Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe (Keto & Whole30)
Published Jan 07, 2020 Updated Apr 17, 2024
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The best Buffalo Chicken Casserole that’s Keto, and can be tailored to be Whole30 and Paleo. Filled with shredded chicken, mayo, ranch, nutritional yeast, seasoning, banana peppers, and Frank’s buffalo sauce. An easy weeknight dinner made with simple ingredients and easy to customize!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
You know how much I love casserole recipes, and this new healthy Buffalo Chicken Casserole is a show-stopper! It’s a great way to pack a dinner full of protein, with fun and delicious flavors the whole family loves. Plus, it is such an easy dinner recipe and is Whole30, Keto, and Paleo-compliant. Healthy has never tasted so good!
I love this easy recipe because it’s versatile and customizable– you can use regular versions or the healthier swaps I’ve included, make it dairy-free, or use regular dairy– it’s all up to you! We use this as an option for meal prep, too. I will throw this in a glass storage container and serve it with a side salad drizzled with red wine vinegar, light olive oil, and a little lemon juice for an easy lunch that week.
If you love buffalo chicken flavors, try these Healthy Buffalo Chicken Bowls, or these Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.
Ingredient Notes
- cooked shredded chicken breast: You can use cooked rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, or cook chicken breasts and shred them.
- cauliflower rice: Raw (make sure all moisture is squeezed out). You can also use cooked white rice if desired (not whole30 or keto).
- Frank’s hot sauce: Use any buffalo wing sauce you like. I like Frank’s.
- dairy-free ranch dressing: I have this dairy-free ranch recipe. Feel free to use dairy-free or regular depending on your diet and lifestyle preferences.
- mayonnaise: I have this homemade whole30 compliant mayo or you can use your favorite store-bought option.
- chopped white onion
- banana peppers
- chopped green onions
- salt
- paprika
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- nutritional yeast
- shredded cheese (optional): Use mild or sharp cheddar cheese, blue cheese crumbles, or another cheese of choice. Omit for dairy-free.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, mayo, chopped green onions, chopped banana peppers, spices, and yellow onions. Mix well until everything is evenly coated.
- NOTE: If you are using frozen cauliflower rice, it is really important to cook it first then add it to a cheesecloth to remove any additional moisture. If you skip this step, it will result in a very wet casserole and it won’t set properly. If you can, I recommend getting the cauliflower rice or chopped cauliflower fresh in the produce aisle.
- Add the cauliflower rice to the large bowl of the chicken mixture and stir until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole.
- Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Once done, remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish with drizzled ranch, buffalo sauce, and additional chopped green onions.
Mac’s Pro TipS
Expert Tips
- Make sure not to overbake because it could possibly dry it out.
- If you don’t want to make my homemade mayo or ranch, then you can buy other compliant brands such as Primal Kitchen or Tessemae’s.
- Alternatively, if ranch isn’t your thing, you can swap for blue cheese dressing.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and enjoy!
To freeze, let it cool completely at room temperature. Then transfer the entire casserole (except for the garnish) to an airtight container or individual meal prep containers and place it in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat and serve.
Recipe FAQs
1 serving has 383 calories, 3 grams of net carbs, and 50 grams of protein!
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Creamy Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe (Keto & Whole30)
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs cooked shredded chicken breast (4 cups)
- 3 1/2 cups cauliflower rice raw (make sure all moisture is squeezed out)
- 1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce or buffalo sauce of choice
- 2 tbsp dairy-free ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup chopped white onion
- 1/3 cup banana peppers
- 1/3 cup chopped green onions
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Optional: 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese dairy-free or regular (omit if Whole30 or paleo)
Garnish
- 2 tbsp ranch dressing
- 2 tbsp tbsp Franks Hot Sauce
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, mayo, chopped green onions, spices, chopped banana peppers, and yellow onions. Mix well until everything is evenly coated.
- NOTE: If you are using frozen cauliflower rice, it is really important to cook it first then add to a cheesecloth to remove any additional moisture. If you skip this step, it will result in a very wet casserole and it won’t set properly. If you can, I recommend getting the cauliflower rice or chopped cauliflower fresh in the produce aisle.
- Add the cauliflower rice to the chicken mixture and stir until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole.
- Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Once done, remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Garnish with drizzled ranch, buffalo sauce and additional chopped green onions.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Make sure not to overbake because it could possibly dry it out.
- If you don’t want to make my homemade mayo or ranch, then you can buy other compliant brands such as Primal Kitchen or Tessemae’s.
- Alternatively, if ranch isn’t your thing, you can swap for blue cheese dressing.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and enjoy! To freeze, let it cool completely at room temperature. Then transfer the entire casserole (except for the garnish) to an airtight container or individual meal prep containers and place it in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Made this tonight for my hot-wing loving husband and it was a hit!! Thank you for a great recipe.
I am so happy to hear this. Glad it was a hit
Loved this recipe! I used regular white rice instead of cauliflower so my boyfriend didn’t complain (lol), mozzarella cheese, and sprinkled Frank’s red hot seasoning blend on top. It was the perfect dish to make ahead of time, refrigerate, and heat up the day of! I cut the recipe in half and it made a good amount to have leftovers for 2 people. I was surprised how little ranch and mayo are in it!! I got out the bottle in case I needed extra when eating but I didn’t!
This is so great to hear, Mandy! Thank you
This was an excellent dish! I have to admit…I was a little skeptical of how it would be reviewed by my family….but even my very picky 8 yr old (who eats basically zero veggies) enthusiastically gave it 2 thumbs up and said he could eat it everyday. This will def be on repeat in our household.