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GET IT NOWMy Easy Buffalo Chicken Recipe Has Big Flavor Without Frying
This buffalo chicken might be the most flavorful way I’ve dressed up a healthy chicken breast. It tastes just like buffalo wings, but in a lighter, juicier, and more hands-off package. Here’s what makes it special:
- Big buffalo flavor, lighter method – Most buffalo chicken recipes focus on fried wings, but baking chicken breasts instead gives you extra juicy, tender chicken, still coated in that classic spicy sauce we all know and love. I finish it off with creamy, bold blue cheese and crisp green onions to complete the flavors.
- Just 6 simple ingredients – Plus salt and pepper. And they’re all common grocery store staples.
- Easy, hands-off prep – It takes me just a few minutes and then the oven does the rest. Perfect for busy weeknights when you don’t have time to cook.
- So versatile – I serve this buffalo chicken breast as a main dish most often, but I’ve also stuffed it into wraps, piled it on salads, or made it part of a game day recipe spread.
- Protein packed – Each serving packs over 50 grams of protein!
Next time you need an easy weeknight meal drenched in buttery, spicy flavor, make this buffalo chicken recipe with me!
“This was so good! It was really easy to make and very flavorful. Wonderful weeknight recipe that I am putting in the rotation! I used garlic salt and some fresh ground pepper to season and then just basted as directed with the buffalo sauce and butter. Chicken was tender and juicy. Really happy with the recipe!”
-Sarah
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my oven baked buffalo chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts here, but boneless chicken thighs would also work. They’ll cook a little faster since they’re smaller. I don’t recommend skin-on chicken here, as that would require a different method to prevent the skin from getting soggy.
- Hot Sauce – I like classic buffalo sauce, but regular Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or any spicy buffalo wing sauce you love will work great.
- Unsalted Butter – Adds flavor and mellows out the heat of the sauce.
- Spices – Garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Blue Cheese – I got crumbles for convenience, but you can also buy block of blue cheese for the freshest flavor. If blue cheese is too strong for you, shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese are great alternatives.
- Green Onion – For flavor and a pop of color at the end. I’ve also used chives instead.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Season the chicken. Pat dry with paper towels, then place the chicken into a large baking dish (I used this one), so the pieces are not touching or just barely touching. Season both sides with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Mix the buffalo sauce. Heat butter and buffalo sauce in a small bowl in the microwave, until melted, and whisk until smooth. If you prefer, you can also heat gently on the stove.
- Brush on some of the sauce. Transfer 1/4 cup of the buffalo sauce mixture to a separate small bowl (this will prevent contaminating the rest of it with the raw chicken). Brush a thin layer of the buffalo sauce mixture from the small bowl over the chicken.
- Bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees F.
- Add more sauce. Remove the foil. Brush the partially baked buffalo chicken with the remaining buffalo sauce and top with blue cheese crumbles.
- Bake again. The buffalo chicken breasts are done when they are cooked through — see my tips for juicy results. Serve with sliced green onions. I usually spoon some sauce from the bottom of the pan over the chicken, too!
My Recipe Tips
- Why not add all the sauce at once? I tried baking the buffalo chicken with all the sauce added right away, and a lot of it ran off. Plus, it turned watery from the chicken juices. Adding more buffalo sauce towards the end helps it stay on the chicken better.
- Baste for extra flavor. I mentioned I usually spoon extra buffalo sauce over the chicken right before serving, but if you have time, I also recommend basting a few times during baking.
- Add a probe thermometer before returning the buffalo chicken to the oven. A probe thermometer (pictured above — you can get it here) will beep once your desired internal temperature is reached, so your buffalo chicken recipe will come out perfectly juicy.
- The ideal internal temperature depends on the type of chicken. If you use chicken breast like I did here, I recommend removing it from the oven around 162-163 degrees F, then let it rest for 5-10 minutes to ensure the temp comes up over 165 degrees F. For dark meat like chicken thighs, it’s the opposite — you want it over 170 degrees F, as it becomes super juicy only when above that temperature.
- Don’t forget to let the chicken rest. Not only does this help it reach the right temperture, this also helps the juices settle so they stay in the chicken instead of running out onto your plate.
- Try a broil at the end. A couple of minutes under the broiler can help caramelize the sauce a little for extra depth. Totally optional!
- Need to tone down the spice? If the heat is too intense, the best way to mellow it out is a drizzle of blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing — see my ranch chicken recipe for a visual of how I do this.
