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 nutritious 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 this 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 pasta 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
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix or 1 packet of ranch seasoning mix
- ⅓ cup Frank's hot sauce
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
For Topping
- ¼ 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!
Carman says
My husband loves Buffalo chicken. Me not as much. But this recipe was so good! My kids even loved it. Not too spicy for them!
Alison L says
I’m not typically a Buffalo sauce fan, but absolutely loved this. It is so easy, and both my boyfriend and I enjoyed it. We’ve made it a few times now and will definitely keep it in the rotation;
Lacey Sandberg says
This is on the menu this week!!! Trying half spaghetti squash and half penne! Can’t wait as I know it’s a good one!
JG says
Easy, delicious, and the kids love it! Doesn’t get better than that!
Margot says
Dope!!
In case anyone’s wondering (like I was) about 8oz of dry pasta will give you approx 4cups cooked pasta
Angela says
Just a question…do you measure the pasta before or after you cook it?
Jordan Smith says
I cook the pasta and then measure!
Aimee says
This was amazing! I made this for meal prep and ate it for lunch all week! Will definitely be on rotation in my kitchen! Thank you!
Kim says
This my go to lunch meal prep. It's so good and reheats well. My husband takes some as well and even adds more buffalo sauce.
Shannon says
Really dumb question… am k to boil the pasta or do you bake it from dry?
Jordan Smith says
Hi Shannon, boil/cook the pasta before putting it into the mixture!
Macro Girl says
I wish you would show the measurements for the ingredients dry and uncooked instead of cooked. Would be much easier for macro purposes and measurements.
Katie says
Question - what’s the serving size?
Jordan Smith says
The recipe makes 6 servings so 1 serving is 1/6 of the casserole.
Lauren says
Can you please put the grams/serving for this? Thank you!
Jordan Smith says
Hi Lauren, the grams per serving will change depending on the specific ingredients you use. The easiest way to calculate this number is make the recipe, weight the total recipe and divide by number of servings (in this case, 6). The number you get will be the grams per serving. Hope that helps!
Becca says
This was so easy to make and delicious! On my weekly rotation for meal prep😍
Lauryn says
How many servings does this make??
Jordan Smith says
This recipe makes 6 servings.
Hannah says
I make this at least once a month because it's just that good!!! It fills you up and is great for meal preps!!
Jordan Smith says
It's a staple in our house too!