Buffalo Chicken Bowls
You Know That Dinner You Make On Repeat? For Me, It’s This
Oh, man. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve made these Buffalo Chicken Bowls, I’d probably have enough to buy one (1) good rotisserie chicken at the fancy supermarket down the street. Seriously, I stumbled into making these bowls one night after a pretty epic search in my fridge for anything remotely edible. It was a combo of Friday exhaustion and a complete lack of desire to wash a lot of dishes. My eldest still calls it “Mom’s Accidental Masterpiece” (he’s got a flair for exaggeration, but, hey, I’ll take it). Also—fair warning—the buffalo sauce can end up everywhere, so leave the white shirt in the closet.
Why I Keep Coming Back To This Recipe
I make this when I want something easy, just spicy enough, but not so hot that the kids revolt (except that one time I got heavy handed with the hot sauce and wow, even the dog looked offended). My family goes crazy for this because, let’s face it, it’s a mashup of chicken wings and those takeout rice bowls everyone secretly loves. And if you’re the type who hates doing dishes as much as I do—yeah, everything goes in one bowl at the end, so that’s a win in my book. Honestly, on those nights when the day’s gotten the better of me, this is my low fuss, high reward fix. Plus, you can just use leftover chicken. Or whatever’s pretending to be chicken in your freezer.
What’s In The Bowl (But Really, You Have Options)
- Chicken: About 500g/1lb boneless chicken breast or thighs. Rotisserie chicken works when I’m lazy, or tofu if my vegetarian cousin’s over. (Sometimes I use pre-cooked strips; my grandmother would not approve, but she’s not here…)
- Buffalo Sauce: 1/3 cup. Frank’s RedHot is the classic but honestly any wing sauce that doesn’t taste like sadness is good.
- Butter: 2 tablespoons, melted. If you’ve only got oil, use that, but it’s creamier with proper butter.
- Rice or Grains: About 3 cups cooked. White, brown, quinoa, whatever. Uncle Ben’s microwave pouches are a lifesaver some nights. (Don’t tell my foodie friends.)
- Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing: 1/2 cup-ish. I go a bit rogue and mix Greek yogurt with ranch powder sometimes—it’s zingy!
- Shredded Lettuce: A handful or two. Or spinach. Or just whatever green stuff isn’t wilted.
- Diced Celery & Carrots: A handful each. (Or skip if your fridge only has… ketchup. Not recommended, though.)
- Cheese: Crumbled blue cheese, shredded cheddar, or just a sprinkle of the shredded stuff you forgot you bought.
- Optional: Avocado, sliced jalapeños, pickled onions—you do you.
Alright, Let’s Make This Thing
- Cook Your Chicken: Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. About 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway. If you’re using leftover rotisserie, just warm it up a little.
At this point, I usually sneak a piece. (Quality control, right?) - Add Buffalo Sauce: Once it’s cooked through, melt the butter, then mix it with the buffalo sauce. Pour this over the chicken and toss until those chicken bits are glossy and spicy. Don’t worry if it looks a bit gloopy; it sorts itself out after a minute.
- Sort Out Your Base: Microwave your rice or grains (or cook them, if you’re feeling ambitious—go you). Plop them into bowls. Or plates. Although bowls are better, trust me. Less spillage.
- Assemble Your Bowls: Now, this is the fun part: pile on the buffalo chicken, scatter on your lettuce/spinach, sprinkle the celery and carrots, then throw whatever cheese pleases you on there. (If your hands aren’t shaking a bit from excitement at this stage, are you even hungry?)
- Top It Off: Drizzle with ranch or blue cheese dressing. Add extras if you’ve got them. Honestly, avocado makes everything better? But maybe not in a strictly scientific sense.
Stuff I Learned The Hard Way
- If you make the sauce ahead and let the chicken soak for a bit, it’s even better. But I rarely have the patience.
- Sometimes my rice clumps together—just fluff it up with a fork and move on.
- Good cheese doesn’t always mean expensive. Pre-crumbled blue cheese is totally fine (might get some side-eye from cheese snobs though.)
Variations I’ve Experimented With (Not All Were Genius)
- Cauliflower Buffalo Bowls: Swapped chicken for roasted cauliflower florets. Surprisingly good—even fooled my meat-loving brother. For a minute.
- Buffalo Chickpea Bowls: Chickpeas instead of chicken if you want to go full-on plant based. Actually, my kids ate around the chickpeas but liked the rest.
- Pasta instead of rice: Did this once, thinking I was clever. It was… fine. Not great, not tragic—just… noodles with attitude.
About The Gear (And What To Do If You Don’t Have It)
You technically need a good skillet and a microwave (or a pot, if you’re hardcore and cooking rice on the hob). But honestly, I once used a soup pot for everything and just ate straight from the pot. Plates are optional in this house, apparently.
How To Store ‘Em (If You Have Any Left… We Never Do)
Chuck anything leftover into an airtight box. Fridge, up to 3 days, but it does get a bit dry after day two—buff a little extra sauce on before microwaving. Though honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day. The next day’s lunch is just a distant dream.
How I Like To Serve These Bowls
If it’s just me and the dog, I eat straight from the bowl standing over the sink (classy, I know). For family night, I put everything out like a DIY bar—everyone builds their own. Apparently making a mess is half the fun. Also, extra hot sauce on the side because some folks around here like to set their mouth on fire?
Little Lessons Learned (Because I Messed Up, So You Don’t Have To)
- I once tried rushing the chicken—even cranked the heat sky-high. Bad idea; the outside was a bit burnt, inside kind of squishy. Just cook it gently, promise it’s worth it.
- If you try to use salad greens that are past their prime, the whole bowl gets a bit sad. Learned that the smelly way.
- Don’t skimp on sauce, it soaks into the rice and that’s half the magic. Measure with your heart (but maybe not the whole bottle… one time was enough for me).
Buffalo Chicken Bowl Questions People Actually Ask Me
Can I use tofu? Absolutely; press it so it’s not watery—or use these awesome tofu tips from Serious Eats (game changer, really).
How spicy is this bowl, really? I’d say, it’s mild unless you go rogue on the hot sauce. Usually kid-friendly… unless you, like me, once quadruple-dosed the Frank’s by accident. Oops.
Any shortcuts for busy nights? Heck yes – rotisserie chicken or even precooked frozen grilled strips. Also those pre-cooked rice pouches—they’re totally fine. On second thought, I wish I’d figured this out sooner (years of unnecessary rice steaming!) Bon Appétit has some great rice hacks too if you’re curious.
Can I make this ahead for meal prep? Yup, but keep the greens and sauces separate, so things stay fresh. It actually tastes even better the next day if you ask me—don’t know why!
Oh, quick unrelated but weirdly related story: Once, I tried making buffalo sauce ice cream. Big mistake. Learn from me, some things should never be cold and spicy. Stick to the bowls!
If you love homey, honest food, check out Smitten Kitchen too—Deb never lets me down when I need a kitchen win.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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1Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper.
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2Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and cook for 6-8 minutes until cooked through and golden.
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3Reduce heat to low and stir in buffalo sauce, coating the chicken evenly. Cook for 2 more minutes.
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4To assemble, divide cooked rice among 4 bowls. Top each with buffalo chicken, cherry tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and cheddar cheese.
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5Drizzle ranch dressing over each bowl just before serving. Enjoy warm.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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