Buffalo Chicken Bowl (Printer-friendly)

Spicy buffalo chicken over fresh vegetables with ranch and blue cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Buffalo Sauce

08 - 1/3 cup hot sauce
09 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 tsp honey

→ 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 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

# Steps:

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

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the stress or takeout cost.
  • The spice-heat-cooling ratio feels balanced and satisfying, not like punishment on your palate.
  • You can tweak it endlessly based on what's in your fridge, so it never gets boring.
02 -
  • Don't skip the honey if you're cooking for anyone who finds spice intimidating—it transforms the heat from aggressive to approachable without making it taste sweet.
  • The magic happens when components are at different temperatures: warm rice, cool crisp vegetables, and warm chicken all together create a textural experience that keeps your mouth engaged.
03 -
  • Use Frank's RedHot sauce specifically—it has a vinegar backbone that prevents the sauce from tasting cloying or one-dimensional, and it doesn't separate when mixed with butter.
  • Let the butter cool slightly before whisking it into the hot sauce, or you'll end up with a broken, greasy situation instead of an emulsified coating.
Go Back