This easy Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl takes fan-favorite game day flavors and transforms them into a delicious and - dare I say semi-healthy? - meal. Toss cooked chicken in buffalo sauce, assemble it on a bed of rice and quickly sautéed carrots and celery, then top it with blue cheese crumbles or Ranch dressing.
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Why You Will Love This Spicy Chicken Rice Bowl Recipe
- Simple ingredients that are customizable. All you need are a few key ingredients to create a delicious Buffalo Chicken and Rice Bowl. Plus, you can make a few clever customizations to suit your tastes :).
- Perfect to make ahead. If you're a fan of meal prep, these chicken rice bowls are a great make-ahead meal. And they transport well so you can carry them with you on the go!
- Great flavor. This rice bowl recipe takes a game day fan-favorite - buffalo chicken wings - and transforms it into a delicious meal that can be eaten without the need for moist towelettes.
Love the flavors of spicy buffalo sauce? Try my buffalo ranch hummus or buffalo chickpea quesadilla recipe next!
Ingredients
To make this super tasty, super easy Buffalo Chicken and Rice Bowl, gather up the following ingredients. This recipe serves 2, so double or triple when feeding a bigger crew.
- Rice: I like Basmati, but you can also use brown rice or short-grain white rice. You will need cooked rice, so choose the cooking method you prefer. I usually rely on this Instant Pot Basmati Rice recipe to keep things simple.
- Chicken: You need about a half pound of chicken breast to serve two. Chicken thighs also work great, and by all means, prepare them as you wish (oven-roasted, grilled, etc.). Push the easy button and pick up a rotisserie chicken or opt for cooking up frozen chicken strips. If you're cooking the chicken on its own, this Ranch Chicken or these Grilled Chicken Thighs work great!
- Buffalo Sauce: I like Frank’s Red Hot buffalo wing sauce because, classic. Make your own homemade buffalo sauce or choose whatever brand strikes your fancy.
- Olive Oil: For cooking the carrots and celery but you can use another type of oil.
- Carrots and Celery: Traditional buffalo chicken wing extras! You can skip cooking them if you prefer them raw and crunchier, but I like to do a quick saute on them for tender-crisp results.
- Blue Cheese Crumbles or Feta: I’ll be honest, I don’t care for blue cheese so I use feta crumbles instead. Use what you like!
- Ranch Dressing and Green Onions: These are optional! You could also drizzle on blue cheese dressing. Use what you like, I say! (again)
Variations
- Vegetarian - Swap out the chicken and make the dish vegetarian. Replace the chicken with tofu, seitan, or tempeh, and toss in buffalo sauce instead! You could also use chickpeas instead.
- More Spice - Enjoy some fresh or pickled jalapenos on top for extra spicy flavors.
- Additional Toppings - Add some black olives, green olives, or pickles for briny and tangy flavors. Halved cherry tomatoes are also good here.
- Some Crunch - Sprinkle the top with tortilla strips. Also a great way to use up those super crushed tortilla chips at the bottom of each bag.
- Extra Cheesy - Add some shredded cheddar cheese on top along with the blue cheese or feta or to replace it.
How to Make a Buffalo Chicken and Rice Bowl
- Step 1: Cook the vegetables. Cook the sliced carrots in the olive oil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced celery and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove them from the heat and set aside.
- Step 2: Prep the bowls: Divide the rice and vegetable mixture between two bowls.
- Step 3: Add the chicken. Toss the chicken in buffalo sauce and divide it between two bowls.
- Step 4: Garnish and serve. Garnish with blue cheese or feta crumbles, a drizzle of Ranch dressing, and thinly sliced green onions. Enjoy!
Top Tips
- Use a mandolin for uniformity. Use a mandolin to slice the carrots and celery to achieve uniform slices that will cook up evenly.
- Storing leftovers. Store leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For best results, keep the garnishes separate and add them right before serving.
Recipe FAQs
This is a fantastic recipe if you’re a fan of meal prepping! Add the rice, buffalo-sauced chicken, carrots, and celery to a lidded container. Then you can easily reheat it when you’re ready to eat! Keep the garnishes you’d like to add separate, then top after re-heating. If you double the recipe, you can get about 4 individual servings.
Of course!If you don't want to use chicken, I'd try using turkey or pork instead, or try using tempeh or tofu if you want a vegetarian-friendly option.
If this is more like an AND situation, try chicken and chickpeas or chicken and zucchini to make this an even heartier bowl! Other great additions include mushrooms, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, maybe even some fresh cucumber.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you tried this Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl
Equipment
- 1 Mandolin
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked Basmati rice (click for Instant Pot recipe!)
- 1 large cooked chicken breast (or approximately ½ pound of chicken)
- ¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot buffalo wing sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup sliced carrots (2 medium-sized carrots)
- ½ cup sliced celery (3-4 stalks celery)
- blue cheese crumbles or feta (optional)
- ranch dressing (optional)
- green onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced carrots and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced celery and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup sliced carrots, ½ cup sliced celery
- Divide 2 cups of cooked rice into 2 large bowls (1 cup of rice per bowl).2 cups cooked Basmati rice
- Toss cooked chicken in buffalo sauce, then divide between 2 bowls.1 large cooked chicken breast, ¼ cup Frank’s Red Hot buffalo wing sauce
- Divide sautéed celery and onions between 2 bowls.
- Garnish with blue cheese or feta crumbles, a drizzled of Ranch dressing, and thinly sliced green onions.blue cheese crumbles or feta , ranch dressing, green onion, thinly sliced
Holly Kalinowski
Love all of your recipes!