This Buffalo Ranch Chicken and Rice might be your new favorite dinner recipe! Only needs one pot and 30 minutes and always a family favorite!
You GUYS! Look at this cheesy chicken and rice! 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 I originally made and wrote this as a slow cooker recipe, but people were having mixed results with their slow cookers at home.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 over cooked 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, and giving you a cook time between 4 and 8 hours depending on your crock pot 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, but you have more control of the timing. When you cook everything the perfect amount of time, you’ll get a perfect result. I want you to love my easy dinner recipes every time!
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 use as much or little cheese as you’d like in the recipe. 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 used the packaged kind. I bought a big jar of it, which seems expensive at first, 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 are really so, so good. I just know you’ll love it. Be sure to leave me a comment to let me know how it turned out :)
How To Make Buffalo Ranch Chicken and Rice:

Prep Time | 5 minutes |
Cook Time | 8 hours |
Servings |
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- 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
Ingredients
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- Dice uncooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Stir in cheese. Sprinkle with additional cheese and sliced green onions if desired.
- Place WHOLE chicken breasts into slow cooker.
- Pour in broth, wing sauce, dressing mix, and BROWN rice.
- 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.
- 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.
Want more buffalo chicken goodness? Try these recipes!
This is delicious! The whole family enjoyed it!
We loved it but would love to know how many calories in a serving?
Does this reheat well as leftovers? Hoping to make a big batch that will last a couple nights.
What setting would you use if using an Instant Pot?
what setting would you use with an InstantPot?
Do you think this would work with cauliflower rice ?
I used cauliflower rice and was very pleased. You use less broth when using cauliflower rice. I also used the frozen cauliflower rice you steam in the microwave for 4 minutes and added it to the pot for about 10 minutes to get it seasoned well before eating. I used 2 cups of broth, but I should have used less.
My daughter, who is a big fan of buffalo chicken, and I loved this recipe. I will make this [email protected]
Made this for dinner tonight and loved it! Will definitely make again.