Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole is cheesy, spicy, and crazy delicious! Made with only 5 ingredients, it’s low in carbs and suitable for those following a keto, low carb, or gluten free diet!
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Being the food-loving blogger that I am, a restrictive diet can be really challenging. Food needs to taste good. Really good.
The idea for this Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole had been a long time coming. I was inspired to make this simple dinner recipe by my love for any and all things made with Buffalo sauce – especially Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Because the sauce has 0 calories, and therefore 0 carbs, it’s a great condiment to use to add big flavor!
In fact, I love Buffalo sauce so much that it has inspired quite a few other recipes!
Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Poppers, Buffalo Chicken Pizza, and Buffalo Chicken Salad are three more low carb recipes where Buffalo chicken is the star!
Why This Recipe Works
- 5 ingredients is all it takes to make this super flavorful casserole dish!
- Cream cheese is blended with a sharp cheddar cheese for a smooth, creamy base.
- Classic Buffalo sauce brings plenty flavor and spiciness.
- Cauliflower rice is used in place of regular rice to reduce the carbohydrates. Chunks of chicken add plenty of protein making this casserole suitable for those on low carb or keto diets.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
Prep!
Set the cream cheese out to come to room temperature about an hour before you begin to make mixing a bit easier.
You can skip this step, but the casserole mixture will be harder to combine.
Dice and cook your chicken, or shred it, if preferred.
Leftover or rotisserie chicken works great for this recipe! I also like to use my Instant Pot to cook the chicken which makes it super easy to dice and shred.
Rice the cauliflower.
I recommend using fresh cauliflower, when possible. Using frozen may give you a runnier sauce. You can reference this post on How to Rice Cauliflower, if needed.
Shred the cheddar cheese.
It is not recommended to use a bagged shredded cheese as it contains a starch to keep it from sticking together. That starch makes it so the cheese doesn’t melt as nicely and increases the carb count of this Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole recipe.
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Create!
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, riced cauliflower, buffalo sauce, cream cheese, and half of the cheddar cheese.
The mixture will be thick.
Spread into a medium casserole dish.
Top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Present!
Top the Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole is with extra Buffalo sauce and fresh, minced parsley, if desired.
Enjoy!
Tips and Techniques for the Best Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
- Setting the cream cheese out to come to room temperature an hour before you begin will make it easier to combine all of the ingredients.
- Cut the chicken into bite size cubes and cook in a skillet with olive oil until just done through, or use an Instant Pot, or use leftover or rotisserie chicken to save time.
- It is best to shred the sharp cheddar cheese from a block rather than buying a bag of pre-shredded cheese which contains a starch and doesn’t melt as well.
- I recommend using fresh cauliflower, when possible. Using frozen may give you a runnier sauce. You can rice the cauliflower by using a grater or by adding the florets to a food processor and pulsing a few times until it resembles rice.
FAQ’s
- Can store Buffalo Chicken Casserole in the freezer? Yes, it can be stored tightly covered and unbaked, for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking. Increase the cook time to 35 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered.
- Can Buffalo Chicken Casserole be made ahead of time? This casserole can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator, tightly covered. It is recommended to bake it within 2 days. Increase the cook time to 35 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered.
- How long can you store leftover Buffalo Chicken Casserole? Store any leftover casserole in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days.
Other Recipes to Try
- Jalapeno Popper Chicken Casserole
- Keto Broccoli Casserole
- Skillet Creamy Lemon Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
Love this Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!
Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs cooked chicken *diced or shredded
- 5 cups riced cauliflower * from one large head
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- 8 ounces cream cheese *at room temperature
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese *shredded from block
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, riced cauliflower, buffalo sauce, cream cheese, and half of the cheddar cheese. The mixture will be thick.
- Spread into a medium casserole dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Garnish with extra Buffalo sauce and fresh, minced parsley, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
Tips and Techniques for the Best Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
- Setting the cream cheese out to come to room temperature an hour before you begin will make it easier to combine all of the ingredients.
- Cut the chicken into bite size cubes and cook in a skillet with olive oil until just done through, or use an Instant Pot, or use leftover or rotisserie chicken to save time.
- It is best to shred the sharp cheddar cheese from a block rather than buying a bag of pre-shredded cheese which contains a starch and doesn't melt as well.
- I recommend using fresh cauliflower, when possible. Using frozen may give you a runnier sauce.
