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Add some spicy twist to a classic family recipe! This creamy buffalo chicken lasagna is about to become your favorite comfort meal.
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
What can I say about this recipe? It sure doesn’t taste as healthy as it really is! Layers of spice are sandwiched in between tender shredded chicken and thick noodles. All of it is tied together with creamy, melted cheese.
The spicy buffalo sauce is a surprising twist on a classic recipe!
Everyone is used to ground beef in an Italian-flavored marinara sauce. Now, there is nothing wrong with a classic lasagna– I love it! But, I wanted to try something a bit different.
I took that idea and made it taste more like my favorite game-day food… buffalo chicken wings.
The result is a sauce that wakes up your taste buds and makes you look forward to every bite. Thankfully, it is low enough in calories and high in nutrients and fiber so you can eat your fill without guilt!
Ingredients Needed
The reason this buffalo chicken lasagna tastes so good is that I used whole ingredients that are good for you. The best part is, that it doesn’t take any longer to use fresh ingredients. Here is a bit more information about what I used:
- Lasagna Noodles: I used 10 ounces of rice lasagna noodles in order to make this gluten-free. They needed to be cooked ahead. You can also use a no-cook noodle and can use any type of noodle if you are not gluten-free.
- Avocado Oil: You will need 2 tablespoons of your favorite kind of healthy oil to saute the vegetables.
- Carrots: Chop up two large carrots. Dice them really small since they will be added to the sauce.
- Onion: Use your favorite type of onion, but my go-to is red onions. They have the boldest flavor! Make sure to dice the onion as small as you can.
- Celery Stalks: I used three celery stalks, but you can use fewer stalks if you don’t like how it tastes. Dice them up small as well.
- Garlic: If you really enjoy the taste and aroma of garlic, you can use it more. I minced 3 garlic cloves.
- Chicken: Any type of chicken will do! You will use 3 heaping cups of cooked and shredded chicken in the lasagna.
- Buffalo Sauce: This is what gives the lasagna the spicy heat. Use 1 cup of it.
- Ricotta Cheese: I used one 15-ounce tub of ricotta cheese to add creaminess to the layers.
- Blue Cheese Dressing: This is optional but I suggest you use it because it adds earthiness to the cheese layers. You can also use ranch instead of blue cheese – use 1/2 a cup.
- Egg: This is an emulsifier and helps all the ingredients in the cheese layer stick together – you need 1 large egg.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley tastes the best, so chop up 1/4 a cup.
- Mozzarella Cheese: You’ll need 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese. It melts beautifully and will give the lasagna and golden crust on top.
- Salt and Pepper: Use as much as you like to season the ingredients.
Kitchen Tools Required
This recipe uses very basic kitchen tools. Here is what I used:
- 9×13 Casserole Dish
- Non-Stick Spray
- Large Saute Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
For measuring, you will need 1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup, and 1 tablespoon.
How To Make An Easy Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
This recipe is pretty easy to make, especially if you have ever made lasagna before!
First, cook the noodles and then set them aside. You may skip this step if you are using no-cook noodles.
Then, preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
In a large saute pan or dutch oven, heat oil over high heat. Once hot, add carrots, celery, and onions and cook for 6-7 minutes or until softened. Add garlic for one minute.
In a large bowl, mix together shredded chicken and buffalo sauce. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic into the chicken mixture. Stir until combined.
In a smaller bowl, mix together ricotta, blue cheese, egg, and parsley. Add in 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir.
Layer 1/2 of the buffalo chicken mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish. Then, add a layer of noodles. Add half of the ricotta mixture, followed by a layer of noodles. Add the other half of the chicken mixture, followed by more noodles, and then the rest of the ricotta mixture. Top with remaining shredded mozzarella.
Bake for 40 minutes and then broil for the last 4-5 minutes to get a golden top. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
That’s it! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Below are some common lasagna questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!
How many layers must a lasagna have?
Honestly, the number of layers in a lasagna is completely up to you. Most typical lasagna recipes call for either three or four layers.
Why do you put eggs in a lasagna?
Almost every single lasagna recipe calls for an egg in the cheese mixture. This is because the egg makes it even creamier and binds all the layers of the lasagna together. If you leave the egg out, it will still taste and look delicious, but it won’t hold its form as well.
Can I use frozen vegetables?
While it is ok for you to saute frozen celery and carrots, I think using fresh vegetables will give you better results. Frozen vegetables have a higher water content in them, so they will give you a different texture when you saute them.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free! If you do not eat a gluten-free diet, you can certainly use a different type of noodles.
Substitution Tip
Wondering if you can use a different type of meat and vegetables? There are a few ways you can!
Instead of chicken, use shredded beef or pork loin. It will give you a different taste and texture, but it will still taste pretty delicious.
Try this recipe with different types of vegetables too! Just make sure you dice them up very small. Here are a few different types that I think will also work really well:
- Bell Peppers
- Squash
- Zucchini
- Cauliflower
Storing leftovers
This recipe is the perfect thing to use in your meal prep. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
Here are some more of my favorite chicken recipes. Enjoy!
