customize your buffalo chicken pasta

Meatballs - Turkey, beef, or plant-based meatballs work well in this dish. Use store-bought or make your own! Avoid strongly seasoned Italian meatballs for the best flavor.
Heat - Use mild buffalo sauce for a tamer heat and hot buffalo sauce for a spicier dish. You can also top with fresh jalapenos to really dial things up.
Cheese - swap cheddar for Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or mozzarella for varied flavor and meltability.
Tortellini variety - Cheese tortellini is my favorite here, but chicken or spinach are also delicious options

How to store leftovers

Allow recipe to cool fully before transferring to an airtight container or bag. Store for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Tortellini will continue to absorb liquid and become softer as it sits.

While this crockpot Buffalo pasta can be frozen, it is not recommended. The tortellini will become softer and may break apart when stirred. Additionally, the sauce may separate during freezing. For best results, freeze in individual portions and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat leftovers of this creamy pasta dinner gently in the microwave. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of broth to help loosen it up.

buffalo meatballs and tortellini in a glass storage bowl with a red lid

Expert tips for the best meatballs and tortellini.

Be sure to use fresh or frozen pasta when making this creamy pasta dish. Dried tortellini will absorb extra liquid and may become mushy.
Be sure to add your tortellini during the last 15 - 30 minutes of cooking to keep it from getting overly mushy.
In the market for a new crockpot? I love mine!
Easy dinner idea: Use a slow-cooker liner when making this dish. You will have almost zero clean-up to deal with.
Don't forget to turn on and PLUG IN your slow cooker!!