Description
This Jalapeño Buffalo Chicken Casserole is a flavorful, spicy, and creamy dish that combines shredded chicken with a medley of vegetables, buffalo sauce, and coconut cream. Perfect for Whole30, Keto, Paleo, and gluten-free diets, this casserole bakes to a tantalizing golden finish, topped with optional jalapeños and green onions for an extra kick. It’s an easy, one-dish meal that brings a protein-packed, low-carb twist to classic buffalo chicken flavors.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cooked and shredded
Vegetables
- 20 ounces frozen cauliflower rice
- 2 small jalapeños, finely diced, plus more for topping if desired
- 1 small white or yellow onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded or finely diced carrots
Sauce and Seasoning
- 1/2 cup canned coconut cream (the thick part at the top of the can)
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/4 cup ranch
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Optional Garnishes
- Green onion
- Extra jalapeños
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure a hot environment ready for baking your casserole.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large casserole dish, add the cooked shredded chicken alongside the diced onion, red pepper, carrots, jalapeños, and frozen cauliflower rice.
- Prepare Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut cream, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
- Mix Together: Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables in the casserole dish. Use two forks or tongs to thoroughly combine all ingredients, making sure the sauce evenly coats everything. Then smooth the mixture into an even layer.
- Bake: Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. If you prefer a crispier top, you can extend the baking time slightly.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and optionally drizzle extra buffalo sauce or ranch on top. Garnish with green onions and additional diced jalapeños if desired before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have cooked chicken on hand, you can speed up preparation by baking raw chicken breasts at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes while you prep the vegetables and sauce.
- Feel free to make homemade Whole30-compliant ranch dressing for a fresher and tailored flavor.
- Adjust the amount of jalapeños to control the heat level according to your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of casserole (approximately 1 cup)
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
