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!
Heather says
This is simply delicious. I’m all about simple yummy comfort food that fits my macros and this nails it!
April says
This was so yummy!! Love the tangy and spicy combination of yogurt and hot sauce! Perfect weeknight dinner!
Joelle says
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!
Khitch23 says
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
Bridget says
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!
Sam says
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!!
Nora says
Amazing! So great to have such a delicious AND healthy dinner!
Kassandra says
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!
Amy Deschamp says
Easy to make. I subbed in Banza Chickpea Pasta for some extra protein! Filling and perfect for leftovers!
Tanya says
Has anyone had luck making a double batch to freeze one for later?! Wondering if it would turn out ?
Shari says
@Tanya, Just a fellow follower here, but thought I would chime in. It will freeze but texture will change a lot. sour cream and/or yogurt get watery after freezing/thawing.
Shari says
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!
Elenie King says
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!
Lexi says
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!
Jordan Smith says
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!
HN says
So so good!!
HN says
Incredibly good - will absolutely be making it again!
Jen says
Loved this! Fit into my macros wonderfully and had so much flavor! I used Banza pasta and it worked so well with the dish!