Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls with Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
These Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowls combine tender, spicy shredded chicken with fresh vegetables and a creamy homemade ranch dressing for a comforting and flavorful meal that’s easy to prepare in a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, the bowls are customizable, nutritious, and packed with bold flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes Instant Pot / 6-7 hours Slow Cooker
- Total Time: 23 minutes Instant Pot / 6-7 hours 10 minutes Slow Cooker
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Buffalo Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup Hot sauce (I like Frank’s Red Hot)
- 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 (sub 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 (+ more to taste)
Bowls
- 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): Place the chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour the buffalo sauce, melted ghee, paprika, garlic powder, and salt on top. Gently toss or coat the chicken with the sauce and spices. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 2-3 hours until cooked through and tender. Shred the chicken and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Prepare Buffalo Chicken (Instant Pot): Add the chicken breasts into the Instant Pot. Pour hot sauce, melted ghee, paprika, garlic powder, and salt over the chicken. Use tongs to rotate the pieces to coat evenly. Ensure there is a sauce layer at the bottom to prevent burn notices. Cook on Manual High Pressure for 13 minutes, then perform a quick release. Shred the chicken with two forks, return it to the pot, and toss to combine with the sauce. Keep warm until serving.
- Cook Rice: Prepare the rice according to the package instructions, whether brown or white rice.
- Make Ranch Dressing: In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, almond milk, fresh dill, dried chives, garlic powder, dried parsley, onion powder, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk well until fully combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble Bowls: In serving bowls, add a base of cooked rice. Top with shredded buffalo chicken, diced cucumber, matchstick carrots, diced red onion, and optionally blue cheese crumbles. Drizzle with the homemade ranch dressing and sprinkle chopped green onions on top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, substitute the ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt for a mayo-based dressing.
- Blue cheese crumbles are optional but add a classic flavor contrast to the spicy buffalo chicken.
- You can prepare the buffalo chicken in either a slow cooker or an Instant Pot depending on your time availability.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce to control the spice level to your preference.
- Leftover buffalo chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
- Have you made this recipe? I’d love to see it! Follow me on Pinterest for more recipes.
Keywords: Buffalo chicken, rice bowls, slow cooker chicken, Instant Pot chicken, homemade ranch, healthy dinner, easy weeknight meal
