These golden, crispy buffalo chicken bowls bring together tender chicken coated in a sweet and tangy sauce with fresh veggies and fluffy rice. I started making these on repeat after a particularly hectic Tuesday when I needed dinner fast but didn't want to compromise on flavor. The chicken gets this beautiful golden crust from the tapioca starch, and when you toss it in that honey-spiked buffalo sauce, it's the kind of meal that makes everyone at the table a little quieter because they're too busy eating.
If you're looking for more quick weeknight wins, you'll love this Easy Lemon Chicken Romano ready in 30 minutes or the cozy warmth of Best Roasted Red Pepper Gouda Soup, and don't miss the Creamy Smoked Mac and Cheese for another family favorite.
Why You'll Love These Buffalo Chicken Bowls
This high protein Buffalo Chicken Bowls comes together in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time to actually sit down and eat. The crispy buffalo chicken gets tossed in a homemade sauce that's way better than anything from a bottle, balancing heat with a touch of sweetness from honey and brightness from lime juice. It's naturally gluten free, thanks to the tapioca starch coating, and the whole meal takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. You can prep the components ahead for easy Buffalo Chicken Bowls meal prep throughout the week, and the leftovers taste just as good the next day.
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Buffalo Chicken Bowls Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make these Buffalo Chicken Bowls with vegetables come together.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For ingtedient Quantites
For the Crispy Chicken:
- Tapioca starch: Creates that light, crispy coating that stays crunchy even after tossing in sauce. It's also naturally gluten free.
- Garlic powder: Adds savory depth to the chicken coating.
- Chili powder: Brings a gentle warmth and earthy flavor to the spice mix.
- Cumin: Gives the chicken a subtle smoky, warm note that complements the buffalo sauce.
- Smoked paprika: Adds color and a hint of smokiness without extra heat.
- Salt and pepper: Season the chicken and help the coating stick while enhancing all the other flavors.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Cubed into bite-sized pieces so they cook quickly and evenly. You want about 3 cups total.
- Avocado oil: Has a high smoke point, perfect for getting that golden crust without burning.
For the Buffalo Sauce:
- Hot sauce: The base of any good buffalo sauce. Use your favorite brand, just make sure it's one you'd enjoy eating straight.
- Honey: Balances the heat with natural sweetness and helps the sauce cling to the chicken.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed adds brightness and cuts through the richness.
- Minced garlic: Fresh garlic gives the sauce more depth than powder would.
- Chili powder: Reinforces that warm, peppery flavor.
- Onion powder: Adds another layer of savory flavor to round out the sauce.
- Salt and pepper: Season the sauce and bring all the flavors together.
For the Bowls:
- Cooked jasmine rice: Fluffy and slightly fragrant, it's the perfect base that soaks up extra sauce.
- Chopped celery: Adds that classic buffalo chicken crunch and freshness.
- Sliced carrots: Sweet, crunchy, and colorful. They balance the spice beautifully.
- Avocado: Optional but recommended for creaminess and healthy fats.
- Green onion: Chopped for a fresh, mild onion flavor and a pop of color on top.
- Ranch dressing or blue cheese: Optional for drizzling. Use a healthy ranch if you want to keep things lighter.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Bowls
Let's get these one-pan Buffalo Chicken Bowls on the table.
Mix the coating: In a medium Buffalo Chicken Bowls, whisk together the tapioca starch, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until everything's evenly combined.
Coat the chicken: Add your cubed chicken to the bowl and toss it around with your hands or a spoon until every piece is coated. Don't be shy here, you want that starch to stick.
Heat the skillet: Pour the avocado oil into a large non-stick skillet and warm it over medium-high heat. Wait until the oil shimmers slightly before adding the chicken.
Pan fry the chicken: Add the coated chicken pieces to the hot skillet in a single layer if possible. Let them cook undisturbed for 5 to 8 minutes so they develop that golden crust, then flip and cook another 5 to 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and beautifully browned. Give it a quick stir to break up any pieces that stuck together.
Make the sauce: While the chicken's cooking, whisk together the hot sauce, honey, lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside about ¼ cup of this sauce in a small bowl for drizzling later.
Drain the chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towels so any extra oil can drip off. This keeps your bowls from getting greasy.
Toss in sauce: Add the chicken to the large bowl with the buffalo sauce and toss until every piece is glossy and coated. The chicken should look sticky and delicious.
Build your bowls: Divide the cooked rice among four bowls, then add portions of the celery, carrots, and saucy chicken. Top each bowl with sliced avocado if using, a sprinkle of chopped green onions, a drizzle of that reserved buffalo sauce, and ranch dressing or blue cheese if you like.
Substitutions and Swaps
You can make these spicy Buffalo Chicken Bowls recipes work with what you have on hand. Swap the chicken breasts for chicken thighs if you prefer darker meat, they'll stay even juicier. If you don't have tapioca starch, cornstarch works in a pinch, though the texture won't be quite as light. For a lower-carb buffalo chicken bowl healthy version, use cauliflower rice instead of jasmine rice. The celery and carrots can be replaced with bell peppers, cucumber, or shredded cabbage. If honey isn't your thing, try maple syrup or agave for the sauce sweetness.
Kid-Friendly Adjustments
Oliver loves these, but I make a few tweaks for his Buffalo Chicken Bowls. Set aside some plain chicken before tossing it in the buffalo sauce, or make a separate small batch with just a tiny drizzle of sauce mixed with extra honey. Let kids build their own bowls so they can skip veggies they're not ready for yet. You can also serve the buffalo sauce on the side for dipping instead of coating everything. The rice and avocado are usually the first things to disappear from the kids' bowls anyway.
