This healthy buffalo chicken pasta bake is the BEST. It’s more delicious, more nutritious, and so easy to make!
buffalo chicken pasta bake
This healthy buffalo chicken pasta bake is the BEST. It’s creamy, has a kick to it, and totally delicious. It’s more nutricious than standard pasta bakes, with 23 g of protein and less than 300 calories per serving. On top of that, it’s quick and easy to make. This will be your new favorite dinner recipe!
why buffalo chicken?
Let’s be real, buffalo chicken is SO good. It’s one of my favorite flavor combinations and I don’t think I’ve ever turned anything “buffalo chicken” related down! Two fan favorites on my website are the Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip (perfect for game day) and Healthy Buffalo Chicken (perfect for meal prep). The Buffalo Chicken Sliders are quickly growing in popularity as well. In an effort to keep creating buffalo chicken recipes, I present to you this healthy buffalo chicken pasta bake!
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED?
This recipe only has 7 ingredients!
- penne pasta – The recipe calls for whole wheat penne pasta, but truly you can use whatever kind of noodles you want!
- shredded chicken – Adding shredded chicken into the pasta will give off total buffalo chicken dip vibes (let’s be real, we love those vibes). Plus it will add quite a bit of protein! There are a few options for how to get shredded chicken. You can buy a cooked rotisserie chicken and shred it, cook chicken breasts and shred them, or use canned shredded chicken. Each of these options will work great!
- plain greek yogurt – This will help create a creamy sauce texture.
- ranch seasoning mix – Ranch seasoning can either be bought in a bottle or in individual packets. It will add flavors to our sauce without having to use a bunch of spices.
- Frank’s hot sauce – This hot sauce is KEY. It will add some awesome spice and flavor to the recipe!
- mozzarella cheese – Adding some mozzarella to melt as the pasta cooks will create a creamy, cheesy pasta bake.
- sharp cheddar cheese – Combining cheddar cheese with the mozzarella cheese is only going to add to the cheesy effect of this recipe!
CAN I MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS TO THE RECIPE?
- chicken – I use canned chicken because it’s it’s easier, quicker, and cheaper. However, if you have some leftover chicken breast you can shred yourself or want to use a rotisserie chicken, you can totally use those options instead!
- cheese – Adding more cheese will make this better. I like to add mozzarella and cheddar, but you can use only one of them or another favorite to make this cheesier.
- greek yogurt – To make this dairy free, choose a plant-based yogurt. For an even creamier texture, you can opt for cream cheese or sour cream.
- Frank’s hot sauce – I do NOT recommend changing this ingredient! Frank’s is so good and and creates awesome flavor.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED FOR THIS RECIPE?
The only equipment you’ll need for this recipe is a casserole dish. A 9 x 13 dish will work great!
what is the process?
This pasta bake is so quick and easy! Here’s how to make it:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the greek yogurt, ranch seasoning, hot sauce, and half of both cheeses. Mix well.
- Add the paste and shredded chicken to the sauce mixture. Stir until chicken and paste are coated.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly across the top of the pasta.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- After cooking, top with green onions.
- Enjoy!
HOW DO I STORE IT?
This buffalo chicken pasta bake is so tasty right when it comes out of the oven! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge and use between 4-5 days.
CAN I REHEAT IT?
You can reheat this pasta bake in the microwave or oven.
- For the microwave: Cook 2-3 minutes.
- For the oven: Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
I like to add some extra cheese when I’m reheating this dish.
Looking for more recipes?
If you love buffalo chicken, try these buffalo chicken recipes:
Want THE RECIPE?
If you try this recipe and love it, please rate it and me know your thoughts! I hope you enjoy this dinner recipe.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
Equipment
- casserole dish
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole wheat penne pasta cooked
- 2 cups shredded chicken cooked
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp ranch seasoning mix or 1 packet of ranch seasoning mix
- 1/3 cup Frank’s hot sauce
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
For Topping
- 1/4 cup green onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the greek yogurt, ranch seasoning, hot sauce, and half of both cheeses. Mix well.
