Description
This Buffalo Chicken Tater Tot Casserole is the ultimate comfort food with a spicy twist! Creamy buffalo chicken is baked under a golden layer of crispy tater tots and melty cheese, making it a crowd-pleasing dish for game day, family dinners, or potlucks.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup buffalo sauce + 2 tbsp butter (if needed)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
- 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar + Jack)
- 1–1¼ lb tater tots (preferably extra-crispy)
- 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 scallions, sliced; optional celery and blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Pre-crisp the tots (recommended):
- Spread tots on a rack set over a sheet pan.
- Bake 10–15 minutes until just starting to color. This step drives off surface moisture so the final top stays crunchy.
- Make the buffalo base:
- If using plain hot sauce, melt butter and whisk together (or use a prepared buffalo sauce).
- In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, dressing, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and buffalo sauce until smooth.
- Fold in chicken & cheese: Add the shredded chicken, half the scallions, and half of the shredded cheese. Mix until everything is evenly coated and luscious.
- Assemble:
- Spread the buffalo chicken mixture into the baking dish.
- Shingle the pre-crisped tots in a tight, even layer across the top.
- Sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake: 20–25 minutes until bubbling around the edges and totes are golden. For extra crunch, switch to broil for 1–2 minutes—watch closely.
- Finish: Let rest 5–10 minutes. Garnish with remaining scallions, optional celery, and a drizzle of ranch or a scattering of blue cheese crumbles.
- Serve: Scoop in big squares so you catch creamy base + crisp top in every portion.
- Prep Time: PT15M
- Cook Time: PT40M
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 420kcal
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 960mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 85mg