Buffalo Chicken Chicken
Buffalo chicken chicken turns plain grilled chicken into a bold, spicy star. All you need is a grill or a grill pan and about 15 minutes and you have zesty grilled buffalo chicken perfect on it’s own, over salad, or in sandwiches and wraps.
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Buffalo everything is huge in this house.
I *may* have once cried while pregnant because I wanted- nay needed- a buffalo chicken sandwich in this worst way.
And now that I’m well passed those days, I still love it.
Which is good because it’s also a huge deal for my husband.
We’re talking buffalo wings, buffalo chicken dip, buffalo chicken cheese fries, and buffalo cauliflower for days over here.
This buffalo chicken chicken brings the finger-lickin spicy good of buffalo wings right to the grill.
It’s a little lighter since we are using skinless chicken breasts instead of skin-on wings.
And it’s so versatile!
You can add the buffalo chicken to salads, wraps, sandwiches, or just serve as a main dish with whatever sides you like.
This is an easy weeknight dinner or an easy meal prep idea for a few days of lunches.
Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies
Here’s what you need for buffalo chicken chicken:
- Chicken Breast – We use about 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken.
- Seasonings – To make our homemade rub, we use cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, a bit of sea salt, and paprika. It’s pretty much the same combination we used to make this buffalo wing rub but with NO baking powder.
- Buffalo sauce– We use our homemade buffalo wing sauce. It’s a mix of butter, Frank’s (yes, you can use other hot sauce but why would you want to?), and garlic. Of course, feel free to skip this and use whatever store bought wing sauce you want.
- Olive oil or nonstick spray– This is optional but to brush or spray on the grill pan to prevent sticking.
You should get out your:
- Grill Pan
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Small Sauce Pan
- Garlic Press
- Tongs
- Meat Tenderizer
- Poultry Shears
- Non-Porous Cutting Board
You might also want to get out non-stick spray if your grill pan is not non-stick.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Chicken
1. Prep the chicken.
Cut off any excess fat from the chicken breasts using a sharp knife or poultry shears.
You have two options to flatten the chicken a bit for faster grilling:
- Butterfly the breasts using your knife or shears, leaving it just barely attached at the thickest part of the breasts.
- Use a meat mallet to flatten the chicken breasts on a non-porous cutting board.
You could also do both options, butterflying it and then flattening them with a meat mallet.
To ensure even coating, measure and add the spices to a small bowl and mix to combine.
Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the top of each breast, flip, and sprinkle the remaining seasoning over the other side.
2. Grill the chicken.
Heat your grill pan or grill to medium heat.
Brush the grill with a little olive oil or nonstick spray.
Once it is hot, place each breast on the grill pan.
Grill the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness, before carefully flipping and grilling the other side for 3 to 5 minutes.
The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165.
3. Prepare the buffalo sauce and toss.
Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat, melting the butter.
Add in the crushed or minced garlic and saute for about 1 to 2 minutes or until it starts to become fragrant.
Remove from heat and mix in the hot sauce, whisking or stirring to fully combine.
Add the cooked chicken to the pot and gently toss to cover the chicken breasts to complete the buffalo chicken chicken or drizzle the sauce over the chicken if you’d like it less saucy.
Serving
Buffalo chicken chicken is a versatile meal.
You can serve it several ways, such as:
- On top of a Caesar salad or instead of plain grilled chicken in chicken Caesar wraps
- As a topping to your favorite recipe
- In a wrap
- As part of a sandwich
- As a full meal with sides like sweet potato fries
You can also serve them like buffalo wings with celery, carrots, and blue cheese.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover buffalo chicken chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, separately from the sauce if you haven’t tossed the chicken with the sauce.
Reheat it on the grill or in the oven until warmed through for best results.
You could also microwave it, but microwaving may change the texture of the chicken a bit.
Freezing Instructions
You can absolutely freeze this buffalo chicken chicken.
For best results, let the chicken cool completely after grilling, then wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, squeezing out as much as possible.
Freeze it for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to use it, thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat gently preferably on the stovetop or in the oven for best texture.
Tips and Tricks
- If you plan to make this to freeze or reheat in another day or two, skip making the sauce until you are ready to make it to serve. This will help make it easier to reheat without burning the sauce.
- For a bit of sweet heat, you can add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey or maple syrup to the buffalo sauce.
- If you do not butterfly or smash the chicken breasts, it will increase cooking time. You may also want to flip the chicken more frequently to prevent burning on one side.
- I highly recommend butterflying or using your meat tenderizer on your chicken. Thinner breasts have a better chicken to flavor ratio in my opinion and a much better texture.
- For a deeper flavor, butterfly or pound the chicken thin and season the chicken with the rub in the morning. Then cover it, and put it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. Letting it sit for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the fridge really lets the flavors of the rub sink into the chicken.
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Equipment
- 1 pair of tongs
- 1 meat mallet
- 1 garlic press
- 1 pair of poultry shears
- 1 cutting board
- 1 grilling pan
- 1 small sauce pan
- 1 small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken breasts pounded thin or butterflied
Dry Rub
- .5 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Sea salt
- .5 tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Cayenne pepper
Buffalo Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1/2 cup Cayenne pepper sauce scant
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken breasts by either butterflying the breasts, smashing them flat with a mallet, or both.
- In a small bowl, mix the spices until well combined.
- Sprinkle about half the seasoning on the top of one side of each breast. Flip and sprinkle the remaining half on the other side then.
- Preheat a grill pan over medium heat.
- Cook the chicken for about 2 to 5 minutes on each side. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165.
- In a small sauce pan, melt the butter.
- Once melted, add the minced or crushed garlic to the butter and saute for about 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Remove from heat, and stir in the hot sauce, mixing until well combined.
- Add the cooked breasts to the small pot and toss gently to coat each breast.
- Serve on top of a salad, in a wrap, in a sandwich, or as a main dish with your favorite sides.
Notes
- For more flavor, let the chicken breasts sit covered in the dry rub for up to 8 hours prior to grilling, covered tightly in the fridge.
- You can substitute storebought buffalo chicken dry rub and storebought buffalo wing sauce instead of making your own. Don’t substitute straight hot sauce for the wing sauce though.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- For best reheating, reheat the chicken in a pan on the stove or in the oven. You can microwave it, but it may get rubbery.
