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!
Carlie Melancon says
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!
Amber says
So, so easy and flavorful!
Alicia says
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.
Frankie says
Hi! How much is a serving size? Do you have the amount in grams by chance? Super excited to try it!!
Jordan Smith says
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!
April says
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!!! ?
Makenna Hornsby says
So yummy and macro friendly! The portion size is big too so super filling! Will make again
Megan says
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 🙂
Mallory says
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 😀
Ariana Dowell says
I could eat this everyday! My absolute favorite pasta. This was so easy to make, just like all her other recipes.
Sammi says
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!
Whitney says
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!!
Carly says
Incredible!!! I loved adding mine on top of greens! So creamy and so much flavor. If you’re wondering about making this, do it!!!!
Tanya says
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.
Mindy says
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!
Alexa W says
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!