Buffalo Chicken Bowl

This Buffalo Chicken Bowl recipe is easy to make, has a kick from the buffalo sauce, and is easy to customize. I love pairing the buffalo chicken bites with cooked rice, lettuce, and veggies, but the options are endless!

Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls are great for an easy dinner or lunches throughout the week. Buffalo Sauce is a crowd-favorite condiment for good reason. It's the right balance of spicy and is so versatile. Some other favorite recipes using buffalo sauce is this Buffalo Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Grilled Buffalo Chicken, Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Jump to:

• Why I Love It:
• Ingredients
• Variations
• Step by step instructions
• Leftovers and Storage
• Recipe Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why I Love It:

• Easy to Make - Cook up the buffalo chicken in one pan while you prep the other ingredients. I love to use a microwave rice packet to keep it SUPER simple.
• Filling and Satisfying - This is one of those meals that you feel good about (thanks to the protein and veggies), but that also fills you up!
• Meal Prep Friendly - I love to prepare the components and store in the fridge for easy lunches or dinner during the week.

Ingredients

For the Buffalo Chicken

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs - You can also swap in chicken breasts
• Butter - To cook up the chicken. Using butter adds flavor, but you can also use an oil instead
• Spices - Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika (or regular), Kosher Salt and Pepper
• Buffalo Sauce - I used store-bought Frank's Buffalo Sauce

For the Rice Bowls or Salads

• Cooked Rice or Quinoa - You can use any grain that you like! Or even omit and have them be just salads instead of a rice bowl.
• Thinly Sliced or Chopped Romaine - You can use another lettuce. I also like using arugula!
• Grape Tomatoes - Halved or you can dice up regular tomatoes
• Shredded Carrots
• Ranch Dressing and Extra Buffalo Sauce - I like to drizzle my bowl with a little of both to get that creamy/spicy combination. Try making a batch of homemade Greek yogurt ranch dressing!
• Blue Cheese Crumbles - optional. Blue cheese is the traditional choice. I often omit the cheese or a sharp white cheddar is also fantastic.
• Sliced Green Onions - optional
• Diced Celery - optional. I did not include this in my bowl, but it's another great veggie option in addition to or instead of some of the other bowl ingredients.

Variations

• Make it Vegetarian with Cauliflower - Instead of chicken, I also love making buffalo bowls with roasted cauliflower. Just toss cauliflower florets in a tablespoon or two of oil and the spices then roast on a sheet pan in a 450 degrees F oven for about 25-30 minutes until fork tender. Then toss the roasted cauliflower in the Buffalo sauce and assemble the bowls.
• Leftover Chicken or Rotisserie Chicken - To save time, you can also use leftover diced or shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken. I recommend adding the chicken to a skillet to warm up and then toss in the buffalo sauce.

Step by step instructions

The Buffalo Chicken cooks up fast on the stove making for a quick and easy meal.

1. Prep - Start by chopping up the chicken into bite size pieces and seasoning with the spices.
2. Cook Chicken - Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer and cook until golden brown on all sides and cooked through.
3. Add Buffalo Sauce - Reduce the heat to Medium-Low and add the buffalo sauce. Toss to coat the chicken and allow to cook for a minute or two. Remove from heat.
4. Assemble Buffalo Chicken Bowls - Assemble the bowls with your preferred ingredients. I like to start with a big spoon of rice, a big handful of lettuce, and then top with veggies, the chicken, and drizzle with more buffalo sauce and ranch dressing.

Leftovers and Storage

Leftover buffalo chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend assembling the bowls before serving so the lettuce and veggies stay crisp.

Recipe Tips

• Prep Ahead - You can prep the ingredients in advance (including cooking the rice, cooking the chicken, and chopping up the lettuce and veggies) then reheat the chicken/rice and assemble before serving.
• Make Your Own Buffalo Sauce - If you don't have a bottle of Buffalo Sauce on hand, you can make your own by using this buffalo sauce recipe. It uses easy ingredients like regular hot sauce, butter, white vinegar, cayenne pepper, and garlic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Recipes

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