- Add the pasta and shredded chicken to the sauce mixture. Stir until chicken and past are coated.
- Pour the pasta mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly across the top of the pasta.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- After cooking, top with green onions.
- Enjoy!
This is was so delicious and easy to make!! The whole family enjoyed it!! This will be on repeat for sure!!
INCREDIBLE! I literally think this is my new favorite recipe. It you like buffalo chicken dip, you’re gonna love this one!
INCREDIBLE! I literally think this is my new favorite recipe. It you like buffalo chicken dip, you’re gonna love this one!
Absolutely delicious! My new favorite meal! Quick and easy with wonderful flavors!!
WOW. Go make this ASAP. My husband just said, “Sorry, there aren’t going to be leftovers!”
INCREDIBLE!!! Spicy, flavorful, delicious. So easy to make!
This was delicious and so easy to make!!
Delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing such an amazing and healthy recipe!
So easy to make and tastes so good!
This is by far my favorite recipe to make that Jordo offers. It tastes great, is super easy to make, packed with protein and if you love leftovers, holds up well in the fridge for a few days. I will agree that the Franks Red Hot sauce makes the recipe! 10/10 for this recipe all day long!
Made this tonight’s and loved it! Super easy and tons of flavor!!!
Okay seriously love me some spaghetti and wasn’t sure how this would turn out given it’s so low in calories but wow ??? loved it and husband approved. Definitely gonna be a staple in this house ?
So delicious and easy!
PHENOMENAL! So delicious and took me no time I’m in love!
I loved this recipe!! The flavors were perfect! It was just so so easy! I used a rotisserie chicken and pulled it apart when it was warm which saved a lot of time. I increased the chicken a little too. I’ll definitely will be making this again!
This is simply delicious. I’m all about simple yummy comfort food that fits my macros and this nails it!
This was so yummy!! Love the tangy and spicy combination of yogurt and hot sauce! Perfect weeknight dinner!
This is so easy and delicious!! I started with frozen chicken breasts, so I followed Jordo’s three ingredient Buffalo chicken recipe to cook the chicken in a crockpot. Then I removed the chicken, added the yogurt, cheese, and pasta to it, and baked it in a casserole dish and it came out great!
AMAZING!! Simple, easy to make and so delicious. My boyfriend said it was his new favorite recipe (and I’ve made A LOT of different delicious meals). I added extra chicken for more protein
Game Changer! This pasta dish is so delicious! So easy and yummy what more could you ask for. Everyone in the family couldn’t get enough!
5 STARS ACROSS THE BOARD!! (i’d give more if it were possible). made this for the first time last night after seeing jordo post this on insta, and let me just say, if you are a buffalo chicken lover, THIS is a MUST-TRY. I only have 1/4 of the bake left, and it hasn’t even been 12 hours yet… SO SO GOOD!!
Amazing! So great to have such a delicious AND healthy dinner!
AMAZING! Meal prepped this for my lunches for the week and it’s so easy and delicious! Definitely 10/10 and will be making many more appearances in my meal prep!
Easy to make. I subbed in Banza Chickpea Pasta for some extra protein! Filling and perfect for leftovers!
Has anyone had luck making a double batch to freeze one for later?! Wondering if it would turn out ?
I was SO excited about this recipe and finally tried it! It was super easy to make and I loved how few ingredients there are. I absolutely LOVE spicy food so this satisfied that craving. We paired it with a salad with apples, walnuts, and a vinaigrette to balance out the spicy with sweet. Definitely will make this again and again!
Guys, seriously! Make this recipe. It is so delicious! It is not difficult to make and it has such great flavors! I made this multiple times while counting my macros. It is already inputted into MyFitnessPal so it is very easy to keep track and reach your nutrition goals!
I am adding this to my meals for next week and trying to pre-log. When it says it is for 0.2 of the recipe, how much did you count that as? Lol maybe a silly question!
