Easy Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls
- PREP 10min
- COOK 40min
- TOTAL 50min
The rice, chicken and buffalo wing sauce can all be made ahead of time. The cooking time above includes cooking the rice. In the notes section, we have shared how to make brown rice in advance and store in the refrigerator or even the freezer. The recipe for brown rice below will yield 2 cups, which is double what you need for the two bowls below. You can use store-bought buffalo sauce, but we highly recommend our homemade version. It’s just three ingredients and it keeps in the refrigerator for weeks. When we don’t have ranch dressing in the fridge, we go to the make-shift version shared below. It’s creamy, bright and works nicely with these rice bowls.
You Will Need
Buffalo Chicken and Broccoli
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, 6 ounces each
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce, see our homemade buffalo sauce recipe
1 cup warm cooked brown rice, recipe below
3 cups salad greens
2 lemon wedges
2 tablespoons ranch dressing, see our quick recipe below
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
Fluffy Brown Rice
1 cup brown rice
Water
Pinch of salt
Make-shift Ranch Dressing
2 tablespoons sour cream or crema
Juice from 1 lemon wedge
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
Pinch onion powder
Pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Cook Chicken and Broccoli
Heat a teaspoon of the olive oil in a nonstick frying pan (with lid) over medium-high heat. As soon as the oil is hot and looks shimmery, add the chicken. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Flip, reduce heat to low then cover with lid. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
When there is about 5 minutes left before the chicken is done, lift the lid and throw in the broccoli florets. Cover with the lid then cook until the broccoli is bright green and tender. (If after 5 minutes the broccoli is done, but the chicken still needs time, transfer the broccoli to a plate then continue to cook the chicken until done).
Assemble Rice Bowls
If it is cold, add the buffalo wing sauce to a microwave-safe dish and microwave 5 seconds or until warm. Stir until smooth and blended.
Divide the rice between two bowls. Add the salad greens to one half of the bowl. Squeeze a lemon wedge over the salad in each bowl, and then drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil on top. Scatter the steamed broccoli over the greens.
Slice the chicken then place next to the salad greens and broccoli. Spoon the warmed buffalo wing sauce over the chicken. Drizzle ranch over the salad and broccoli then crumble blue cheese on top.
How to Cook Fluffy Brown Rice
Add rice to a strainer then rinse with cold water until the water runs clear.
In a large pot with tight-fitting lid, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice, stir then bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer then cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Drain the rice using a strainer. Shake it a couple of times to remove excess moisture then place the rice back into the saucepan. Cover with the lid and set aside, off of the heat, for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and season with a pinch of salt.
Make-shift Ranch Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, onion powder, salt and pepper until smooth. If it seems too thick, add a small amount of water. Taste then adjust with additional dill, onion powder and/or salt.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make-ahead rice: Cook the brown rice as suggested above then cool. Store in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days or divide the rice into portions, add to resealable plastic freezer-safe bags and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat the refrigerated or frozen rice in the microwave or on the stovetop before eating.
- Make-ahead buffalo sauce: The buffalo sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 month.
- The method for cooking brown rice is thanks to Saveur. They are the ones who figured out that cooking brown rice like pasta makes it light and fluffy. It’s the only way we make brown rice in our kitchen.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA Supertracker recipe calculator to calculate approximate values.
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