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These buffalo chicken rice bowls are a quick, wholesome weeknight meal loaded with vegetables and tons of flavor. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and can easily be made vegan.
I’ve admittedly been skeptical of buffalo sauce, never understanding all the hype. Then I made these buffalo chicken bowls and whipped up a really simple homemade dairy-free buffalo sauce, and you could say I have a new obsession.
I’ve even caught myself saying multiple times, “Why did no one tell me how good this is?”. Ha.
If you’re looking for a way to zhuzh up some chicken, this is it. Pour the sauce on, chuck it in a bowl with rice, add some crunchy vegetables, and drizzle on a little dairy-free ranch. It’s so easy to make, filling, and it’s a meal you’ll want to repeat.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken breast – you can also use chicken thighs, but for this recipe, I used boneless and skinless chicken breast.
- Cooked rice – this adds a little more bulk to the bowl and gives a nice contrast in texture.
- Crunchy, refreshing vegetables – chopped romaine and sliced celery.
- Cherry tomatoes – gives the bowl a nice pop of color.
- Homemade buffalo sauce – dairy-free free butter (or use regular unsalted), cayenne pepper-based hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this buffalo chicken rice bowl using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- In a hurry? – use store-bought rotisserie chicken instead of cooking it yourself and buffalo sauce. Primal Kitchen’s Buffalo Sauce is a great dairy-free option. They also make a dairy-free ranch.
- No romaine? – use any other leafy greens you’d like such as kale, spinach, or a mix.
- No celery? – choose another crunchy vegetable such as cucumber, jicama, bell pepper, or radish.
- No cherry tomatoes? – swap for another variety, another veg, or omit.
- Make it vegan – use jackfruit, chickpeas, or tofu instead.
Equipment
For this recipe, you’ll need a chef knife and cutting board for the vegetables. If cooking the chicken yourself, you’ll need a large skillet (plus a lid) and liquid measuring cups.
More Recipe Bowls:
Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken
- 1 – 1.25 pounds chicken breast
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth or water
Dairy-Free Buffalo Sauce
- ½ cup dairy-free butter, melted
- 6 tablespoons cayenne pepper-based hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Rice Bowls
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 6 cups romaine or other leafy greens, chopped
- 3-4 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- dairy-free ranch
Instructions
- Generously season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, and cook for 5 minutes on one side.
- Flip the chicken over, add your liquid of choice and cover with a lid. Let it cook for another 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a meat thermometer.
- Add the cooked chicken breasts to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and turn on medium speed until the chicken is fully shredded. Alternatively, you can do this with a handheld mixer or in a bowl with two forks.
- Pour the buffalo sauce into the bowl of shredded chicken and toss well to coat. (You may not need all of it.)
- Divide the rice, lettuce, celery, cherry tomatoes, and buffalo chicken between 4 bowls and drizzle with dairy-free ranch.
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