Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Casserole with bold flavor and the perfect kick is made healthier with extra veggies and contains 23 grams of protein. So easy to make too!
We also love bite-sized buffalo chicken bites and buffalo chicken meatballs.
Table of Contents
When I made a Big Mac casserole lighter with cauliflower rice it was a huge win! So for this buffalo chicken casserole, I mixed rice with cauliflower rice, packed in the veggies, and skipped the cream cheese.
Comfort food looks different for everyone, but for me, casseroles are where it’s at. I love taking those cozy classics and giving them a healthier spin!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Healthy ingredients: Packed with lean chicken, fresh vegetables, and 23 grams of protein. Gluten free too!
- Easy to make: Saute the veggies, toss it all in a dish, and bake. Great for weeknights or meal prep.
- Home cooked comfort: This buffalo chicken casserole recipe is hearty and full of cheesy, tangy, spicy flavor.
- Crowd pleaser: Everyone will love it, whether it’s dinner with the family or a potluck.
Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Here’s all the healthy staples you’ll need for this dish.
- Cooked chicken: You’ll need 3 cups pre-cooked shredded chicken breasts. My go-to methods are crock pot shredded chicken and Instant Pot shredded chicken.
- Vegetables: I added onion, red peppers, carrots, and celery for texture, color, and nutrients.
- Rice: A combination of cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen, and white rice bulk up this casserole making it a hearty, healthy dinner.
- Mayo: For the homemade buffalo sauce, I used avocado oil mayo.
- Frank’s red hot sauce: Use whatever brand you like and tweak the amount to suit your spice tolerance.
- Chicken broth: I always use low sodium or my homemade chicken broth, if I have it. It adds flavor, moisture, and cooks the rice.
- Cheddar cheese: You want to use flavorful melty cheese like sharp cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese.
- Oil and cooking spray: For frying and greasing the casserole dish.
- Toppings: We love ours garnished with green onion, avocado, and crumbled blue cheese.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Here’s a quick overview of how to assemble this simple casserole recipe.
Preheat the oven to 375 F and grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set it aside.
- Saute the veggies: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes, then add carrots and celery and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine ingredients: Add the cauliflower rice and cook until it’s warm. Pour it into the baking dish and add the chicken, rice, mayo, hot sauce, and chicken broth. Stir and level with spatula.
- Bake: Sprinkle the cheese on top, cover tightly, and bake in the preheated oven until the rice is cooked, roughly 40 minutes.
- Finish and serve: Let it sit for 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven. Top with green onion, avocado, and blue cheese crumbles. I sliced mine into 8 pieces, but you can cut them bigger or smaller based on your appetite. Add extra toppings like ranch, jalapeños, or more hot sauce, if you like!
Tips for Best Results
Here are a few easy tips to pair with this simple dinner.
- Bake covered: To trap in moisture so the rice cooks perfectly. It also lets the flavors meld.
- Don’t peek: Once you place the casserole in the oven, don’t open the oven door and lift cover to check on it. The steam will escape, adding cook time.
- All ovens very: Some bake hotter, some less. Do a taste test at the end and cook longer, if needed.
- If your rice is undercooked: If you taste test the rice and it’s a bit hard, cook for extra 10 minutes. I’d also add 1/2 cup broth, if it looks dry.
- Let it rest: All the extra moisture will get absorbed and amp up the flavor. Don’t skip!
Variations
- Rotisserie chicken: You can substitute rotisserie chicken but keep in mind it’s more salty. Make sure not to use the skin.
- Brown rice: For an even healthier option, use brown rice but it will take longer to cook. Check after 45 minutes, and you might need to add a bit more broth.
- Without cauliflower rice: Omit cauliflower and use 1.5 cups rice with 3 cups broth total.
- Mayo substitute: Mayo adds flavor and we don’t use that much. But you could use Greek yogurt instead, although it might separate. Or blend equal amount of cottage cheese and add but casserole will be less rich.
Serving Ideas
This cheesy buffalo chicken casserole works as a complete meal with plenty of protein and veggies. If you’d like to add something on the side, I’d recommend a helping of greens like air fryer broccoli or garlic green beans.
You could also whip up a cool and refreshing salad like a classic Caesar salad, mixed greens with avocado cilantro dressing, or a crunchy cucumber and tomato salad.
And don’t forget the toppings! Try adding extra avocado, jalapeños, crumbled bacon, chopped cilantro, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, or a drizzle of ranch dressing or Greek yogurt blue cheese dressing.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Casseroles are perfect for leftovers! This one can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: I like to reheat this dish in a microwave in 45 seconds increments until warmed through.
FAQs
No, don’t pre-cook the rice. It cooks in the casserole using the broth, soaks up all the flavors and gets tender without becoming mushy.
I don’t recommend it. If you mix in ground chicken, the casserole will clump a lot. Maybe cubed raw chicken will work but I think it will release extra moisture and will clump up too.
Yes! You can assemble the casserole and refrigerate covered for up to 24 hours. Then bring to room temperature for 30 minutes and bake as per recipe.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
- Buffalo chicken tacos
- Healthy buffalo chicken dip
- Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip
- Buffalo chicken chili
- Cucumber appetizers
More Lighter Casseroles to Try
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large cooked chicken breasts, shredded (3 cups)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 4 large celery stalks, diced
- 1 tablespoon oil, for frying
- 16 ounces cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup white rice, rinsed & drained
- 1/3 cup mayo, I use avocado oil mayo
- 1/2 cup Frank’s red hot sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
- Blue cheese, green onion, avocado, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F and spray large 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Preheat large skillet on medium heat and add oil. Add onion and bell pepper, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and celery, cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add cauliflower rice and cook until heated through. Transfer to prepared baking dish along with chicken, rice, mayo, hot sauce and chicken broth. Stir to combine and level with spatula.
- Sprinkle evenly with cheese, tightly cover and bake for 40 minutes or until rice is cooked.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with green onion, avocado and blue cheese crumbles. Cut into 8 slices and serve hot. You can add other toppings like healthy ranch, jalapenos and more hot sauce.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious!! Better than I expected !
Yay! I agree with you, I was pleasantly surprised by this casserole. I thought it would be more boring but it wasn’t.
Another great hotdish for a cold Minnesota winter evening! Super easy to make with standard pantry and fridge items.
The blue cheese and green onions are key toppings, along with more hot sauce in our house. Love the riced cauliflower as it doesn’t absorb all the liquid like rice which can make the dish dry.
Can’t wait for leftovers in my lunch tomorrow!
It’s my absolute pleasure to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much, Joy! Enjoy your lunch!