I hope you love it!! .2 is just 1/6 of the recipe! The easiest way to get this is to cut the entire casserole into 6 sections OR weigh the entire dish and divide by 6 (so you could get the measurement in grams). Either way will get you .2!
So so good!!
Incredibly good – will absolutely be making it again!
Loved this! Fit into my macros wonderfully and had so much flavor! I used Banza pasta and it worked so well with the dish!
This will 100% be a staple in my house!!! Sooo delicious and can’t get any easier! Perfect macro friendly meal for meal prep! In love ❤
Loved this so much! Super easy to make and I used Banza pasta to add even more protein. Will def make again and again!
So easy so delicious I debated making it a second week in a row for meal prep this week!!
Loved this recipe!!! Simple, easy and delicious ? Anything buffalo + ranch and I’m in
This was SO YUMMY and EASY! Absolutely loved it, best new recipe I’ve tried in awhile. To pack some extra veggies in, I added cauliflower and cut the pasta amount in half. Phenomenal! This was my first jordosworld recipe and now I can’t wait to try more of her recipes!
SO GOOD! I made this for meal prep, and then my boyfriend came home and ate the whole pan! I make this every week and usually more than once a week LOL! Love it y’all need to try this ASAP!!!
I made this for the first time this week & am so glad I chose to double the recipe. It came together quick, I already had everything on hand. It was a total hit with my family & I’ve never looked so forward to leftovers!
Absolutely delicious
THIS IS SO DELICIOUS!!! We just finished a pan and can’t wait to add it to our list next week. I love making it with lentil pasta to boost the protein even more, and have added a bag of chopped broccoli to boost the veggies. The sauce though is so yummy, I might start adding it to everything I make! Try this, you’ll love it!
I love how creamy & cheesy this bake is! Plus the macros are amazing! My entire family loved it, teen included! Delicious!
SO YUM! The first time I made it with cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt. Still yum! The second time, I still used cottage cheese, and I halved the pasta and used cauliflower instead, and I doubled the chicken for more protein. SO GOOD. I’ve been recommending it everywhere.
This recipe was SO GOOD. My husband is a picky eater and he loved this as well. We used just leftover grilled chicken breast we had on hand and it was just as good!
Just made this and it was delicious! Used Banza pasta and it was so good!
This is a new favorite for my house! Super easy to make. Healthy and delicious! We substituted Banza pasta since I’m gluten free. Will make this again very soon!!!
I love ALL things Buffalo and this did not disappoint!
Another recipe that was super simple and quick. I was surprised at how creamy the Greek yogurt actually was.
I will definitely make this again – it was hit!
This was DELICIOUS!! So filling and tasty! I will definitely be adding this to my weekly rotation! THANK YOU JORDO!
So simple, easy and SO delicious with so much flavor. Definitely will be adding into the dinner rotation. Thanks Jordo!
This was so good and easy to make! I used banza pasta for some extra protein and made easy shredded chicken in my instant pot! It did not disappoint! Thanks so much for sharing, all of the recipes I have tried from you have been AMAZING!!
Omg this was delicious and EASY which are my favorite qualities in a dinner. We are definitely adding this to our normal dinner rotation!
This was as good as it sounds! Tasted like buffalo chicken dip but with pasta! This will be happening once a week in my house for sure!
SO GOOD. Light and healthy but delicious. Sat down and gobbled it up right away. Can’t wait to remake this for friends!
This was soooo good and the perfect amount of spice! We used the banza pasta for extra protein and it was delicious. Going to be adding this to the rotation 🙂
My family loved this! I made a special pain with GF noodles for my celiac son, and he ate the whole thing! Thank you1!!
Kristi
Jordo has done it again! We love this recipe and are adding it to our rotation! Super quick, easy, and delicious!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! I cooked my chicken in the crockpot covered in Franks Hot sauce and it was so tender and flavorful! I love Jordos recipes and thank you for sharing with us all!