How to Store Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
- You can store this casserole in the freezer, tightly covered and unbaked, for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking. Increase the cook time to 35 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered.
- This casserole can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator, tightly covered. It is recommended to bake it within 2 days. Increase the cook time to 35 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered.
- Store leftover Creamy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-4 days.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on October 26, 2017. Images and text were updated in January 2019. No changes were made to the recipe itself.
Adela says
5 stars my daughter in law made in Missouri last summner it was great now she is here so she make it again doubled the recipe. thanks for a great recipe
Lauren Vavala says
Great to hear! I’m glad you guys have been enjoying this recipe – it’s a personal favorite of mine 🙂
Alicia Warming says
Are you not supposed to cook the riced cauliflower at all?? It cooks while in oven with everything else?
Lauren Vavala says
Hi Alicia! Yep, the cauliflower rice will cook right in the casserole. It should be riced fairly small, plus its covered in hot, melted cheeses and sauce which help it to cook, as well. Hope this helps – Lauren
Alicia Warming says
Thanks so much! I am super excited to make this tomorrow, and just wanted to be sure I didn’t misread! 🙂
Lauren Vavala says
No problem! I hope you love it!!
Alicia Warming says
It was AMAZING! My boyfriend who is picky with vegetables loved it too and ate so much! And we still had leftovers — score! I bet it is even better heated up the next day. Will definitely be making this again soon!
Lauren Vavala says
Yay!! So glad the recipe turned out delicious for you guys! Thanks for stopping back to let me know 🙂 Lauren
Maureen says
Turned out great! I did use frozen cauliflower just defrosted it then riced it. Not watery at all.
Lauren says
Thanks – glad to hear it!!
Stacey says
This recipe is really good and easy but im struggling calculating calories to be even close to 315 a serving..i know you said its just an estimate..im getting closer to 500? 🙁 maybe its for 8 servings and not 6? A block of cream cheese is 800, a block of cheddar is around 900 and 1.5lbs of chicken breast is around 1100. That alone is about 470 a serving split 6 ways. Am i missing something here? Thanks for the help!!
Lauren says
Hi Stacey! I’m so glad you said something. My recipe card is linked to a database for nutritional information. Basically, I plug in the ingredients and amounts and it has values already there. For some reason, the cooked chicken values were all blank. I just went in and used cooked shredded chicken instead. It’s giving me 1136 calories for the chicken, 914 for cheddar, and 776 for cream cheese so you are spot on. It’s all been updated but now shows 504 calories per serving. Thank you!
Alexa Verdade says
I was curious if you used low fat cream cheese or regular? thanks so much cannot wait to make this!!
Lauren says
Hi Alexa! I use full fat cream cheese. I haven’t tested the recipe with low fat so I can’t say how it would be different. I hope you enjoy it!!
Keely Langer says
I was wondering about using just cauliflower florets? Do you think it would work if I steamed them a bit first?
Lauren says
Hi Keely! That should work. I would make sure to cut them bite-size and steam until just fork tender – or they may get super soft and fall apart (unless you want that result 🙂 Hope you love this recipe!! – Lauren
Brittany says
Made this tonight and it was a hit!! I also used frozen cauliflower rice and It was the perfect consistency! I cooked it as the package said on medium heat in a nonstick skillet for 5 minutes then I patted dry to make sure there wasn’t excess moisture!
Lauren says
Hi Brittany! Thanks so much for the tips on using frozen cauliflower 🙂 Glad the recipe turned out great for you! – Lauren
Kelsey says
Loved this! I boiled my chicken, and used frozen cauliflower because I’m lazy and it was perfect!
Lauren says
Glad to hear you loved it!!
Mindy says
Delicious! I used two steamable bags of frozen riced cauliflower cooked a couple of minutes to thaw. I browned the chicken in a little olive oil, then melted the cream cheese into the hot chicken and mixed it all up in a big bowl. When it came out of the oven it was kinda soupy (more like oatmeal), but as it cooled it thickened up some. A little high on sodium. This is going into my keto rotation!
Lauren says
Hi Mindy – I need to add a little tip to use fresh cauliflower if possible. I have had other people say they have used frozen with good results, but I tend to get a “soupier” result with frozen vs. fresh. I think the sodium is coming from the cheese, but it does seem high – I’ll recheck the calculations to see if the information it gave me is a little off, or if that’s actually correct. Thanks for coming back to comment and rate the recipe – I appreciate it! Lauren
Susan says
When you say to “rice the cauliflower”, what exactly does that entail?
