This Buffalo Chicken Casserole with Cauliflower is the perfect recipe to spice up your weeknight dinners! It's made with nourishing ingredients like great northern beans, cauliflower rice, and spinach. This creamy casserole is sure to be a family favorite!
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Why I love this recipe
I love that this Buffalo Chicken Casserole tastes indulgent, but it's actually made with nourishing ingredients! The sauce is super creamy thanks to a combo of great northern beans, full fat coconut milk, and my favorite dairy-free buffalo sauce. Once everything is prepared, it's easy to assemble! Just mix all ingredients together and bake for about 30 minutes. It's a great way to sneak in vegetables without your family suspecting anything!
🍴Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Breast - I used small chicken tenders for this recipe, but any chicken breast will work. You can either chop the chicken or shred the chicken.
- Great Northern Beans - Any white beans will work!
- Full Fat Coconut Milk - Make sure it's full fat coconut milk. It adds a super creamy consistency to the sauce.
- Cauliflower Rice - Fresh or frozen will work!
- Bacon -If you don't have bacon on hand, feel free to skip this ingredient. I like adding it to the top of the casserole for some crunch and flavor!
- Baby Spinach - What would a healthy casserole be without some greens?! It's a great way to sneak in extra nutrients.
- Buffalo Sauce - I used Primal Kitchen's Buffalo Sauce because it's dairy-free and made with simple ingredients. Feel free to add more if you like it extra spicy!
- Sweet Onion - Chopped onion adds an extra layer of flavor to the creamy buffalo sauce.
- Jalapeño - For an extra kick of spice I love adding chopped jalapeño. Feel free to use more or less depending on how much spice you like.
- Avocado Oil - You'll need a small amount of oil to sauté the onion. If you don't have avocado oil, you can also use coconut oil or olive oil.
🍴Step by Step Instructions
Preparing the Bacon and Chicken
- Start by cooking the bacon in a small frying pan until crispy. Pat the bacon dry with a paper towel, and chop into small pieces. Save the bacon fat to cook the chicken breast.
- Cook chicken breast a few minutes on each side. Chop the chicken into small chunks or shred with two forks. (If chicken isn't fully cooked through it will cook in the oven.)
Making the Sauce
- Next add avocado oil to a warm pan and sauté chopped onions until they are translucent.
- Then add in the coconut milk, buffalo sauce, and beans. Let simmer for a few minutes. After simmering, transfer into a high-speed blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Putting it all together
Add chopped chicken breast, half of the chopped jalapeño, spinach, cauliflower rice, and sauce into a large bowl. Stir together until the ingredients are evenly coated with sauce.
Baking the Casserole
Transfer the mixture into a medium sized casserole dish. Add the rest of the chopped jalapeño on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. When the casserole is done cooking, sprinkle chopped bacon pieces on top with fresh parsley. Serve hot!
Helpful Tips
- Be careful when transferring the hot sauce into the blender! Make sure the blender is covered before blending.
- To save on cleaning dishes, you can stir the casserole together in the baking dish. (I noticed it tends to spill out more though!)
- Do not bake the casserole with bacon on top. Add the chopped bacon before serving so it doesn't burn.
- Cook the chicken in the bacon fat for extra flavor!
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
- Serve with cooked rice for extra "bulk."
- You can also top with sliced avocado!
- Save cooking time by using chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover baked chicken.
How to store leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More dinner recipes!
- Paleo Chicken Pot Pie with Mashed Potato Topping
- Easy Baked BBQ Chicken Dinner
- Whole30 Italian Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Chicken Tacos with Peach Salsa
- Dairy-Free Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
After you make this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Casserole, make sure to leave a comment & rate the recipe! Your feedback is helpful for me, and for anyone planning to try this recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Casserole with Cauliflower
Equipment
- 1 Casserole Dish
- 1 Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 1+½ Pounds Chicken Breast
- 15 Ounces Great Northern Beans Any white beans will work!
- 13.5 Ounces Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 2 Cups Cauliflower Rice Fresh or frozen!
- 5 Strips of Bacon
- 3-4 Cups Baby Spinach
- ⅓ Cup Buffalo Sauce Feel free to add more if you like it extra spicy!
- 1 Sweet Onion, Chopped
- 2 Jalapeño, Chopped
- ½ Tablespoon Avocado Oil You can also use coconut oil or olive oil.
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Preparing the Bacon and Chicken
- Start by cooking the bacon in a small frying pan until crispy. Pat the bacon dry with a paper towel, and chop into small pieces. Save the bacon fat to cook the chicken breast.
- Cook chicken breast a few minutes on each side. Chop the chicken into small chunks or shred with two forks. (If chicken isn't fully cooked through it will cook in the oven.)
Making the Sauce
- Next add avocado oil to a warm pan and sauté chopped onions until they are translucent.
- Then add in the coconut milk, buffalo sauce, and beans. Let simmer for a few minutes. After simmering, transfer into a high-speed blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Putting it all together
- Add chopped chicken breast, half of the chopped jalapeño, spinach, cauliflower rice, and sauce into a large bowl. Stir together until the ingredients are evenly coated with sauce.
Baking the Casserole
- Transfer the mixture into a medium sized casserole dish. Add the rest of the chopped jalapeño on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
- When the casserole is done cooking, sprinkle chopped bacon pieces on top with fresh parsley. Serve hot!
Notes
Helpful Tips
- Be careful when transferring the hot sauce into the blender! Make sure the blender is covered before blending.
- To save on cleaning dishes, you can stir the casserole together in the baking dish. (I noticed it tends to spill out more though!)
- Do not bake the casserole with bacon on top. Add the chopped bacon before serving so it doesn't burn.
- Cook the chicken in the bacon fat for extra flavor!
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
- Serve with cooked rice for extra "bulk."
- You can also top with sliced avocado!
- Save cooking time by using chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover baked chicken.
How to store leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.Nutrition
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Taryn
What can you use if you can't have beans?
Mariah Mandile
Hmm you could try using some steamed cauliflower or maybe one gold potato. (Potato would have to be steamed first.) It's just used to thicken up the sauce.
Shannon Kern
This is so delicious! It does not taste dairy-free! I am definitely making this again!!
Mariah Knight
Yay! I'm so happy you liked it!! (:
Jennifer
Can I use regular rice instead of cauliflower rice? How will that change the cooking time? I don’t want to make anything too different (cauliflower rice) for my family the first time. I can always substitute later. 🙂