This Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole upgrades classic buffalo chicken to a high-protein, veggie-loaded recipe. Freezer-friendly and ready in just 45 minutes, it’s great to make ahead of time for a quick dinner. Serve it on its own, or pair it with your favorite sides for a filling high-protein, low-carb meal that suits a variety of dietary needs.
Recipe Highlights: Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole
This buffalo chicken casserole is one recipe you’ll want to keep in your arsenal to come back to again and again because it:
- Utilizes healthful ingredients like lean chicken, whole eggs, and fresh vegetables
- Is freezer-friendly, meaning you can prepare an extra batch or two for easy weeknight meals
- Features familiar flavors in a creamy sauce for a recipe even the pickiest of eaters will be excited to eat
Upgrade Your Dinner With Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole
This buffalo chicken casserole is more than your average hot dish recipe. Featuring all the comforting warmth you look for in a casserole, it’s lightened up, veggie-loaded, and given a boost of flavor from the creamy buffalo sauce. Made with tender chicken, cauliflower rice, red pepper, and carrots, this buffalo casserole is easy to modify to suit your flavor preferences and dietary needs. When comfort food casseroles are on the mind, add our Chicken Pot Pie Casserole to your menu.
Ingredients to Make Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Here are all the ingredients to gather to make this buffalo chicken casserole right away:
- Chicken breast – you’ll need pre-cooked chicken that has been shredded or chopped. To cook the chicken and keep it tender and juicy, we recommend our no-fail stovetop recipe for perfect chicken breasts or Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Oil – we recommend extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil because they are less processed and a neutral flavor
- Fresh vegetables – a combination of cauliflower rice, carrots, red bell pepper, and yellow onion forms the base of the casserole adding texture and nutrients
- Herbs and spices – you’ll need garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper
- Buffalo sauce – use your favorite purchased buffalo sauce (we love the Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Buffalo Sauce). Or, make your own using our easy Homemade Buffalo Sauce recipe
- Mayo – this is what creates the creamy consistency. Use your favorite dairy-free mayo (ours is Primal Kitchen Mayo, which is made with avocado oil)
- Eggs – an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, this helps create a richer flavor and acts as a binder to hold the casserole together
- Toppings – we love to add even more flavor by topping this creamy buffalo chicken casserole off with a drizzle of ranch dressing (try our Homemade Ranch), hot sauce, or additional buffalo sauce, and a sprinkle of green onions
Ingredient Spotlight: Chicken
One of the most versatile protein sources available, we use chicken in a wide variety of recipes like those included in this 14 sheet pan chicken recipes post. Not only is it budget-friendly and delicious, but chicken is also:
- An excellent source of complete protein
- Rich in B vitamins
- A good source of some minerals such as zinc, iron, and copper
How to Make This Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe
One of the best things about casserole recipes is how simple they are to make, and this buffalo chicken casserole is no different. Here are the basic steps for how to assemble it:
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, and add the vegetables and seasonings. Sauté the mixture, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and the rest of the vegetables are partially cooked through. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.
- Create the sauce: In a bowl, whisk the buffalo sauce, mayo, and eggs together until smooth.
- Combine the casserole: Mix the veggies, chicken, and sauce together in the casserole dish, and spread them out evenly.
- Bake: Place the casserole in the oven, letting it bake until the center is set. Add your favorite toppings, and enjoy this buffalo chicken casserole recipe while it’s warm!
For the complete directions, ingredient amounts, and nutrition analysis that lists calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium per serving, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy buffalo chicken casserole can easily be served on its own as it’s complete with plenty of satisfying protein, fats, and fiber. However, if you want to add more to your plate, there are plenty of options. To keep your meal healthful, we recommend pairing it with a green veggie such as broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, or a side salad. Or, this casserole is also great served over a plain baked potato or sweet potato!
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll want to use pre-cooked chicken for this recipe. Raw chicken will not have enough time to cook all the way through. You may use either pre-cooked shredded or cubed chicken.
When placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge, leftovers will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Yes! This buffalo chicken casserole makes a great freezer meal. After cooking, allow the casserole to cool completely. Then, transfer it to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat, let your leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, warm individual servings in a microwave-safe dish. Or, place them back in a casserole dish, and heat them in the oven.
When to Make Buffalo Chicken Casserole
We’re particularly fond of this recipe as a freezer meal, and frequently include it in our meal prep lineup. However, it’s also great for a weeknight meal or pitch-in contribution that will satisfy even the hungriest of crowds. Whether you’re hosting a post-gameday feast or simply feeding your family, this flavorful casserole is a delicious and healthy option!
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Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole
This veggie-loaded casserole is full of buffalo chicken flavor and so good right out of the oven. It comes together quickly by combining sautéed veggies, chicken, and a quick-to-make creamy buffalo sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 3 cups fresh cauliflower rice (such as Taylor Farms, Eat Smart, Cece’s Veggie Co., or Earthbound)
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 3–4 garlic cloves, minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- Dash of salt and black pepper
- 3/4 cup purchased buffalo sauce (or homemade buffalo sauce)
- ⅓ cup mayo
- 2 whole eggs
- 1¼–1½ lbs. chicken breast, cooked and shredded (~3 heaping cups cooked shredded)
- Optional garnishes: ranch dressing of choice (or homemade ranch), hot sauce or additional buffalo sauce, and sliced green onion).
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Grease a 3-4 qt. casserole dish (9 x 13 also works) and set aside.
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, add oil. Once oil is hot, add the cauliflower rice, carrots, red pepper, yellow onion, garlic powder, dried parsley, and a dash of salt and black pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the veggies are partially cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary. Transfer the veggies to the casserole dish.
- While the veggies are sautéing, in a bowl, combine the buffalo sauce, mayo, and eggs.
- In the casserole dish, mix together the veggies, chicken, and the sauce mixture. Spread out the mixture in an even layer.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until center is set.
- Remove from oven and drizzle with ranch, hot sauce or additional buffalo sauce, sliced green onion, and and a dash black pepper. Serve hot.
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Notes
The recipe was originally published October 24, 2019; Blog post updated March 8, 2023 with no changes to the recipe.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 325
- Fat: 23 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Carbohydrate: 8 g
- (Fiber: 2 g
- Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 21 g
Dietary
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Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
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So delicious!!
Thank you Lisa! We are so happy to hear you found this recipe delicious!
How would you substitute rice for cauliflower rice? What step would you add it?
Hi Angela, I would suggested cooking the rice separately (you’ll need about 3 cups of cooked rice) and then stir it into the mixture in Step 4 when you add everything to the casserole dish.
We liked it!
First time I followed recipe. It was good but thought it could add some more flavor as well as some
More protein. Tonight we added 8 oz Buffalo Ranch-primal kitchen. Swapped out carrots for zuchinni and added 1/3 cup quinoa and 1 cup of broth. Delicious! Love the creaminess without dairy! Thank you!
Delicious! Subbed sour cream for mayo. Whole family enjoyed it!!
Awesome Jenn! Thanks for the feedback and 5-star review!
Can I assemble the casserole (and store in the fridge, obvi) a few hours before I intend to bake it? If so, should I let it sit out for a little while, so it doesn’t go into the oven super cold? Should I add baking time?
Also, using frozen cauli rice b/c I cannot find fresh…I already saw your tip about thawing/extra sauté time. One more question–should I saute the frozen cauli rice before (or separately from) the other veggies?
Hi Katie, you could bring the dish out on counter while oven is heating up and that should be fine. We would recommend cooking the cauli rice partially and then adding to the mixture. It can cook with the vegetables, usually until the onions are translucent. Hope that helps! Enjoy!
Out of eggs can I sub anything else? I have plain Greek yogurt, light sour cream
Hi Karen, we have not tested with these options, but you could use 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream to replace the eggs, and you should have good results.