This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
This creamy paleo buffalo chicken casserole with ranch and cauliflower rice is the ultimate paleo buffalo chicken casserole! With a super creamy buffalo-ranch sauce, this Whole30 and keto friendly dinner recipe comes together super easily and is a quick main course you’ll fall in love with.
There’s one tried-and-true method of determining whether my, let’s face it, relatively stoic husband is into a recipe: he goes back for seconds. And thirds.
If I hadn’t basically shamed him into not eating the entire paleo buffalo chicken casserole recipe, he’d have done just that: eaten the whole entire baker of the stuff. The craziest part? Even my toddler liked it! Well, if I’m being upfront about it: my toddler liked it after he picked off the parsley garnish. That kid is living his best life, and his best life does not include any green foods. I pick my battles.
And honestly? I don’t blame them.
What makes this recipe is so good:
- The buffalo-ranch sauce is super, super creamy and luxurious.
- I use just the right amount of hot sauce and ranch dressing so neither is overpowering but just right.
- This paleo buffalo chicken casserole uses frozen cauliflower rice and cooked chicken, meaning you can prepare it in just a few minutes.
- It’s totally Whole30 approved and low carb (only 9 net!), thanks to the cauliflower rice.
Why you’ll love it
When it comes to weeknight dinners, I’m all about the quick and easy but still flavorful. I’d much rather follow a couple extra steps in a recipe than serve up a boring, bland dinner, but that magical combination of packed with flavor and oh so easy? That’s the sweet spot, and this paleo buffalo chicken casserole is totally in it.
It uses pre-cooked chicken, whether from a rotisserie chicken (Make sure you get a compliant chicken if you’re on a Whole30!), leftovers, or a couple extra chicken breasts you baked up during Sunday meal prep. We stir that together with pre-riced cauliflower rice, though you can totally use cauliflower rice you make at home. And the sauce, though it has 5 ingredients, all uses Whole30 ingredients that are super easy to have delivered to your doorstep.
Yep. That’s my best life.
I’ve recently fallen madly in love with Thrive Market, and I firmly believe it’s an absolute must on any Whole30 or keto/low carb diet. I’d toyed with the idea of signing up for way too long, but when I finally took the plunge, I seriously spent an hour perusing their paleo and Whole30 selections with my jaw dropped. Here’s why:
- Their mission to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone is dead on: I can shop for my favorite healthy grocery items at killer prices from my couch. In yoga pants. Whilst playing Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots with my toddler.
- My fave natural, paleo, and Whole30 products are delivered straight to my door, and I never even had to change out of those yoga pants (Though hopefully they’re a different pair than my ordering day yoga pants… but no promises #sodamnpregnant #newbornlife).
- The prices are fantastic, at 25-50% below traditional retail prices, and the selection is everything I usually have to make a special trip to the natural market in town for! I stock up on my pantry staples from Thrive Market because the prices just seriously cannot be beat! And I’ll talk to literally anyone about it. Seriously, I’ll corner you at the grocery store and tell you you’re spending $3 too much on that coconut oil. Don’t make me corner you at the grocery store.
- Something else I just love about Thrive: their Thrive Gives program gives low-income families, teachers, and veteran access to natural, organic, and non-GMO foods and products, often for the first time. I live in a city with a major income disparity and too many food deserts, so this hits home for me. And I have personal friends who have benefitted from Thrive Gives, thinking they’d never be able to afford natural and organic products… until then. Just so much love for that.
And here’s how Thrive Market makes this paleo buffalo chicken casserole recipe so much easier:
Add these to your cart and you’re set! Dinner on the table in 35 minutes:
Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo | Primal Kitchen Vegan Ranch | Native Forest Organic Coconut Cream
Seriously, if you’re on a Whole30, or if you eat a paleo, keto, or otherwise healthy diet, you’ve got to check out Thrive Market. Easier + cheaper = super win.
Variations
- If you’re not on a Whole30, try blue cheese dressing in place of the ranch!
- Serve this paleo buffalo chicken casserole with celery sticks or grain-free chips as a creamy, spicy dip.
- Increase the hot sauce by about 1-2 tablespoons for a spicier sauce.
Tips
- Use frozen cauliflower rice to make this paleo buffalo chicken casserole even easier.
- If you don’t have pre-made Whole30 ranch dressing on hand, make my Whole30 dump ranch dressing recipe.
- Use only the solid white part of the can of coconut milk or cream. Reserve the rest for a smoothie or other use.
How to make it
Ready for this? Get your notepad, girl.
Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Stir together all the paleo buffalo chicken casserole ingredients together in a large bowl, then pour sauce over and toss to coat.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350º. DONE. Hero.
Other Recipes You’ll Love:
- Buffalo Chicken Ranch Whole30 Meal Prep
- Whole30 Dump Ranch Dressing Recipe
- Whole30 Chicken Bacon Ranch Poppers
- Egg Roll in a Bowl with Creamy Chili Sauce
- Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad (Whole30)
- Whole30 Fried Chicken and Mashed Potato Bowl with Gravy
Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review below! ? And make sure to share your creations by tagging me on Instagram!
Paleo Buffalo Chicken Casserole with Ranch and Cauliflower Rice (Whole30, Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken cooked, diced or shredded
- 3 cups cauliflower rice preferably pre-riced and frozen*
- 1 cup green onions sliced, plus more for garnish, about 4 total
Creamy Buffalo Ranch Sauce
- ½ cup Whole30 mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Whole30 ranch dressing plus 2 tablespoons if necessary to coat chicken-rice mixture
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons coconut cream only the solid white part from a can of coconut milk or cream
- ½ cup hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
To Serve
- celery sticks
- green onions sliced
- fresh parsley chopped
- ranch dressing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Combine chicken, cauliflower rice, and 1 cup green onions in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Pour over chicken-rice mixture and toss to coat well. Transfer to a 9×9″ baking dish.
- Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with more ranch dressing, green onions, and freshly chopped parsley. Serve with celery sticks, if desired.
Video
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
This is a tried and true crowd pleaser at our house! I have to ration my husband and child, or like your husband, they would eat the whole pan! Super quick- you are a hero.
We’re so glad the whole family enjoys it! Thanks so much for sharing, Jen!
I ended up putting this over russet potatoes oh my gosh, it’s absolutely amazing! Definitely making it into the plan monthly!
Ooh, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Courtney!
I sautéed the cauliflower rice in a frying pan with olive oil which toasted it up nicely. No problem with it being too watery
Yay! So glad it worked out! Thanks for sharing, Anne. 🙂
Do you think I could sub paleo sour cream for the Mayo?!
We haven’t tried it, but we think that’ll work!
What kind of hot sauce do you use?
For Whole30, we really like to use Siete hot sauce or Primal Kitchen’s hot sauce. Both of these sauces can be found at local grocery stores or on Thrive.com. 🙂