Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole – Perfect For Leftover Chicken!

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This Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole recipe is the perfect dish for using up leftover chicken! The best, most flavorful cheesy casserole!

A large portion of Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole on a white plate next to a metal spoon

Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

If we’re being honest, most of us can agree that any buffalo chicken recipe or tater tot casserole recipe is perfect for all seasons. A classic casserole that is baked to perfection is a great way to please the whole family. Which is why my Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole is about to be your new dinner favorite!

This easy one dish meal has something for everyone! The perfect way to pair comfort food with pub food, it is like having chicken wings in delicious casserole form. And it’s one of the best flavorful variations on your regular tater tot casserole. 

This main dish is one of those easy recipes that assumes you will be using leftover meat. Besides cutting down on food waste and reducing extra cost, it also cuts down on your prep work and is a great use of whatever type of chicken you have. Buy or cook a whole chicken and get two different takes on two different favorite foods. 

When you think of leftover recipes, you may only think of things like chicken enchiladas, chicken soup, chicken wraps, chicken tacos, or grilled chicken salads, but it is time to add this to your favorite leftover chicken recipes!

An excellent way to present a twist on classic game day snacks, this warm and bubbly casserole is a heartier option whether you are watching the super bowl, making brunch recipes on the next level, going to a potluck, or just looking for something to spice up family dinner. It is one of those comforting meals that will soon become one of your favorite recipes. 

Looking for more recipes for chicken leftovers? My Chicken Pot Pie Crescent Roll Buns is another one that will tempt your taste buds!

Recipe Notes:

  • You need half a cup of bacon (or more) for this recipe, but the number of bacon strips will vary depending on the kind you use. Somewhere between 8 – 10 slices should be about right. 
  • Once baked, your delicious tater tots will have a cooked, soft texture. If you prefer crispy tater tots, you may want to bake them on a baking sheet in the oven first. 
  • If you don’t have Mexican cheese, you can substitute mild or sharp cheddar cheese shreds. 
  • Once cooked, this simple meal will be fine at room temperature for an hour or two. 

A large scoop of Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole on a white plate with a metal fork next to a blue baking dish full of the rest of the casserole

How To Make This Buffalo Chicken Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 of 1 roasted chicken, skinned and torn into small pieces
1/2 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
1 bag frozen tater tots
1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
8 oz Mexican blend cheese
small bunch parsley or scallions (optional)

A blue casserole dish with pieces of cooked chicken across the entire bottom

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

A white bowl with Frank's Buffalo Sauce and ranch dressing inside with a metal spoonTake your chicken and cut it into pieces. Spread the shredded or diced chicken in a single layer across the entire bottom of your prepared baking dish.

A white bowl with a buffalo chicken tater tot casserole sauce mixed together with a metal spoonIn a small bowl, combine and mix the Frank’s Buffalo Sauce and the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing.

A blue casserole dish with pieces of cooked chicken on the bottom and buffalo sauce drizzled over the top of all of itPour about half of the sauce on top of the chicken pieces in the casserole dish.

A blue baking dish with cooked chicken on the bottom with drizzled buffalo sauce and cooked bacon pieces on top of thatPut your chopped bacon on top of the spicy chicken and half of the scallions on top of that.

A blue baking dish with ingredients for the buffalo chicken tater tot casserole and rows of frozen tater tots visibleLayer your frozen tater tots in straight lines on top of the crispy bacon and scallions. Do your best to make this an even layer so that everything cooks properly. 

A blue baking dish with ingredients for a buffalo chicken tater tot casserole with the frozen tater tots and buffalo sauce drizzle on topPour the rest of your sauce over the tater tots. Make sure that you have covered as many as possible with the homemade sauce.

Top these with any extra bacon and green onions (if desired).

A large blue casserole dish with a cooked Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot CasseroleBake for 35 minutes. At this point, remove your hot dish from the oven and top it with shredded cheese. Put it back in to bake for another 10 minutes.

A large blue casserole dish with a full cooked Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole insideAfter the full 45 minutes of baking, remove your tator tot casserole from the oven and serve immediately. Top with a dollop of sour cream if you should choose. 

A serving of Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole on a white dish next to a blue baking dish with the rest of the casseroleIf you are bringing your dish to a party (or enjoy the flavor), you might want to top your casserole with parsley or more scallions. It’ll add a little additional color.

Store any leftover creamy buffalo chicken casserole in the baking dish covered tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for best results. 

What Kinds Of Leftover Chicken Can I Use In This Easy Tater Tot Casserole? 

This Buffalo Chicken Casserole really is the perfect vehicle for your leftover chicken.

Whether you have half of a leftover rotisserie chicken, an extra chicken breast or three from dinner the night before, leftover roast chicken, ground chicken, or cooked chicken that you made the day before and are looking for great recipes to use it up, what better way than to add a little spice! This is one of those weeknight dinners the entire family will love. 

Is This Buffalo Wing Sauce Very Spicy?

While there are spicier items around town, this easy dinner recipe does have a kick. If you aren’t a huge fan of spicy foods, consider adding some softened cream cheese to the sauce. 

Since you can’t make individual servings in different ways, add cream cheese and taste a little bit until you think you have the flavor right.

You could add less hot sauce to the ranch, but you want as much of the delicious flavor as possible, so the best thing is to add and not subtract. 

A scoop of Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole on a white plate with a metal fork next to a blue casserole dish with the rest

What Else Can I Add To This Easy Casserole Recipe?

Because this spicy buffalo chicken bake is layered, it is extremely easy to add a few more simple ingredients. If you want to add some vegetables, you could easily layer some frozen cauliflower rice under the shredded chicken or diced red bell pepper to the layer of bacon.

Or just like you serve with buffalo chicken wings or buffalo chicken dip, you could add some blue cheese crumbles or celery sticks on the side. 

Are You Looking For More Easy Casserole Recipes? Here Are Some Of My Favorites:

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Yield: 8 servings

Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

A serving of Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole on a white dish next to a blue baking dish with the rest of the casserole

This Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole recipe is the perfect dish for using up leftover chicken! The best, most flavorful cheesy casserole!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1/2 of 1 roasted chicken, skinned and torn into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 1 bag frozen tater tots
  • 1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
  • 1 cup Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
  • 8 oz Mexican blend cheese
  • small bunch parsley or scallions (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Take your cooked chicken and cut it into pieces. Spread them across the entire bottom of your casserole dish.
  3. In a small bowl, combine and mix the Frank's Buffalo Sauce and the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. Pour about half of the sauce over the chicken pieces in the casserole dish.
  4. Put your chopped bacon on top of the sauce and half of the scallions (if desired) on top of that.
  5. Layer your frozen tater tots on top of the bacon and scallions and pour the rest of your sauce over the tater tots. Make sure that you have covered as many as possible with the sauce. Top these with any extra bacon and scallions (if desired).
  6. Finish with a layer of shredded cheese. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
  7. If you are bringing your dish to a party (or enjoy the flavor), you might want to top your casserole with parsley. It'll add a little additional color.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 281Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 652mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 11g

This calculation is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a doctor or dietician. This calculator is a guide, but makes no guarantee of being exact or fully accurate.

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4 Comments

  1. Can buffalo sauce be substituted for the Louisana hot sauce? If so, use the same amount?
    Thanks for this easy and quick recipe. Going to fix it for dinner this week.

    1. Yes, you definitely can if you would prefer it. I would use the same amount and then add more if you want. Enjoy! 🙂

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