Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls
Buffalo chicken rice bowls are such a flavorful but simple meal! Great for lunch or dinner and perfect for meal prep, these spicy buffalo chicken rice bowls are so satisfying and ready in just 15 minutes!
If you love quick and easy dinner recipes, you have to try these Buffalo Chicken Tacos or this Buffalo Shrimp recipe!
Buffalo chicken rice bowl highlights
- Easy to prepare
- Simple ingredients
- A healthy meal you want to make!
- Great for meal prep
Ingredients
- Jasmine or basmati rice
- Celery and carrots
- Boneless, skinless chicken
- Hot sauce
- Avocado oil (or melted butter or ghee)
- Spices: dried chives, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt, dried dill
How to make buffalo chicken rice bowls
Start by making the rice: rinse the rice under water 3-4 times until it runs clear. Add the rice to the instant pot with fresh water and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Once done cooking, let the rice naturally release pressure for 5 minutes before manually releasing pressure (this should take 12-13 minutes total).
Next start a large skillet over medium heat (so that it’s preheated when the chicken is ready).
Once the rice is cooking, prep the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces (about 1-1.5 inch chunks). Try to cut the chicken into even size pieces so they cook evenly. Add the chicken to a bowl.
Make the buffalo sauce by combining the hot sauce, avocado oil and spices. Stir well and pour over the chicken in the bowl.
Mix the chicken and buffalo sauce together well then add it to the hot skillet. Flatten the chicken into a single layer then let cook 5 minutes (don’t touch it during this time). After 5 minutes, you can stir the chicken in the skillet, cooking for 4-5 more minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
While the chicken is cooking, chop the celery and carrots into small pieces.
When the chicken is ready and the rice is done cooking, assemble the buffalo chicken rice bowls by adding rice, buffalo chicken and the veggies to a bowl. Add the optional ranch dressing and serve hot.
Top tips
- Be sure to cut the chicken into similar size pieces so that they all cook at the same time.
- If you like really saucy buffalo chicken, double the buffalo sauce to pour over right before serving.
- When cooking the chicken, if you find that there is a lot of extra liquid in the pan, take the chicken out and simmer the sauce for 1-2 more minutes before adding the chicken back in to coat it.
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, breast or tenders. If you are short on time, tenders are the quickest to chop up because they are already so small. You can also chop the chicken into chunks 24 hours in advance. Be sure to store it in an airtight, covered container.
- Use chicken broth, chicken stock or vegetable broth instead of water to add more flavor to the rice. To add more protein, use bone broth.
- The veggies can be reheated with the rest of the buffalo rice bowls but the texture is best if you store the veggies separate from the chicken and rice.
- If you want to add a vegetable that can be easily reheated with the rest of the meal, I recommend broccoli or cauliflower, steamed or air fryer zucchini and squash.
Common questions
Is the buffalo sauce spicy?
Yes, but not overwhelming. If you want to cool down the spice, add ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing.
What is the best hot sauce to use to make buffalo sauce
The hot sauce you use will determine the spiciness of the buffalo chicken and also the flavor. I prefer Franks Red Hot, because it’s very traditional but also because it has great ingredients.
Tip: You can find a Franks dupe at Aldi that is so budget friendly and has almost the exact same ingredients.
You could also use Texas Pete which has more vinegar and is less spicy or whatever your favorite hot sauce is.
Can you use store bought buffalo sauce?
Yes! Some of my favorites are Primal Kitchen and New Primal Buffalo Sauce.
Can you use pre-cooked chicken?
Yes you can use pre-cooked chicken instead of making the chicken on the skillet fresh. Simply add the buffalo sauce to the cubed or shredded pre-cooked chicken and stir well.
Can you substitute the rice?
If you don’t have rice, you could use:
- Quinoa
- Cauliflower rice (low carb option) – cook in a large skillet for 6-8 minutes, adding salt and garlic powder at the end for flavor.
- Beans – black beans, white beans
Can you double the recipe?
Yes! You can easily double the recipe, however the rice will take longer to come up to pressure. Also, you may want to cook the chicken in batches or in two large skillets to ensure that you don’t overcrowd the pan. You could also make baked buffalo chicken thighs instead if you are making a larger batch.
What if you don’t have an instant pot?
If you don’t have a instant pot, you can cook the rice on the stove instead. Add the rinsed rice and water to the pot, bring to a boil (covered) then turn down the heat to low and simmer the rice for 15 minutes.
How to make this for meal prep
- Prep the rice and chicken as indicated in this recipe. Chop the veggies and store them in a separate container.
- Divide the rice and buffalo chicken into meal prep containers and store in the fridge up to 4 days.
- When ready to enjoy, reheat the rice and chicken then add the chopped veggies to the side. Pour over optional ranch dressing and enjoy.
Storing leftovers
- Fridge: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat on the stove over low heat in a covered skillet or in the microwave for 1:30 – 2 minutes.
- Freezer: Freeze the buffalo chicken and rice for up to 3 months. I love to use 2 cup Soupercubes for this. You can put the base layer of rice down then add the chicken and freeze. Freeze until solid then pop the buffalo chicken rice cubes out of the Soupercube then transfer to freezer safe bag or container.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1.25 cup water
- 3 medium carrots
- 3 medium celery stalks
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
- 1/2 cup hot sauce
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp dried chives
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried dill
Instructions
- Make the rice: Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Add the rinsed rice to the instant pot with 1.25 cups of water and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. After the pressure cooker is done cooking, let the pressure naturally release 5 minutes then manually release the pressure.
- While the rice is cooking, preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cut the chicken into bite size pieces 1-1.5 inch pieces. Add the chicken cubes to a bowl.
- Combine the hot sauce, avocado oil and spices in a bowl. Pour the buffalo sauce over the chicken cubes and stir well.
- Add the buffalo chicken mixture to a preheated skillet and be sure to spread into a single layer. Cook for 5 minutes before moving the chicken around in the skillet.
- After 5 minutes, stir the chicken and cook 4-5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the chicken is cooking, chop the celery and carrots.
- Once the chicken and rice is done cooking, assemble the buffalo chicken rice bowls by adding the rice, buffalo chicken and veggies to a bowl.
Notes
- Cut the chicken into similar size pieces to cook evenly.
- If you like really saucy buffalo chicken, double the buffalo sauce
- When cooking the chicken, if you find that there is a lot of extra liquid in the pan, take the chicken out and simmer the sauce for 1-2 more minutes before adding the chicken back in to coat it.
- Short on time? Use chicken tenders or chop the chicken into chunks 24 hours in advance. Be sure to store it in an airtight, covered container.
- Cook the rice in broth for more flavor.
- For the best texture, store the veggies separate from the chicken and rice if you plan on reheating it.
- If you want to add a vegetable that can be easily reheated with the rest of the meal, I recommend broccoli or cauliflower, steamed or air fryer zucchini and squash.
- Prep the rice and chicken as indicated in this recipe. Chop the veggies and store them in a separate container.
- Divide the rice and buffalo chicken into meal prep containers and store in the fridge up to 4 days.
- When ready to enjoy, reheat the rice and chicken then add the chopped veggies to the side. Pour over optional ranch dressing and enjoy.
“Add this to the rotation immediately.” – hubby :-) Thank you!