Skillet Buffalo Ranch Chicken and Rice Recipe

This Buffalo Ranch Chicken and Rice might be your new favorite dinner or brunch recipe! Only needs one skillet and 30 minutes, and is always a family favorite!

You GUYS! Look at this cheesy buffalo chicken and rice skillet! I’m so excited to share this recipe with you because we really loved it! I originally made and wrote this as a slow cooker recipe, but people were having mixed results with their slow cookers at home. I converted it to a skillet recipe, but it’s still super easy!

If you came here looking for a crockpot recipe, I’m sorry to disappoint, except I don’t think you’ll be disappointed AT ALL once you make this stovetop meal. I pride myself on giving you foolproof dinner recipes that are always a hit at your house, so when multiple commenters told me that their rice was either under or overcooked when they tried the crockpot recipe, I knew we had a problem.

I think cooking rice in a slow cooker is just too dependent on individual appliances’ cooking temperatures. Giving you a cook time between 4 and 8 hours, depending on your crockpot, just isn’t helpful. The stovetop instructions are still very simple, and it’s ready in a half-hour!

Truth be told, I’m a bigger fan of one-pan, stovetop dinners anyway because they come together quickly, and you have more control of the timing. I want you to love my easy dinner recipes every time, which is easier to do with a stovetop recipe!

Surprisingly, my 10-year-old was excited to taste this buffalo chicken rice and said it was the best thing ever. Had I known he would want to try it, I would have cut back a bit on the wing sauce. He still ate a few bites despite the spiciness.

It’s very easy to adjust the heat just by using more or less hot sauce. You can also adjust the recipe for as much or as little cheese as you’d like. I may have added a little extra to make the photos look extra delicious… (¬‿¬)

I think I’m going to make my own recipe for powdered ranch dressing mix, but for now, I use the packaged kind. I bought a big jar of it, which initially seemed expensive, but it lasts a long time! A regular-sized packet of dressing mix works too. The buffalo and ranch flavors in this cheesy chicken and rice recipe are so good. I just know you’ll love it. Be sure to leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out :)

Why I love this buffalo chicken and rice dish

• Super flavorful comfort food flavors. I love buffalo sauce, and I love ranch. This dish has both!
• Only 7 ingredients. This dish is super easy to make.
• Ready in under 30 minutes. I love dishes that are fast and perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
• A great base recipe that is easy to build upon and make your own. See some recommendations in the next section.

Buffalo chicken and rice recipe modifications and substitutions

If you want to expand on this recipe here are some of my recommendations on how to change or enhance this buffalo chicken and rice recipe.

• You can substitute the chicken breast with chicken thighs. Either way, I recommend using some tongs or two forks and slightly shredding the chicken once you remove the dish from the stove and before you add the cheese. This way, you get nicely shredded chicken throughout the dish.
• Add one stalk of diced celery, and one diced carrot when adding the rice. These vegetables go great with buffalo and ranch and will add some extra flavor and texture to the dish.
• Top it with some crunch. I love adding a crunchy topping when I have the time. Unfortunately this often requires baking which adds extra time and so this extra step often gets skipped. But one great way to add some crunch to this dish is to sprinkle some crispy fried onions or shallots on top before serving instead of sliced green onions. The crispy onions give both flavor and crunch to the buffalo chicken and rice.

Skillet Buffalo Ranch Chicken and Rice

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This might be your new favorite dinner recipe! Only needs one pot and 30 minutes and always a family favorite!

• Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup Buffalo wing sauce (adjust amount to taste)
• 3 tablespoons ranch dressing mix (or 1 oz. packet)
• 2 cups white rice
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (or more to taste)
• sliced green onions optional

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Instructions

1. Dice uncooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
2. Spray a dutch oven or other wide, deep pot with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and saute for a few minutes just to cook meat on outside.
3. Pour in broth, wing sauce, and ranch mix. Bring to a low boil. Stir in uncooked rice. Turn down heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes.
4. Remove cover, and stir. Rice should be cooked and liquid absorbed at this point. If not, simmer a few more minutes until rice is cooked completely.
5. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle with additional cheese and sliced green onions if desired.

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Place WHOLE chicken breasts into slow cooker.
2. Pour in broth, wing sauce, dressing mix, and BROWN rice.
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours until rice is cooked completely. Shred chicken, and stir in cheese. Sprinkle individual servings with additional cheese and green onions if desired.

Notes

• I recommend the stovetop method for perfect results.
• Crockpot cooking times vary by appliance. I recommend checking your rice after four hours but allowing up to eight hours the first time you make this recipe in the slow cooker.

• Author: Andi
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 480

Want more buffalo chicken goodness? Try these recipes!