Don’t sleep on this recipe! The ranch seasoning is a game changer ?
This recipe was so easy to make and very delicious! The perfect amount of spice and very filling. Strongly recommend this dish!
This was SO good!!! I prepped the chicken on a Sunday, and then this came together SO fast during the week. Thank you for a great recipe!
Made this for the first time tonight and OH MY GOSH YUMMY! My fiancé and I are gluten and dairy free so we used dairy free sour cream and gluten free pasta and it was amazing! Very filling and hearty recipe! Must try if you like Buffalo sauce flavor!
This was delicious and easy to make! Next time, I’m going to add a bit more buffalo sauce!
This recipe is DELICIOUS!!!! & takes me no time at all to make! It’s even good reheated the next day. Yesterday I didn’t want to wait in the microwave line at work so I ate it cold and it was STILL delicious!!!
I use rotisserie chicken for convenience!
So, so easy and flavorful!
So freaking good! Even my 9 year old, who loves Buffalo anything but is EXTREMELY critical ? loved it! The macros are on point too- I got a huge serving loaded with protein for a super reasonable amount of calories, especially for pasta.
Hi! How much is a serving size? Do you have the amount in grams by chance? Super excited to try it!!
1/6 of the recipe is a serving size! The easiest way to calculate in grams is to weigh the entire recipe and divide by 6. Hope you like it!
I’ve made this now three times for my family!! We all love it! I have very very picky eaters (12 and 9 year old boys along with a picky 40 year old hubby) So very grateful for this dish. My 9 year old chose this over going out to eat!!! ?
So yummy and macro friendly! The portion size is big too so super filling! Will make again
This recipe is simply amazing and is packed with flavor! I used Banza pasta for extra protein and substituted the Greek yogurt for Daisy light sour cream, and it turned out absolutely delicious and so creamy. I also used an entire package of Perdue grilled chicken breast short cuts, which made this recipe quick to assemble. My husband even asked me to add this to our dinner rotation, so this is a keeper recipe for sure. Thank you Jordo for spicing up my dinner plans, while also allowing me to be macro-friendly 🙂
Made this recipe for my lunch meal prep and it was SO SO GOOD!! I used red lentil pasta and the buttermilk ranch recipe packet. Mine came out a little dry but I just added a drizzle of ranch on my servings and.. LIFE CHANGED! Thanks, Jordo for your recipe 😀
I could eat this everyday! My absolute favorite pasta. This was so easy to make, just like all her other recipes.
Wow! I think this has become one of our new favorite recipes! 10 out of 10 on this one! My husband was even blown away by this recipe!
This was seriously one of the best dinners we’ve had in our house in a long time!! My fiancé and I both had 2 servings and he took some to work (which he NEVER eats left overs!!!) 10/10 recommend!!
Incredible!!! I loved adding mine on top of greens! So creamy and so much flavor. If you’re wondering about making this, do it!!!!
This recipe gets made in a single or double batch just about weekly. It wasn’t until this week my husband requested to stray from the path of this buffalo chicken bake. I’m already depressed and missing it. I’ll probably make it this weekend. Banza is an amaazing pasta to use here and safe to say this is my go to safety net meal for intense training weeks that require hearty deliciousness.
This recipe was so easy (actually all of Jordo’s recipes are!!) ….and as I was making it, I realized I had enough ingredients to 2x the batch, so I threw together an extra and put it in the freezer! I love the simplicity of this recipe and that it’s packed with flavor!
INSANELY GOOD! There are very few meals (in my opinion) that taste good if not better as leftovers and this recipe is one of them. The flavors all compliment each other and it’s always a crowd pleaser!
SO SO SO GOOOOOOD!
Another 5 star recipe! So easy to put together and so much flavor! You don’t taste the yogurt at all. It’s creamy and filling with the balance of the pasta. we had it for lunch too and it reheated great! Wasn’t dry and held the flavor nicely! The macros are amazing also!