This Buffalo Chicken Casserole brings all the delicious flavors of Buffalo Chicken Dip into an easy dinner recipe. It has the creamy, has the delicious flavor from the ranch and of course the zing from Frank’s buffalo sauce. Since there are only 5 simple ingredients and it cooks all together in a casserole dish, it is super quick and easy to make and clean up after! We love to serve it right over rice, potatoes or sautéed greens and the leftovers, if there are any, reheat perfectly for lunch the next day.
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
When it comes to easy chicken dinners, I am all in. I have made quite a lot of Chicken recipes, but my favorites are always the ones that are easy to make, only have a few simple ingredients (better yet, they are usually things I have on hand,) and don’t make a huge mess of my whole kitchen. This Buffalo Chicken Bake is exactly that!
How to Serve Buffalo Chicken Casserole
If you love buffalo chicken dip (We do!) then this is no doubt going to be a dinner you really enjoy! There are quite a few ways that you can serve this depending on your diet and just what your family likes to eat! Here are a few serving suggestions we enjoy:
- Over rice
- Over mashed potatoes
- With Ranch Smashed Potatoes (a favorite!)
- Other grains – Quinoa, cous cous, etc.
- Over Pasta with butter and garlic
- As a Baked Potato filling (Chop chicken and mix into sauce)
Low Carb serving options:
This dish is naturally low carb. If you are following a low carb diet, or just want a more healthy way to serve this, then take a look at the ideas below.
- Over sautéed spinach (or other greens)
- With a side salad
- Over Cauliflower (we love this Oven Roasted Ranch Cauliflower!)
- With a side of carrots and celery
Combine any of the above for a great full rounded meal! I would love to hear your serving suggestions in the comments if you have some great ideas I missed.
Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe
I am going to walk through the recipe here step by step with my tips, tricks and preferences. If you want the quick version, scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full printable recipe card.
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5-2 lbs)- You could also use tenderloins or cut up the chicken into halfs or smaller to make it easier to serve if your family won’t be eating a chole chicken breast each. This will usually make it cook more quickly though so keep an eye on it.
- 8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened- You can use light if you prefer, just steer clear of the fat free cream cheese since it won’t melt the same.
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded- Divide this in half, as half will be used in the mix and half on top. If you don’t have sharp on hand you can substitute any cheddar cheese, or mexican blend.
- 1/4 cup Frank’s Buffalo Sauce- You can use more buffalo sauce to make it spicier or less to make it less spicy. I would mix this with the cream cheese first and sample it to make sure it has the right amount of kick for you.
- 1 Tbsp Hidden Valley ranch powder- I love using ranch powder in lieu of bottled ranch as I think it delivers better flavor. You can actually buy it in bigger containers now if you cook with it frequently, but if you have a packet, there are about 3 tablespoons in there so you are going to use about a third of the packet. You can also alternately use 1 tbsp of this homemade ranch mix.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Mix the cream cheese, ranch powder, 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, and buffalo sauce in a bowl until everything is combined. Make sure the cream cheese is nice and soft before you mix or it won’t work well. If you forgot to leave it out to soften you can just pop it in a bowl and microwave it for about 30 seconds, stir and add more time if needed. Then you can mix everything in.
- Lay the chicken breasts flat in the bottom of a casserole dish. If you want to cut the chicken into smaller pieces do it now and place those on the bottom of the dish. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the dish.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is done though (165˚F internal temp) . I bake my casserole on the middle rack of the oven. I have never had to cover it, but since the each oven cooks differently, and there are other considerations like climate altitude etc, just keep an eye on it and if the cheese starts to get more brown than you want, you can loosely cover with foil for the remainder of the cooking time to protect it from browning any further.
- Serve hot with your favorite sides!
Dietary Considerations
This Buffalo Chicken Casserole recipe is such a great easy week night meal. As a bonus it is naturally gluten free and low carb. Although this can’t be adapted to dairy free, it is perfect for those who are gluten free, or low carb diets lie keto when served with the low carb options listed above like cauliflower rice or with carrots and celery.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. If you have a chance to give it a try, I would love to know! You can leave me a comment below or tag me @easyfamilyrecipes on Instagram. It makes my day to hear others enjoying the recipes that I share.
Hungry for more family-friendly recipes? Sign up for my free recipe club to get new family-friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing daily meal-time inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 1.5-2 lbs
- 8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
- 1 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded (divided half)
- 1/4 cup Frank's Buffalo Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Hidden Valley ranch powder or homemade ranch mix
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Mix the cream cheese, ranch powder, 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, and buffalo sauce in a bowl until everything is combined.
- Lay the chicken breasts flat in the bottom of a casserole dish. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the dish.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until chicken is done though (165˚F internal temp)
- Serve hot with your favorite sides!
Recipe Notes:
- You can cut the chicken in half, chunks, or use chicken tenderloins in lieu of full chicken breasts to make serving easier. Cooking time may be reduced.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container. The chicken reheats well, or can be shredded and mixed into the sauce for a dip.
Nutrition Information:
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Jane says
I was looking for a new recipe to try – I’m sick to death of the old usual and came across this. This was so simple to put together and the taste….AMAZING! The chicken was so moist and tender and there was a fair bit of the “sauce” which was perfect spooned over roasted potatoes lol I will definitely make this again!
Kathy says
This was amazing! I am not a fan of making chicken it always turns out dry & not very flavorfulll; this however was moist & full of flavor. This will become a regular. Thank you for sharing!!!!!!
Mel says
I used Greek plain yogurt instead of cream cheese for a healthier version and it came out delicious!
Susan says
Looks like a great recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
Melissa says
Curious about putting this exact recipe in a crock pot. Anyone try it?
Ashley P says
Did you try it in the crock pot? I am also curious!
Rebecca Daly says
Can this be made; then frozen & reheated for another future meal
Blue Lobster says
Excellent recipe! I loved it and will be making it again. My mother is not a fan of chicken breast but even she found this recipe delicious. Thank you for putting this recipe on your website!
K says
I make this often and my husband just loves it! I usually pair it with cauliflower rice and a baked potato!