Buffalo Chicken Bowl (Printable View)

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

# What You'll 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

# How To Make It:

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 5-7 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 chicken from heat and toss with buffalo sauce until thoroughly coated.
05 - Divide warm rice among four bowls. Top each with romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, and red onion.
06 - Spoon 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.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The entire thing comes together faster than most takeout orders, yet feels completely satisfying and intentional.
  • Buffalo sauce and ranch balance each other like old friends, one spicy and bold, the other cool and diplomatic.
  • You can prep vegetables while the chicken cooks, which means minimal cleanup and maximum kitchen flow.
02 -
  • Don't skip seasoning the chicken before the sauce goes on; it seems redundant, but those spices create a flavor layer the hot sauce alone cannot build.
  • Assemble everything while the rice and chicken are still warm; cold rice makes the entire bowl feel sad and stodgy, and the temperature contrast is half the appeal.
  • The ratio of ranch to blue cheese matters: too much blue cheese tastes aggressive, too little and the bowl loses its creamy coolness against the spicy heat.
03 -
  • Make the buffalo sauce first and set it aside; that way you're not scrambling while the chicken is cooking.
  • Don't shred your carrots with a box grater if you can help it; use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to create ribbons that feel fancier and catch sauce better.
  • Taste your hot sauce before using it; some brands are hotter than others, and you can always add honey to mellow it out if you miscalculated.
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