Buffalo Chicken Bowl (Printer-Friendly)

Spicy buffalo chicken paired with fresh vegetables, creamy ranch, and tangy blue cheese crumbles.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Buffalo Sauce

08 - 1/3 cup hot sauce such as Franks RedHot
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 teaspoon honey, optional for slight sweetness

→ Vegetables

11 - 2 cups cooked white or brown rice, warm
12 - 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
13 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
14 - 1 cup shredded carrots
15 - 1/2 cup sliced cucumber
16 - 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

→ Toppings

17 - 1/3 cup ranch dressing
18 - 1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

# How To Make:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine chicken pieces with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.
03 - While chicken cooks, whisk together hot sauce, melted butter, and honey if using in a small bowl until combined.
04 - Remove cooked chicken from heat and toss thoroughly with buffalo sauce until fully coated.
05 - Divide warm rice equally among four bowls. Layer each with romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, and red onion.
06 - Spoon buffalo chicken over vegetables in each bowl. Drizzle with ranch dressing and sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles.
07 - Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than delivery would arrive, yet tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
  • The spice hits differently when there's cool ranch and creamy cheese waiting to balance it out, creating this perfect back and forth on your palate.
  • You can prep everything the night before and just assemble when hunger strikes, making it a weeknight lifesaver.
02 -
  • Don't let your chicken pieces get too large or they'll cook unevenly and the sauce won't coat them properly, which I learned the hard way and ended up with a disappointing bowl.
  • Warm rice makes all the difference because it actually softens slightly and absorbs flavor, while cold rice just sits there being separate from everything else.
  • The magic happens in the balance between the hot, the cool, the creamy, and the sharp, so don't skip any component even if you think you don't like blue cheese.
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into consistent pieces so everything cooks at the same time and nobody ends up with undercooked bits.
  • Don't skip the honey in the sauce because that tiny amount of sweetness is what makes people ask for the recipe instead of just saying it was good.
  • Taste the buffalo sauce before tossing the chicken because different hot sauces have different heat levels and you might need to adjust.
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