Buffalo Chicken

This Buffalo chicken recipe is quick and easy and huge on flavor with seasoned grilled or seared chicken smothered in zesty homemade Buffalo sauce. A spicy food lover's dream!

Guess what time it is, my friends! It's Buffalo Chicken time!

I've been craving Buffalo chicken lately. I just love the zip and zing of a good Buffalo sauce. It's easy to run out to your favorite chicken wing joint and order up a basket of crispy chicken wings slathered in saucy awesomeness, but making Buffalo sauce at home is super easy.

And it's so much better!

Also, I can choose whatever cut of chicken I am in the mood for, like a nice thick chicken breast, or maybe some boneless chicken thighs. Or both!

Today I've opted for skinless, boneless chicken breast because I'm watching the calories (and the waistline). Chicken can often be boring, but not when you have Buffalo Sauce!

This recipe is super easy to make, either on the grill or on the stove top. It will be ready and on the table in well under 30 minutes, including your prep time. You can also bake it if you'd like, though that will take a bit longer.

Let's talk about how we make Buffalo chicken, shall we?

Buffalo Chicken Ingredients

• FOR THE BUFFALO SAUCE
• Butter (1/2 cup)
• Louisiana style hot sauce - Franks Red Hot is very popular, though I use Valentina Hot Sauce, or use your favorite
• Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Tabasco Sauce
• Paprika - I use Hungarian paprika – smoked is great, too
• Granulated Garlic
• Salt and Pepper 
• OPTIONAL: Pinch of ghost pepper flakes for XTRA HOT! Or try Cayenne Flakes for nice hot.
• FOR THE CHICKEN
• Olive Oil for Cooking
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken breasts - or use chicken thighs
• Smoked Paprika
• Garlic Powder
• Cayenne Powder
• Salt and Pepper

How to Make Buffalo Chicken - the Recipe Method

FOR THE BUFFALO WING SAUCE

Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat.

Add the remaining ingredients and whisk them together until nice and smooth.

Set aside until ready to use.

FOR THE CHICKEN

Season the chicken generously with your seasoning blend. I'm using paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

For the Grill:

Heat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the chicken 5 minutes per side to get a nice sear.

Baste on a few spoonfuls of the Buffalo sauce and continue to grill until the chicken is cooked through. It should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer. I like to baste a few times while cooking.

For the Stove Top:

Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat. Sear the seasoned chicken 5 minutes per side, then reduce heat to low.

Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of Buffalo sauce.

Cover and cook another 5 minutes, or until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer. Cooking time can vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken.

Final Steps:

Remove from heat and let rest a couple minutes.

Smother with the remaining Buffalo sauce.

Sprinkle on some blue cheese crumbles and spicy chili flakes, if desired, and serve with blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing. I'm a blue cheese guy! But hey, I love ranch dressing, too. Or maybe just some extra Buffalo sauce.

Green onions or other fresh herbs are a nice touch as well.

Boom! Done! Buffalo chicken in the house, my friends. This really is an easy recipe, so quick to make, and it's low calorie, too, for those of us watching our waist lines.

I love that! Guilt free eating! Perfect for weeknight dinners or game day eats!

Recipe Tips & Notes

• The Chicken. I mostly use chicken breast for making Buffalo chicken at home, though I often make it with chicken thighs as well, or a mix, as you can see in some of the photos. Realistically, you can make Buffalo chicken with any cut of chicken, either bone in or boneless. The sauce goes with any chicken.
• The Seasonings. Today I used a simple mix of paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper. However, feel free to use your favorite seasoning blend. Try it with a homemade Cajun seasoning or a nice blackening seasoning. So many options. Spice it up!
• The Buffalo Sauce. My homemade Buffalo sauce recipe is super versatile. As mentioned, it will go with any cut of chicken, no matter how you prepare it, but it's also great for drizzling over any grilled meats or to add zing to your vegetables. It's the ultimate hot wing sauce.
• Spice it Up. You'll definitely get a nice heat factor with this recipe overall, but if you're really looking to up the spice level, sprinkle in some spicy chili flakes or ghost pepper powder into the chicken seasoning and/or the Buffalo sauce. I love it this way.
• Baked Buffalo Chicken Recipe. If you prefer to bake your chicken, season and bake it in a baking dish at 350 degrees F (73 C) for 20 minutes, or until it is cooked through to 165 degrees F internally, then smother with Buffalo sauce. Easy!
• Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. You can easily pop your Buffalo Chicken onto a bun as-is, or try it with shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken drenches in Buffalo sauce for one of my favorite versions. So good when made in the slow cooker. I love it!

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my Buffalo chicken recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy!

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

• Buffalo Grilled Shrimp
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Buffalo-Blue Cheese Chicken Sliders
• Creamy Buffalo Mac and Cheese
• Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
• Buffalo Chicken Wings
• Boneless Buffalo Wings
• Buffalo Cauliflower
• Buffalo Chicken Pasta
• Buffalo Chicken Pizza
• Salsa Chicken

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

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Buffalo Chicken Recipe

This Buffalo chicken recipe is quick and easy and huge on flavor with seasoned grilled or seared chicken smothered in zesty homemade Buffalo sauce. A spicy food lover's dream!

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Buffalo sauce, chicken, chicken breast, grilled chicken, recipe, spicy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Calories: 184kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 4

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5 from 5 votes

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Ingredients

FOR THE BUFFALO SAUCE

• 1 stick butter 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons
• ½ cup Louisiana style hot sauce Franks is very popular though I use Valentina HOT
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika I use Hungarian paprika – smoked is great too
• ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or more to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• OPTIONAL: Pinch of ghost pepper flakes for XTRA HOT! Or try Cayenne Flakes for nice hot.

FOR THE CHICKEN

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each, or use chicken thighs)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

FOR THE BUFFALO SAUCE

• Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk them together until nice and smooth.
• Set aside until ready to use.

FOR THE CHICKEN

• Season the chicken generously with your seasoning blend. I'm using paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

For the Grill

• Heat your grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Grill the chicken 5 minutes per side to get a nice sear.
• Baste on a few spoonfuls of the Buffalo sauce and continue to grill until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer. I like to baste a few times while cooking.

For the Stove Top

• Heat the oil in a large pan to medium heat. Sear the seasoned chicken 5 minutes per side, then reduce heat to low. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of Buffalo sauce.
• Cover and cook another 5 minutes, or until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when measured with a meat thermometer.

Final Steps

• Remove from heat and let rest a couple minutes.
• Smother with the remaining Buffalo sauce and serve with blue cheese dip and blue cheese crumbles.

Video

Notes

Heat Factor: Mild-Medium, but you'll get plenty of zing from the Buffalo sauce. For more pronounced heat, try adding spicier chili powder or flakes to the sauce.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 184kcal   Carbohydrates: 4g   Protein: 25g   Fat: 7g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Cholesterol: 72mg   Sodium: 970mg   Potassium: 559mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 1g   Vitamin A: 1399IU   Vitamin C: 25mg   Calcium: 10mg   Iron: 1mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 1/29/21 to include new information, photos and video. It was originally published on 3/20/20.