Description
Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls combine tender, spicy buffalo shredded chicken with fresh vegetables and a creamy homemade ranch dressing, served over fluffy rice. This flavorful and easy-to-make dish offers both slow cooker and Instant Pot options for perfectly cooked chicken infused with bold buffalo flavors, complemented by crisp cucumbers, carrots, and a tangy ranch drizzle. Ideal for a comforting, protein-packed meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Buffalo Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot recommended)
- ¼ cup melted ghee or butter
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or mayo for dairy free)
- ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
- 1 tsp dried chives
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Remaining Ingredients
- 1 cup brown or white rice (uncooked)
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles (optional)
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- Prepare Buffalo Chicken (Slow Cooker method): Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Pour hot sauce, melted ghee, and sprinkle paprika, garlic powder, and salt over the chicken. Gently toss everything to coat the chicken evenly. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 2-3 hours until the chicken is tender and easily shredded. Shred the chicken with forks and keep warm until serving.
- Prepare Buffalo Chicken (Instant Pot method): Add chicken breasts to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Pour hot sauce, melted ghee, and spices over the chicken. Use tongs to coat chicken pieces evenly and ensure a layer of sauce sits at the bottom to prevent burning. Seal the lid and set to Manual High Pressure for 13 minutes. Quick release pressure, shred the chicken with forks, then mix it back with the sauce in the pot. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Cook Rice: Prepare 1 cup of rice according to package directions until fully cooked and fluffy.
- Make Ranch Dressing: In a bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt (or mayo), almond milk, chopped dill, dried chives, garlic powder, dried parsley, onion powder, lemon juice, and salt. Adjust seasoning to taste and refrigerate until serving.
- Assemble Bowls: In serving bowls, place a layer of cooked rice, a generous portion of shredded buffalo chicken, then top with diced cucumbers, matchstick carrots, diced red onion, and optionally, blue cheese crumbles. Drizzle with ranch dressing and garnish with chopped green onions. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on one serving, which is ¼ of the total recipe, excluding blue cheese crumbles. Assumes equal distribution of chicken, rice, veggies, and dressing.
- To make dairy free, substitute vegan butter for ghee and use mayo instead of Greek yogurt. Omit blue cheese crumbles.
- Store leftover buffalo chicken and rice together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store toppings and ranch dressing separately.
- If using store-bought buffalo sauce, omit the hot sauce and ghee; instead use ¾ cup of buffalo sauce of choice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (¼ of recipe without blue cheese)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
