These Buffalo Chicken Bowls are made with air fried chicken coated in buffalo sauce over cooked rice with veggies and blue cheese crumbles! The family loves to build their own bowls for an easy dinner!
If there’s one type of chicken recipe we probably make more than any other it’s got to be buffalo chicken! There’s lots of great ways to prepare it with the air fryer. Our Buffalo Chicken Bombs with a drizzle or dip of ranch dressing are perfect appetizers for the big game, and these buffalo chicken rice bowls are great for lunch or dinner.
We love bowls because they are so easy to customize with with of all your favorite toppings! We add some celery and carrots for familiar buffalo chicken flavors, along with some blue cheese crumbles. Plus, tomato and avocado for a little freshness. You can really get crazy here and use whatever you like.
If you enjoy this recipe be sure to check out our Air Fryer Chicken Burrito Bowl or Copycat KFC Bowls too!
Ingredient Notes:
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
For the chicken:
Chicken – We’re keeping it lighter with boneless, skinless breasts, but thighs would also work well. You could even use our air fryer chicken tenders for more of a crispy chicken!
Buffalo Sauce – We love Frank’s Red Hot for a classic buffalo flavor. It’s not too spicy and has a great flavor. Use whatever you like, though.
Olive Oil & Seasoning – You’ll need some olive oil for air frying plus it helps to hold the seasoning in place. We’re using some garlic powder, salt, and pepper for seasoning the chicken along with the buffalo sauce.
For the bowl toppings:
Rice – You can use either cooked white rice or brown rice when preparing the buffalo chicken bowls. Either one is fine! Another option would be to use some cauliflower rice if you’d like to keep this recipe low carb. This roasted cauliflower rice is a great choice to go with the buffalo sauce flavors!
Veggies – We’re topping the bowl with some thinly sliced celery and shredded carrots because both have such a great contrasting flavor with the buffalo sauce and it’s a classic pairing. We’re also adding chopped Roma tomatoes and a sliced avocado!
Blue Cheese – Another classic pairing with buffalo chicken flavors is blue cheese! We top the bowls with some blue cheese crumbles. If you don’t like blue cheese you could swap it out for feta or try some shredded cheddar.
Other – Some green onions for a little extra flavor and color, plus some ranch dressing for drizzling over the bowls!
We love how versatile this recipe can be! The bowls are easy to assemble and everyone can customize their own with their preferred toppings. You can switch it up with other toppings and make it your own!
Meat Thermometer
We use and love this ThermoPro meat thermometer anytime we’re making chicken, steak, or pork chops! It’s the easiest way to ensure meat is cooked to the perfect temperature every time and is a great gift for beginner cooks too!
Step by Step Instructions for Buffalo Chicken Bowls:
Start by cutting the chicken into chunks and adding to a mixing bowl along with the buffalo sauce, olive oil, and seasonings. Stir or toss to coat the chicken evenly in the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes. The longer it marinates, the more flavorful it becomes.
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Place the marinated chicken pieces in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 10-12 minutes, shaking halfway through, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Add the rice and veggies to a bowl. Feel free to get creative with your toppings here!
PIle on the chicken, avocado, tomato, and blue cheese. Give it all a drizzle of ranch dressing and dig in!
Shop our Favorite Air Fryers!
We’ve tested loads of air fryers over the years and narrowed it down to the best of the best! Whether you’re looking for a basket style air fryer that fits nicely on your countertop or you want the toaster oven style air fryer, we’ve got the recommendation for you!
Storage & Freezing Instructions:
Fridge: We recommend storing each component separately so that it will reheat appropriately. Store in small, covered dishes for up to 5 days.
Freezer: You can freeze the cooked buffalo chicken for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer.
Reheating: We like to reheat the rice and chicken together in the microwave and then add our toppings afterwards.
Recipe Tips!
This recipe is great for meal prepping! You can prepare the rice and buffalo chicken ahead of time and store separately in the refrigerator until you are ready to reheat and assemble the bowls.
There are plenty of other toppings you can use with these bowls besides what we’ve added. Try bell peppers, sliced cucumbers, or even jalapeno for an extra kick. Diced or pickled red onion has a strong flavor that could also go well here.
Looking For More Air Fried Recipes?
Make sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram. And make sure to leave your questions and reviews below!