Buffalo Chicken and Rice Bowl
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This Buffalo Chicken and Rice Bowl is bold, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to pull together—just prep once and enjoy it all week!
Instant download of our tips to cook the best chicken!
Why This Recipe Will Be a Favorite
With tender shredded buffalo chicken, crispy air-fried sweet potatoes, fluffy rice, fresh veggies, and a drizzle of cool ranch dressing, each chicken and rice bowl has the perfect balance of spicy and refreshing flavors.
Honestly, this recipe is a meal prep masterpiece! The Instant Pot buffalo chicken is fall-apart tender, and the air fryer sweet potato cubes are super crispy.
You can make the rice in an Instant Pot, on the stovetop, or in a rice cooker.
Although there are 3 different parts of the meal to cook, every part can be made ahead, or you can cook them all at the same time!
Another reason it works so well for meal prep is because all of the components hold up so well in the fridge. And with lots of color, crunch, and creamy ranch to balance the heat, each bite is satisfying and delicious!
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- No air fryer? No problem. Make sheet pan roasted sweet potatoes in the oven or cook them in a large skillet instead. Let them brown on the edges and stir occasionally so they cook evenly.
- Make it a snack, too! If you like having easy, wholesome snacks on hand, make a batch of ranch at the beginning of the week to enjoy with raw veggies and to use for these bowls.
- Choose your heat level. If you prefer extra heat, add a drizzle of the buffalo hot sauce right before serving your buffalo chicken bowl.
If your family likes buffalo sauce on everything, don’t miss my recipes for Buffalo Chicken Nachos, Buffalo Ranch Chicken Casserole, and Buffalo Chicken Dip!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
You’ll start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which cook quickly in the Instant Pot and shred easily. If you prefer dark meat, boneless chicken thighs work well.
Buffalo sauce brings the heat and tanginess that gives the chicken and rice bowl its signature flavor. You can buy the sauce ready-to-use from the condiments aisle, or make my recipe for homemade buffalo sauce.
For the sweet potatoes, you’ll cube them and air fry until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. A little olive oil, salt, and pepper help them caramelize beautifully.
The base of the bowl is jasmine rice cooked in chicken broth for added flavor. You don’t necessarily have to use jasmine… use any kind of rice you prefer!
For toppings, you’ll add mixed greens for crunch, feta for creaminess, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers for freshness and color, and ranch dressing to balance the buffalo heat.
You can easily swap ingredients based on what you have. Quinoa or brown rice work just as well as white rice, and blue cheese is a great substitute for feta if you want a more traditional buffalo flavor. Avocado or celery can also be added for extra flavor.
How to Make a Buffalo Chicken and Rice Bowl
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and half of the buffalo sauce. Pressure cook on High power for 17 minutes.
- Use two forks to shred the meat, then toss it with the remaining buffalo sauce.
- While the buffalo chicken is pressure cooking, roast sweet potatoes in the oven or in an air fryer.
- Instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, or in my air fryer sweet potatoes post.
- Cook the rice on the stove top or in a rice cooker according to package directions, or use my Instant Pot jasmine rice recipe.
- Build the buffalo chicken bowls by dividing the ingredients equally between serving bowls. Drizzle with ranch dressing and serve. Or you can divide the ingredients into meal prep containers for the week!
Make it kid friendly: If you’re serving kids, start with a smaller drizzle of buffalo sauce or mix a little ranch dressing into the shredded chicken for a milder taste. Let them pick their toppings to make it more fun!
Chicken and Rice Bowl Recipe FAQ
Yes, boneless chicken thighs work well and stay very tender. Use the same cook time as you would for boneless chicken breasts.
It depends on the buffalo sauce you use. For a milder option, choose a medium or mild sauce, or mix the cooked chicken with a little ranch dressing to lower the heat.
Serving and Storing
This dinner bowl tastes fantastic both hot and cold, making it great for lunch or dinner!
It pairs well with simple sides, fresh toppings, and sauces you can mix and match to build a complete meal. Try it with:
- Different Grains: Try quinoa, farro, or broccoli rice if you want to switch up the base.
- Vegetables: Add extra mixed greens or a small side salad with a homemade avocado dressing.
- Sauces: Drizzle with more buffalo sauce, ranch, or blue cheese dressing for extra flavor.
Store the chicken and rice, vegetables, and ranch in separate airtight containers, for up to three days. This keeps everything fresh and prevents the greens from getting soggy.
If you make this recipe, please give it a star rating and leave a comment below to let me know how it went!
Buffalo Chicken and Rice Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless thighs
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup buffalo sauce homemade or store-bought
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Rice
- ⅔ cup jasmine rice makes 2 cups cooked
- 1 ⅓ cups chicken broth or water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Bowl Toppings
- 2 cups mixed greens
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbles
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cucumber sliced and quartered
- ½ cup ranch dressing homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Make the buffalo chicken: Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in Instant Pot with ¼ cup buffalo sauce.
- Cook on high pressure 17 minutes, then perform a quick release of pressure.
- Remove chicken, shred with two forks, then toss with remaining ¼ cup buffalo sauce.
For the sweet potatoes
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
- Toss sweet potato cut into 1-inch chunks with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Air fry 15-20 minutes, shaking basket halfway through.
Rice
- Cook according to package directions or in rice cooker.
To Assemble:
- Divide rice among 4 bowls.
- Top with mixed greens, buffalo chicken, and roasted sweet potatoes.
- Add cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and feta.
- Drizzle with ranch dressing and serve.
Notes
- All components can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator.
- Reheat chicken and sweet potatoes before assembling, or enjoy cold
- Keep dressing separate until ready to serve.
- Prepare ranch dressing at the beginning of the week to snack on with veggies and for the buffalo chicken bowls.