Equipment For Buffalo Chicken Bowls
The beauty of this gluten free buffalo chicken bowl recipe is how simple the equipment list is. You really only need a large non-stick skillet for cooking the chicken. A couple of mixing bowls for the coating and sauce, a whisk, and measuring cups and spoons round out the basics. If you're meal prepping, have some airtight containers ready for storing the components separately.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips
These buffalo chicken bowls recipes are fantastic for meal prep buffalo chicken bowls throughout the week. Store the crispy chicken, rice, and chopped vegetables in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the buffalo sauce in a small jar so you can drizzle it fresh when you're ready to eat. The chicken stays crispier if you reheat it in a skillet or air fryer instead of the microwave. Assemble the bowls right before eating so everything stays fresh and crunchy. You can prep all the components on Sunday and have healthy buffalo chicken dinner ready in minutes on busy weeknights.
Serving Suggestions
These Buffalo Chicken Bowls are filling on their own, but they pair beautifully with a few extras. Serve them alongside Roasted Cabbage Steaks for more veggies, or start the meal with Rotel Dip with Ground Beef as an appetizer. A simple side salad with ranch dressing ties everything together, or you could add some tortilla chips for scooping up extra sauce. For a heartier spread, the Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Recipe makes a great weekend complement to these lighter bowls.
Top Tip
Getting that perfect crispy coating on your Buffalo Chicken Bowls with buffalo sauce takes a little technique. Make sure your skillet is properly heated before adding the chicken, if the oil isn't hot enough, the coating will absorb too much oil and get soggy instead of crispy. Don't overcrowd the pan, cook in batches if needed so each piece has room to brown properly. When you flip the chicken, resist the urge to move it around too much, let it sit and develop that crust. Taste your buffalo sauce before tossing the chicken and adjust the honey or hot sauce to match your heat preference.
FAQ
What does Buffalo Chicken Bowls go well with?
Buffalo Chicken Bowls pairs perfectly with cool, crunchy vegetables like celery and carrots, which is why they're classic. Creamy elements like avocado, ranch dressing, or blue cheese help balance the heat. Rice, quinoa, or lettuce make great bases that soak up the tangy sauce. My kids love it with extra ranch on the side for dipping.
What to put in a buffalo chicken rice bowl?
Start with a base of rice, then add your buffalo-coated chicken and plenty of fresh veggies like celery, carrots, cucumber, or bell peppers. Top it with avocado slices, green onions, and a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing. You can also add shredded cheese, corn, black beans, or even some crispy chickpeas for extra texture.
What are the two ingredients in buffalo sauce?
Traditional buffalo sauce is just hot sauce and melted butter, but this version uses hot sauce and honey instead for a healthier sweet-and-spicy twist. The honey helps the sauce cling to the chicken and balances the heat beautifully. Adding lime juice, garlic, and spices makes it even better than the basic two-ingredient version.
What seasoning for buffalo chicken?
For the chicken coating, use garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. The buffalo sauce itself gets more flavor from chili powder, onion powder, fresh garlic, and a squeeze of lime. This combination gives you layers of flavor instead of just straight heat. Oliver always asks if we can taste the "secret spices" before I mix everything together.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Buffalo Chicken Bowls
Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls
Equipment
- 1 Large non-stick skillet Provides even heat and prevents sticking while crisping the chicken
- 1 Medium mixing bowl Used for combining starch and seasonings for the chicken coating
- 1 Large mixing bowl Allows room to whisk and toss the buffalo sauce with cooked chicken
- 1 Whisk Helps fully blend the sauce ingredients into a smooth mixture
- 1 set Measuring cups Ensures accurate measurement of liquids and starches
- 1 set Measuring spoons Used for precise seasoning measurements
- 6 Airtight containers Optional for meal prep and storing components separately
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup tapioca starch used to create a crisp coating
- 1 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder for savory depth
- ⅓ teaspoon chili powder adds gentle warmth
- ⅓ teaspoon ground cumin earthy balance
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika for subtle smokiness
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt enhances overall flavor
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground preferred
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed (bite-sized pieces for even cooking)
- 3 Tablespoons avocado oil high-heat cooking oil
- ⅓ cup hot sauce buffalo-style preferred
- ⅓ cup honey balances heat with sweetness
- 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lime juice brightens the sauce
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic adds sharp savory notes
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder reinforces heat
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder rounds out flavor
- ¾ teaspoon salt seasons the sauce
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper adds mild bite
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice warm and fluffy base
- 3-4 cups chopped celery adds crunch and freshness
- 3-4 cups sliced carrots sweet and crisp texture
- 1 large avocado sliced optional creamy topping
- 2 green onion stalks chopped fresh garnish
- Ranch dressing or crumbled blue cheese optional finishing element
Instructions
- Combine the tapioca starch with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until evenly blended.
- Add the cubed chicken to the bowl and toss thoroughly so every piece is evenly covered in the seasoned starch mixture.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, then carefully add the chicken in a single layer.
- Allow the chicken to cook undisturbed for 5-8 minutes until a golden crust forms, then flip and cook another 5-8 minutes until fully cooked, gently breaking apart pieces if needed.
- While the chicken cooks, whisk together the hot sauce, honey, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, reserving about ⅓ cup of the sauce separately.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and let excess oil drain briefly.
- Add the chicken to the large bowl of sauce and toss until each piece is well coated and glossy.
- Divide the rice, vegetables, and buffalo chicken evenly among bowls, garnish with green onions, and drizzle with reserved sauce and optional dressing.
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