Lauren says
Hi Susan! I’m sorry – I’ve been trying to explain this in any posts that use riced cauliflower, but I have yet to add it here. You can buy riced cauliflower from some grocery store produce departments, or rice it yourself with a grater or by putting cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulsing a few times until it resembles rice. I hope this helps – Lauren
Kyle says
Made this dish for my wife it was amazing we did have to end up cooking it twice as long because the cauliflower wasn’t cooking. Will be making it again!
Lauren Vavala says
Hey Kyle! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. The cauliflower cook time might vary a bit depending on the side of the “rice.” I might have to adjust the time frame a bit to account for that. Thanks for the feedback, Lauren
Traci says
I too added some celery. Excellent dish!!
Laura says
Hi,
What is the serving size? 1 cup?
Thanks.
Lauren says
Hi Laura – nutritional information is only an estimate and based on 1/6th of the recipe. It’s not a measurement based on exact cups etc. since that is extremely hard to do especially just out of a home kitchen. Thanks for understanding ?
Jenny says
Does the rice cauliflower need to be precooked? Seems like raw cauliflower wouldn’t have time to cook in that much time. ?
Lauren says
Hi Jenny! I don’t precook the cauliflower and haven’t had any issues with it being raw still. I would say just to make sure when you process/rice it to make it more rice-sized – sometimes the pre-riced cauliflower can be bigger and if so, you may want to add a few minutes to the cook time.
Monica says
How much is one serving? A cup? Half a cup?
Lauren says
Hi Monica – nutritional information is only an estimate and based on 1/6th of the recipe. It’s not a measurement based on exact cups etc. since that is extremely hard to do especially just out of a home kitchen. Thanks for understanding 🙂
Jeni Morrow says
This dish was easy & delicious! I will make this again! Thanks for sharing! I will definitely be trying your other recipes! I’m so glad I found your site!
Lauren says
Hi Jeni! SO happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for coming back to let me know – I hope you find more to try 🙂 Lauren
Sarah says
Very yummy! I added a little extra hot sauce, craving that kick I guess. I used neufchatel instead of cream cheese. I also was a little short on cheddar so topped it with colby. I also used frozen riced cauliflower which made this an incredibly easy casserole and one that could work for a weeknight. Delish, thanks!
Lauren says
So happy to hear you liked the recipe! Glad to hear frozen cauliflower worked out too!
Alli says
This is a great recipe, I used reduced fat cream cheese & Cabot 50% less fat sharp cheddar cheese & it was still delicious!
Lauren says
So glad to hear you love the recipe! Thanks for the info on the results with different cheeses and for rating the recipe too! 🙂 Lauren
MaryAnne says
4 STARS!!! This is so easy and so delicious. I cooked some chicken breast in my instant pot and chopped them up and I added 2 stalks of chopped celery for some crunch. I served it with extra Franks hot sauce and crumbled blue cheese on the side. So yummy and such a hit with my boys. Great for leftovers too…make extra for lunch the next day with a salad!
Lauren says
SO glad to hear you love it! This is one of my family’s favorite so we rarely have leftovers – I had to make a Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe on it’s own hahaha! I appreciate you coming back to let me know how it went and for rating the recipe 🙂 – Lauren
Jenni LeBaron says
Yum! This low-carb dish sounds right up my alley!
Elizabeth says
Gosh this looks fantastic! I need to make this soon for my family as I think they will love it!
kim says
Yum! I’m always up for healthier comfort food. Love this use of cauliflower!
Suzy says
This is a great casserole!
Whitney says
This looks delicious! Im attempting to go gluten free and its so nice to have yummy recipes to cook! I cant wait to try this 🙂 Thank you for posting!
Lauren says
Thanks Whitney! It’s not the easiest, but good food definitely helps – enjoy!
Roylene says
It would be great if you could add some nutrition info
Lauren says
Hi Roylene! I’m actually working on adding nutritional info for all my recipes. I’m working oldest to newest. This recipe will be updated within the next few days. I’m using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe_parser – if you go to that link enter the recipe link it *should* pull the ingredients out for you. You can adjust them to the brands you use and any alterations you may want to make as well. Hope this helps in the meantime – Lauren