- Healthy Baked Chicken Parmesan
- One-Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- One-Pan Honey Mustard Chicken Dinner
- Healthy Chicken Nuggets
- Healthy BBQ Chicken Thighs
Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa
Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
Add some spicy twist to a classic family recipe! This creamy buffalo chicken lasagna is about to become your favorite comfort meal.
Ingredients
- 10 oz lasagna noodles *see notes
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 large carrots, diced small
- 3 celery stalks, diced small
- 1 yellow onion, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 heaping cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing (or ranch)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package, drain and rinse with cold water.
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large saute pan or dutch oven, heat oil over high heat. Once hot, add carrots, celery, and onions and cook for 6-7 minutes or until softened. Add garlic for one minute.
- In a large bowl, mix together shredded chicken and buffalo sauce. Add in carrots, celery, onion, and garlic into chicken mixture. Stir until combined.
- In smaller bowl, mix together ricotta, blue cheese, egg and parsley. Add in 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir.
- In bottom of casserole dish, layer 1/2 of the buffalo chicken mixture. Then add a layer of noodles. Add half of the ricotta mixture, followed by a layer of noodles. Add the other half of the chicken mixture, followed by more noodles, and then the rest of the ricotta mixture. Top with remaining shredded mozzarella.
- Bake for 40 minutes and then broil for the last 4-5 minutes to get a golden top. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
* I used brown rice noodles that you must cook ahead before using, but you can also use no-cook noodles. You also do not need to use brown rice if not GF.
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LD Brown says
Yum 😋 I’m going to have to make this one ☝️ night for Dinner 🥘
★★★★★
Margaret says
This recipe surprised me in the best way possible! We are big fans of Erin’s Buffalo chicken sweet potato casserole in this house, but I was nervous to try it in the form of lasagna. It is so good! And it makes for a lot of leftovers that we don’t mind eating over and over again!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Margaret, so happy you loved it so much! 🙂
JFro says
This was outrageously good! I omitted the carrots, used ranch instead of blue cheese dressing, and added extra cheese (mozzarella & blue cheese crumbles) and it turned out perfectly to my liking! I also used no-boil lasagna noodles and the recipe still worked great! This will be my new go-to when I’m craving heat🔥
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi, so happy you liked it and made it your own! 🙂
Mac says
Made this last night for a friendsgiving and it was a huge hit! Tasted amazing and truly wasn’t that complicated to make. I used rotisserie chicken
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Mac, so happy you enjoyed it!!
Robin says
Absolutely delicious! This will now be a staple in our dinner rotation.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Robin, so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Vanessa says
Made for the family last night! So delicious! Will definitely be adding it to our recipe rotation. To add some additional flavour, I slow cooked my chicken all day and added blue cheese crumbles. Yum! Yum! Yum!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Vanessa, so happy everyone loved it so much! 🙂
Stephanie says
such a great twist to regular lasagna! made it the other day and my fiancé and I loved it! it tasted amazing the next day too!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Stephanie, so happy you loved it!
Kelsey Allen says
So easy and delicious! My husband loves it, too. It will definitely be added into our dinner rotation, especially because there are a ton of leftovers for easy lunch/dinners later this week. Thanks, Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Kelsey, so happy you both enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Olivia says
Such a great and easy recipe! I used 2 lbs ground chicken instead of shredded chicken and it turned out great!
Erin says
Hi Olivia, so glad you enjoyed it!!
Jenny says
I love this recipe so much that I’ve made it twice in the last week! I had it for my birthday dinner when I was celebrating with family and made it again for dinners the next week. It’s perfect. Great flavors, easy to make, and not too many ingredients (and most are pantry staples). As a bonus, it also reheats well!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jenny, so happy you loved it so much!! 🙂
Rosie says
Thanks Erin for this spicy creation! I should’ve should the noodles to boil like you suggested, but instead I used the ‘oven ready’ the top layer of noodles came out somewhat crunchy (haha!). But to say the least it was delicious!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Rosie, so happy you still enjoyed it!!
Christina says
I made this last night for dinner. We loved it! I may have enjoyed it even more than normal lasagna. Thanks Erin for this awesome recipe.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Christina, so happy you loved it!!
Meaghan says
So delicious. Took a big longer to cook (it was also my first time making lasagna lol) but totally worth the time! It was a huge hit with my whole family.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Meaghan, so happy everyone loved it!! 🙂
Laura says
Can’t wait to make this! What would be the directions for freezing? Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Laura, I would freeze it in a seal tight Tupperware container. Pasta never does great when frozen, so expect it to be a little mushy. Hope this helps!
Laura Lee says
So good!! So easy to prep and the flavor was perfect. The whole family loved it!
Erin says
Hi Laura, so glad you loved it!!
mimi says
Seriously one of the tastiest things I’ve made in a while! Another fabulous ELW recipe to make again and again!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Mimi, so happy you loved it!!
Meredith says
Made this for dinner last night. Soooo good!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Meredith, so happy you loved it!!
Jill says
YUM!!! I don’t do Buffalo, but I made this subbing bbq sauce and ranch and we LOVED it.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jill, so glad you made it your own and loved it! 🙂
casey colodny says
Such a fun take on a classic dish that is equally delicious and so easy to whip up!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Casey, so glad you loved it! 🙂