If you're anything like me, a weeknight dinner has to check three boxes fast, flavorful, and comforting. These Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls hit all of that with a spicy kick that keeps them on repeat at our house.
I've loved buffalo sauce ever since Brent and I did our first round of Whole30, and these bowls are one of the easiest ways to enjoy that flavor without any fuss!
They come together in just 20 minutes, using simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. I like to keep the toppings fresh and colorful, avocado, tomatoes, carrots, while the saucy chicken keeps things cozy and satisfying. If you're a buffalo fan like me, you'll also love my Buffalo Turkey Meatballs for game day or these Air Fryer Buffalo Shrimp when you want something crispy and fun.
Grab your apron, and let's get started!
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Ingredients
Substitutions
Chicken- I use boneless skinless chicken breast but you can use chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
Rice- Brown rice, white rice, jasmine rice, or cauliflower rice will all work great in this recipe.
Buffalo sauce- My favorite buffalo sauce to use is Primal Kitchen buffalo sauce but you can use Frank's Buffalo Wing sauce or whatever is your favorite.
Ranch- I like using Tessemae's ranch to keep this recipe dairy-free but you can use blue cheese dressing or your favorite ranch dressing.
What kind of rice is used in rice bowls?
Brown rice, white rice, Jasmine rice, and cauliflower rice are all great to use in a rice bowl!
Should you put buffalo sauce on chicken before or after cooking?
You can do both! In most buffalo chicken recipes you will put the sauce on the chicken after it has been cooked. If you want, you can marinate the chicken in buffalo sauce before cooking, then coat the cooked chicken in buffalo sauce after cooking.
Can I make this Whole30 or Paleo?
Yes! To make this recipe Whole30 or Paleo friendly, use cauliflower rice. Also, make sure that your buffalo sauce and ranch are compliant. My go-to compliant buffalo sauce and ranch are Primal Kitchen brand.
Step by step
- Add avocado oil or olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium heat.
- Cut your chicken into 1-inch cubes and season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the chicken to the heated pan.
- Cook your chicken for about 8-10 minutes, or until it's reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While your chicken cooks, cook your rice and chop the cherry tomatoes and red onions, and slice the avocado.
- Once your chicken is done cooking, turn the heat to medium-low heat and add in your buffalo sauce. Stir to coat all the chicken and let it cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add a half cup of rice to the bottom of a bowl, then spoon your chicken on top of the bed of rice. Add your vegetables and drizzle with a little extra buffalo sauce and your favorite ranch or blue cheese.
Variations and add-ins
There are tons of ways you can make these bowls your own! Here are some fun ways to jazz up these bowls.
- Add sweet potatoes
- Add bell pepper
- Add roasted cauliflower
- Top with feta cheese or blue cheese crumbles
- Add black beans
- If you have lots of veggies in your fridge that need to be used up, add them to these bowls.
Tips
- Want to make this recipe easier? Use frozen rice! You can put it in a large bowl and microwave it, which saves so much time!
- Want to save even more time? You can use shredded rotisserie chicken to save even more time. Just coat the shredded chicken with buffalo sauce and assemble your bowls.
- Could it get any easier? Use leftover veggies you have in your fridge to build your bowl.
Storing, reheating, and meal prep
Storing: Store your leftover buffalo bowls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Meal prep: These bowls are perfect for meal prep! Cook the rice and the chicken and store them together in an airtight container. Prep your veggies and store them in a separate container. When you're ready to eat, just heat the rice and chicken, add your veggies, then top with a little buffalo sauce, ranch, or blue cheese.
Reheating: Heat your leftovers in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes or until warm. After heating, top with fresh buffalo sauce, ranch, or blue cheese.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating or comment! Your feedback is so important to me.
Recipe
Quick Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls - 20 Minute Dinner
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds Chicken breast
- β cup Buffalo sauce
- 2 cups Rice (cooked) I use frozen rice to save time
- 1 large Avocado
- Β½ cup Cherry tomatoes (cut in halves)
- Β½ cup Shredded carrots
- ΒΌ cup Red onion (diced or sliced)
- Β½ teaspoon Garlic powder
- Β½ teaspoon Onion powder
- Β½ teaspoon Salt
- Β½ teaspoon Pepper
- Ranch (for drizzling on top)
Instructions
- Add avocado oil or olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium heat.
- Cut your chicken into 1-inch cubes and season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the chicken to the heated pan and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until it's reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While your chicken cooks, cook your rice and chop the cherry tomatoes, and red onions, and slice the avocado.
- Once your chicken is done cooking, turn the heat to medium-low heat and add in your buffalo sauce. Stir to coat all the chicken and let cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add a half cup of rice to the bottom of a bowl, then spoon your chicken on top of the bed of rice.
- Add your vegetables and drizzle with a little extra buffalo sauce and your favorite ranch or blue cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
*nutrition information is an approximate
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Hi, I'm Kaleena!
I'm a 30-something wife and dog mom who shares mostly gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, and Paleo-friendly recipes. Since doing my first Whole30 in 2017, I have completely changed my way of cooking. I love to create recipes made from real, flavorful ingredients that the whole family will love!
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