Buffalo Chicken (Easy Recipe)
My easy buffalo chicken recipe needs just 6 ingredients! Juicy, tender chicken breast is drenched in buttery buffalo sauce and blue cheese.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
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Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides with sea salt, garlic powder (if using), and black pepper.
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In a small bowl in the microwave, heat the buffalo sauce and butter, until melted. Stir until smooth. (If you prefer not to use the microwave, you can melt the butter on the stovetop instead and then add to the buffalo sauce in a large bowl.)
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Place the chicken breasts into a large stoneware baking dish or onto a lined baking sheet, so that the pieces are not touching. Transfer 1/4 cup of the buffalo sauce mixture to a separate small bowl. Brush a thin layer of the buffalo sauce mixture from the small bowl over the chicken. Cover the baking dish with foil.
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Bake the buffalo chicken for 22-27 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F (68 degrees C).
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Remove the foil. Brush the remaining buffalo sauce mixture over the chicken. Top with blue cheese.
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Return the chicken to the oven, uncovered, for 2-4 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chicken internal temperature reaches 160 to 165 degrees F (it will rise a few more degrees during resting, so I find that baking to 165 makes it too dry, but up to you what you feel comfortable with.)
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Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes (internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F.)
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To serve, top with sliced green onions. If desired, spoon more sauce from the bottom of the baking dish over the chicken.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 buffalo chicken breast
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the juiciest, most flavorful bufflalo chicken.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Warm in a 350 degree F oven or microwave. A little extra buffalo sauce and butter after reheating helps! You can also shred the chicken and turn it into my buffalo chicken salad to enjoy cold.
- Freeze: This buffalo chicken recipe freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Buffalo Chicken
Serving Ideas
You can definitely keep it simple and serve this buffalo chicken recipe with some carrot and celery sticks, and call it a day. I served mine with green goddess salad (minus the chicken), pictured above, and the green goddess dressing was surprisingly delicious drizzled on the chicken as well. You can also slice the chicken instead and toss it inside your salad.
If you want a separate side, try one of my healthy side dishes, like sauteed broccoli, roasted zucchini, or air fryer potato cubes.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
My husband is obsessed with buffalo sauce (he even puts it on dishes where it doesn’t belong!), so I’ve made a lot of buffalo chicken recipes over the years. Try one of my others next:
20 Comments
Sarah
1This was so good! It was really easy to make and very flavorful. Wonderful weeknight recipe that I am putting in the rotation! I used Redmond’s garlic salt and some fresh ground pepper to season and then just basted as directed with the buffalo sauce (I used Noble Kitchen) and butter. Chicken was tender and juicy. Really happy with the recipe!
Sara
1I made this for my boyfriend and he raved about how delicious it was! I halved the recipe to accommodate less people and it worked out great. Thanks for sharing it! 5/5! Definitely bookmarking this one. 🙂
Julie
0Can we just use a regular hot sauce with no butter?? I’m dairy intolerant.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Julie, Yes, you can, but the heat would be very intense. If you’re able to tolerate ghee (not dairy free but most of the lactose is removed), you could try that, or you can try butter-flavored coconut oil for a completely dairy-free option.
Jim
0Very good, I will definitely make it again!
Monique
0Homemade Wing Sauce:
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce
1 TBSP Vinegar
2 tsp garlic powder
So yummy!!!
Abi
0This is such an easy recipe and it’s delicious!!
Kristyn
0Totally making this, this weekend!! We love buffalo chicken!
Donna
0This was amazing! I had it for dinner the first night, and sliced the chicken into wraps for lunch the next day with some salad, so good!
Amy L Huntley
0So tender and juicy! So much flavor too!. I can’t believe how simple these are to make!
Eden
0Buffalo sauce is like my favorite ingredient, so this chicken dish was AWESOME!! Loved the flavors and how easy it was to make.
Jennifer
0SOO delicious!! Was so easy to make and came out amazing! Definitely will be making again!
B
0This is one of my favorite go-to meals, my family loves it! We add extra blue cheese!
Shelby
0This came out delicious! I made it into wraps after and it was awesome!
Donna
0So good, definitely going to be on repeat around here!
Glenda
0Easy, quick and so flavorful. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. My family loved it!
Katerina
0WOW! This Buffalo Chicken sounds incredibly delicious! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Kristyn
0Delicious!! Not too spicy, but just enough to give it that kick! Love the sprinkled bleu cheese on top!
Toni
0This is seriously amazing! Such a perfect meal for weeknights!
Cindy
0This is such a great recipe. I made it for company and it got lots of compliments. Will definitely be making again.