Thrown together in one pan, full of protein, veggies + healthy fats, this Buffalo Chicken Casserole is creamy + tangy, dreamy + zesty. It’s sure to become a family fav!
I am all about the one pan meals these days. If I can chuck some protein, some veggies, maybe a carb or some fat together in one pan, bake it or sauté it + have a meal? I’m in. Life gets freaking busy + I’m not always down for a million pans and all sorts of dish washing, but I’m not really willing to sacrifice good food either. And the good news is? I don’t have to. And neither do you. Because whole food, delicious meals like this Buffalo Chicken Casserole can be made in one pan, in not a lot of time. Best of both worlds, baby!
What goes into a Buffalo Chicken Casserole?
The ingredient list for this meal really isn’t too daunting. It’s some chicken, some veggies + a few bits to make some sauce. Honestly, a lot of the ingredients are interchangeable or leaveoutable (new word? ha!) if you don’t have some of them on hand!
The base of this Buffalo Chicken Casserole is made from cauliflower rice. Even if you don’t like cauliflower, give it a chance! I promise that you can’t really taste any cauliflower, it just adds the correct texture and a bit of veggie bulk. But, if you really can’t stomach cauliflower, you could probably use butternut squash rice, sweet potato rice or even some cooked and shredded butternut squash.
The other veggie components are just some onion + garlic for flavour and some celery for authentic crunch and flavour. You could absolutely add in some chopped carrot and/or chopped pepper if you’re trying to get as many vegetables into your meal as possible.
Next, we need the chicken. You have two options, really, on what type of chicken to use in your Buffalo Chicken Casserole. If you’re concerned for time or want to make this easy, peasy, I’d just buy a rotisserie chicken! Be sure to check the ingredient list, especially if you’re gluten or dairy free, but a rotisserie chicken makes for such easy prep. Simply, pull off the meat + shred! Done!
Or, simply poach some boneless chicken breasts + shred those! You can either boil your chicken breasts in water on the stove for 12-15 minutes or cook the for the same in the instant pot. Either will work + produce juicy, cooked chicken that’s perfect for shredding + adding to this recipe.
The Magic Sauce
The last few ingredients are the components of the sauce + this is where the real magic happens. The sauce is so simple, but it’s SO good. Simply mix together some buffalo sauce, some mayo, eggs + apple cider vinegar!
In terms of buffalo sauce, choose one that you’re comfortable with. Honestly, I love Frank’s! It’s so tangy + spicy + delish. But, if you want to keep it as clean as possible, you can use a hot sauce in it’s place, which tends to have a bit shorter of an ingredient list.
Likewise, I choose avocado oil mayonnaise because I do pay attention to what types of oils I consume, but feel free to use whatever brand you like most. (Vegetable oils, like soybean or canola, typically used in store-bought mayo can cause all sorts of inflammation for people!)
The eggs are just used as a binder, so please do leave them in! And lastly, a splash of apple cider vinegar adds really great tang. All together, the sauce of this Buffalo Chicken Casserole is next level.
Putting together the Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Putting this Buffalo Chicken Casserole together is so simple, I promise. Simply sauté your veggies + cauliflower rice together in a pan until softened, add the chicken + the sauce! Stir together + bake – that’s literally it.
Once it bakes, you’re left with the creamiest, dreamiest, divine Buffalo Chicken Casserole, which is an entire meal in one pan. Drizzle it with some ranch, top with some coconut yogurt or extra buffalo sauce like I did. This meal is one that will PLEASE the entire family + it’s:
- Paleo
- Keto
- Whole30
- Grain Free
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free
- Soy Free
- Nut Free
- Sugar Free
This meal saves beautifully, so feel free to prep extra to have for the week or to save in the freezer for a night when you need something extra, extra quick with all of the nutrients + taste of a home cooked meal.
As always, please let me know down below what you think of this one! Ratings + reviews help my sweet blog so much. I also adore seeing your recreations on instagram, so be sure to tag me so I can virtually high-five you. And lastly, know that you can always pin this guy for those nights when you can’t even THINK about what to cook – I’ve got you covered 😉
P.S. If you love this recipe, you’ll go nuts over my Paleo Sloppy Joe + Sweet Potato Skillet, Chicken Caesar Sheet Pan Meal or Whole30 Ground Beef + Broccoli.
Whole30, Paleo, Keto Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked + shredded chicken*** (see notes)
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 head cauliflower or 4 cups cauliflower rice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/3 cup buffalo sauce or hot sauce
- 1/2 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350f or 175c.
- Dice the onion and celery into small pieces and mince the garlic. (If not using pre-riced cauliflower, mince the cauliflower in a food processor until rice like.)
- Heat a large, oven safe pan on the stove to medium. Add the oil + the onion, garlic, celery, and cauliflower rice. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add the salt and pepper!
- In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, hot sauce, eggs and vinegar.
- Add the precooked chicken and the sauce to the cooked vegetable mixture in the oven safe dish. Mix until combined.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until set and golden brown on top.
- Serve with coconut yogurt, ranch dressing, extra hot sauce and/or chopped red pepper or chives to garnish!
