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Overhead view of bubbling buffalo chicken cauliflower rice casserole in a white baking dish with melted cheddar and green onion

Buffalo Chicken Casserole with Cauliflower Rice

A cheesy baked casserole of shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, cream cheese, and riced cauliflower that bakes up bubbly in under an hour.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, American comfort, Tex-Mex, Italian-American
Calories: 509
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 600 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
Casserole base
  • 700 g riced cauliflower, thawed if frozen squeezed dry in a towel
  • 225 g cream cheese, softened
  • 120 ml ranch dressing about 1/2 cup
  • 150 ml buffalo hot sauce about 2/3 cup, Frank's RedHot or similar
  • 260 g shredded cheddar cheese divided in half
  • 1/4 tsp salt to taste; add cautiously, sauce and ranch are salty
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
Topping
  • 3 green onions, sliced about 20 g
  • 60 g blue cheese crumbles optional

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F. Grease a 23x33cm / 9x13-inch baking dish with a little oil or butter.
  2. If starting with raw chicken, place the breasts in a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reads 165F / 74C in the thickest part. Drain and shred with two forks once cool enough to handle. Skip this step if using rotisserie chicken.
  3. Squeeze the thawed cauliflower rice in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much water as possible. You should get out close to a half cup of liquid, this step keeps the casserole from turning watery.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, drained cauliflower rice, softened cream cheese, ranch dressing, buffalo sauce, and half the cheddar cheese. Mix until the cream cheese is fully worked in and everything is coated.
  5. Taste and season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind the ranch and buffalo sauce are both already salty.
  6. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.
  7. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling at the edges and lightly golden in spots.
  8. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes. Scatter sliced green onions and blue cheese crumbles, if using, over the top just before serving.

Notes

  • Squeeze cauliflower rice bone dry, this is the step that decides if the casserole holds together.
  • Poach chicken to 165°F / 74°C internal if starting raw, then shred while still warm.
  • Taste before salting, ranch and buffalo sauce are both already salty.
  • Use a 23x33cm / 9x13-inch dish so the casserole bakes evenly in the given time.