Buffalo Chicken Bowl (Printable)

Tender buffalo chicken over crisp vegetables with creamy ranch and blue cheese crumbles.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 lb 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
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

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 the seasoned 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 until well combined.
04 - Remove the cooked chicken from heat and toss with the buffalo sauce until thoroughly coated.
05 - Divide the warm 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. Serve immediately while the chicken and rice are still warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The buffalo chicken stays tender and juicy because you're not overcooking it, just giving it enough time to get golden at the edges.
  • You can literally customize every vegetable layer depending on what's in your crisper drawer that week.
  • It tastes fancy but comes together faster than ordering takeout, which makes a real difference on hectic evenings.
02 -
  • Don't make the sauce too far in advance, or it'll break and separate, which won't ruin the taste but it will lose that silky texture that makes everything come together.
  • The quality of your hot sauce matters more than you'd think, because a cheap one can taste thin and one-dimensional, while a good one has depth that plays against the creamy components.
03 -
  • Pat your chicken dry before seasoning it, because any excess moisture will steam the chicken instead of letting it brown, and you'll miss that golden crust that makes everything taste better.
  • Make extra buffalo sauce and keep it in the fridge, because once you have it on hand, you'll find yourself putting it on everything from roasted vegetables to popcorn.
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