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About This Recipe
I’m always looking for easy meal prep recipes and this buffalo chicken rice bowl recipe definitely checks all the boxes! These bowls are super easy to make, are high in protein and pack SO much great flavor. They’re perfect to prep for weekday lunch or dinner on a busy weeknight.
All you have to do is just throw some chicken in the crockpot and let it cook for a few hours, then make your bed of rice and carrots while the chicken cooks. Chop a few veggies so assembly is super easy and you’re ready to go!
The best part about bowl-style meals? They’re totally customizable to your preference! Swap the rice for cauliflower rice for less carbs, add extra toppings if you love lots of veggies, use your favorite kind of cheese, etc!
These buffalo bowls use my 2-Ingredient Buffalo Chicken that can also be cooked in the instant pot or stovetop. This buffalo chicken is such a great bulk protein and can also be used in my Buffalo Chicken Crescent Ring, Buffalo Chicken Wraps, or in my Buffalo Chicken Salad!
- Easy to make, versatile (everyone can make their own bowls the way they like), and seriously delicious!
- Made with simple ingredients and packed with SO much flavor!
- High protein and so filling! Can easily be adjusted to any dietary preference.
- One of the easiest meals for quick lunch, weeknight dinner or meal prep.
- Easy to assemble. Prep all ingredients in advance and add to a bowl when ready to eat!
- Chicken breasts – I used boneless skinless chicken breast
- Buffalo sauce – I used mild buffalo sauce but use regular if you prefer a bit of heat. I also recommend Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce!
- Rice – you can use white rice or brown rice for this recipe
- Carrots
- Butter
- Cucumber
- Cheese – I used crumbled gorgonzola but any cheese you prefer will work!
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Make low carb! Sub the regular rice for cauliflower rice to make these bowls low carb.
- Different cheese! Use any cheese you would like blue cheese crumbles, feta cheese, mozzarella, etc.
- More veggies! Feel free to throw any extra veggies in that you think sound good! More ideas are green onion, bell peppers, red onions, bag of cabbage slaw mix, roasted cauliflower, etc.
- Dressing! Add even more flavor by drizzling some ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing or my Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing on top!
- Extra fiber! For even more protein and fiber, add some black beans or chickpeas to your bowls.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Add the chicken and 8-oz. of the buffalo sauce (~2/3 of the bottle) to the Crockpot. Toss to combine. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
2. Remove the chicken breasts from the Crockpot and use two forks to shred the meat. Discard the remaining liquid from the Crockpot then add the meat back and toss with the remaining 1/2 cup (4-oz.) of buffalo sauce and 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste.
3. Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add rice and shredded carrots.
4. Bring to a low simmer then cover lid and cook until rice is fluffy and all water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt.
6. To four meal prep containers or bowls, add 3/4 cup rice mixture, 1/2 cup Buffalo Chicken, 1/4 cup diced cucumber, 2 Tbsp crumbled gorgonzola and 3 cherry tomatoes. Top with more matchstick carrots if desired. Also yummy with a little drizzle of ranch or sour cream for some coolness!
You can store the leftover buffalo chicken and rice together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or go ahead and divide into four meal prep containers.
Store cucumber, cherry tomatoes and cheese in a separate container in the fridge so you can heat up your rice and chicken separately.
How do I reheat these meal prep buffalo chicken rice bowls?
I prefer to reheat the rice and buffalo chicken in microwave then add my tomatoes, cucumber and cheese.
Is buffalo chicken spicy?
I used mild buffalo sauce for this recipe so it is not spicy at all. If you prefer a bit of heat, you can use regular buffalo sauce or just add a drizzle of buffalo sauce to your bowls before serving.
Can I cook the buffalo chicken in the Instant pot?
Yes, you can cook the pulled buffalo chicken in the crockpot, instant pot or stovetop.
What other recipes recipes can I use this buffalo chicken in?
This pulled buffalo chicken makes a great bulk protein for so many different types of recipes. Use your extra buffalo chicken in my Buffalo Chicken Crescent Ring, Buffalo Chicken Wraps, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Buffalo Chicken Dip and more!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
Buffalo Chicken:
- 2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts
- 12 oz. buffalo sauce I used mild
- 1/4 tsp salt more to taste
Bowls:
- 1 cup uncooked rice (90g)
- 1 cup matchstick or shredded carrots (80g)
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup finely diced cucumber
- 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola (56g)
- 12 cherry tomatoes halved
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Instructions
Buffalo Chicken:
- Add the chicken and 8-oz. of the buffalo sauce (~2/3 of the bottle) to the Crockpot. Toss to combine. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Remove the chicken breasts from the Crockpot and use two forks to shred the meat.
- Discard the remaining liquid from the Crockpot then add the meat back and toss with the remaining 1/2 cup (4-oz.) of buffalo sauce and 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste.
Rice:
- Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add rice and shredded carrots. Bring to a low simmer then cover lid and cook until rice is fluffy and all water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt.
Assemble:
- To four meal prep containers or bowls, add 3/4 cup rice mixture (~145g), 1/2 cup Buffalo Chicken (113g), 1/4 cup diced cucumber, 2 Tbsp crumbled gorgonzola and 3 cherry tomatoes.
- Top with more matchstick carrots if desired. Also yummy with a little drizzle of ranch or sour cream for some coolness! Can store vegetables and cheese separately if you prefer to heat your chicken and rice up first. Will have leftover chicken to enjoy as you please!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
