Buffalo Chicken Bowls are saucy, packed with flavor, and loaded with texture. From the quick pickled onions to the crunchy slaw and creamy sauce, you’re gonna love every bite!
author’s notes
My Sister’s Favorite Dinner (and Now One of Mine Too!)
My sister moved to Hawaii recently (rude, right? 😜), so when she flew back for a visit, I wanted to make her something she’d really love. She’s obsessed with buffalo chicken, so I started testing this recipe a couple weeks before she got here.
All the testing paid off—she took one bite and said (actual quote), “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I could eat this every single day.”
I still might give top spot to my banh mi bowls, but I’m not gonna lie, I could also eat these Buffalo Chicken Bowls every day and never get tired of them. They’re packed with flavor, loaded with protein, and just SO good.
I’ll be honest—if you make every part, it’s a bit of a project. But the good news is most of it can be prepped ahead, so when it’s time to eat, everything comes together fast.
Buffalo Chicken Bowls Breakdown
There are 5 main parts to these bowls—here’s a quick rundown and some variation ideas:
- Buffalo Chicken: Save time with shredded rotisserie or leftover grilled chicken.
- Crunchy Slaw: Use bagged slaw mix instead of shredding cabbage.
- Quinoa Base: Swap in white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or farro.
- Pickled Red Onions: Use raw red onion or skip if it’s not your thing.
- Green Goddess Sauce: Make it ahead of time; it gets even better as it chills.
Buffalo Chicken Bowls FAQs
These bowls have medium heat with just enough kick without being too much. For less heat, add a little extra sugar. Want more heat? Add a pinch of cayenne.
To make it dairy-free: Use plant-based butter in the Buffalo sauce and skip or swap the Greek yogurt in the Green Goddess sauce.
To make it gluten-free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce and double-check that your hot sauce and other ingredients are gluten-free.
Pan-sear it: Trim chicken and slice breasts in half widthwise. Pound to an even thickness (not super flat, just even). Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook chicken for 2–4 minutes per side until fully cooked. Let rest for 5 minutes, then dice or slice.
Storage
Make-Ahead & Storage
Buffalo Chicken Bowls are perfect for meal prep—make the parts ahead, then build your bowl when ready:
- Cooked Chicken: Fridge 4 days, freezer 2 months. Microwave 30–45 seconds or pour hot Buffalo sauce over cold chicken to warm it up without drying it out.
- Buffalo Sauce: Fridge 1 week, freezer 3 months. Microwave 20–30 seconds.
- Grain Base: Fridge 5 days, freezer 1 month. Microwave covered for 1 min.
- Slaw: Fridge 2 days. Don’t freeze. Add cold before serving.
- Green Goddess Sauce: Fridge 5 days. Thin with water if needed.
More Buffalo Chicken Favorites:
Pasta And Pizza
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Dinner
Buffalo Chicken Chili
Pasta Salads
EASY Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Buffalo Chicken Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 medium breasts)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup hot sauce Frank’s original hot sauce recommended
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Quinoa or white rice
- Pickled red onions optional
- Quick slaw optional, see note 1
- Green Goddess Sauce
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally into 3 to 5 thin, even cutlets. Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add prepared chicken and toss with a spatula to coat. Drizzle in soy sauce and olive oil, then toss again until evenly coated.
- Arrange chicken in one layer (you'll likely need to cook in 2 batches). Don't overlap pieces, allow space in between pieces. Air-fry at 400°F for 9–12 minutes until lightly charred and internal temp reaches 160°F. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice or dice.
- In a small pot over medium heat, combine butter, hot sauce, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Whisk until smooth and butter is melted. Remove from heat.
- If using them, prep the quinoa, Green Goddess sauce, and pickled red onions. Click the links in the ingredients list for those recipes. Make the slaw following the instructions in the notes section.
- Add quinoa or rice to each bowl. Top with chicken, drizzle on buffalo sauce to taste (you may have a bit extra), and add slaw, pickled onions, and a drizzle Green Goddess sauce across everything. Serve right away.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
