Best Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe

Needing a low-carb, high-protein casserole with crave-worthy buffalo chicken flavor? You've come to the right place. 

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Why are casseroles so good?

I am always singing the praises of casseroles on this blog. Yes, it betrays a bit of my midwestern sensibility, but a delicious casserole has a lot of things going for it:

• Casseroles are a complete meal all in one dish
• Casseroles are comfort food, but can still be very nutritious 
• Casseroles are crowd pleasers, good for a whole family
• Casseroles are meal-prep friendly

That bulleted list could be 20 items long and I still wouldn't run out of things to say about them. There are some questionable casserole out in the world, but the best ones take an easy recipe and make it come out great every time. Some of my favorite recipes are casseroles. They're such a breeze to meal prep, and I don't think I ever tire of easy dinners. 

This buffalo chicken casserole uses riced cauliflower to take the buffalo chicken from appetizer to main course. If you haven't had riced cauliflower, you may be surprised that you can find it in most major grocery store chains in the freezer section. 

If you have no such luck but can still find a cauliflower, you can make your own cauliflower rice using the linked recipe or a similar method. 

Buffalo Chicken Casserole Ingredients

Here's what goes into making this buffalo chicken recipe (see recipe card below for exact amounts):

• chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
• frozen riced cauliflower (cauliflower rice)
• cheddar cheese (shredded)
• mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• neufchatel cheese
• nonfat greek yogurt
• Frank's buffalo sauce (or comparable alternative)
• ranch seasoning
• salt
• pepper
• topping: green onions

Note that this recipe calls for cooked chicken that is shredded already. If you only have raw chicken, you will need to cook and shred it first before following the recipe instructions. 

​Substitutions

Meat: ​This is a buffalo chicken casserole, after all, but you can substitute another meat of choice (such as ground turkey) or even use a meat substitute. 

Cheese​: There are three cheeses at play here: cheddar, mozzarella, and neufchatel cheese. For neufchatel, you can subsitute cream cheese. For cheddar and mozzarella, you can use any commonly available shredded cheese, though the flavor and texture will obviously differ. 

Sauce​: I usually use Frank's because it's practically everywhere. Most stores seem to have their own version, or you may have a different buffalo sauce you prefer. I say go for it!

How To Make Buffalo Chicken Casserole

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Put the block of neufchâtel cheese in a microwave-safe bowl & microwave for 45 seconds to soften. Add the greek yogurt and seasonings to the bowl and mix well.
• In a large bowl, combine the greek yogurt and neufchatel cheese mixture, buffalo sauce, and half of both cheeses. Mix well.
• Add the rice and shredded chicken to the sauce mixture. Stir until chicken and rice are coated.
• Pour the mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly across the top.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• After cooking, top with green onions.
• Enjoy!

Is Buffalo Chicken Casserole Good for Low-Carb Diet

You may have any number of reasons for watching your carbohydrate intake or following a low-carb diet. While I always recommend you consult a professional for guidance on nutrition, anyone can begin to track their macros (macronutrients) and pay attention to intake. 

For those watching their overall carb intake, you may like to know that this buffalo chicken casserole only has 7 grams of carbohydrates per serving. An easy casserole recipe is always nice to have, but a low carb casserole can be hard to find, with the common emphasis on pastas and starches in casserole recipes. 

What goes best with buffalo chicken?

With the subtle heat and tangy flavor that buffalo chicken provides, you might think of a counterpart to offset the distinctive flavor of buffalo wing sauce. The creaminess of ranch dressing or sour cream can fit the bill nicely, as would the classic pairing of blue cheese dressing or blue cheese crumbles. 

Serving some celery sticks alongside your main meal would be a great way to introduce some greens and give a cooling contrast to a spicy casserole. A side salad is also quite at home with this dish. 

​How to store buffalo chicken casserole

Depending on how many people you need to feed, you may not even find yourself with leftovers. If you're not dealing with a big group or you're purposefully making ahead for meal prep, though, I see there being two basic approaches. 

For ultimate ease of cleanup, you can simply put aluminum foil or plastic wrap over the remaining food in the casserole dish, and place the whole dish in the refrigerator. When you want to eat some more, either serve yourself a portion and heat in the microwave, or bring back up to temperature by heating in the oven at 300 degrees (I recommend aluminum foil for the oven—don't use plastic wrap). 

The other approach, which I usually take, is dividing the dish into individual portions using airtight glass or plastic containers. I let the casserole reach room temperature, cut into servings and put each into an airtight container. I reheat these in the microwave anytime I need it—easy weeknight dinner, anyone?

More Meal-Prep Friendly Recipes

​If you liked this recipe, you might try one of these other Jordo's World staples:

• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
• Healthy Chicken Enchiladas
• Turkey Pasta Primavera