These buffalo chicken breasts are juicy, flavorful, and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Juicy Buffalo Chicken
Shredded Buffalo chicken is the base for some of my favorite Buffalo chicken recipes, but sometimes I just want a simple, juicy Buffalo chicken breast for dinner. This recipe delivers exactly that. Grab your favorite sauce, a skillet or grill pan, and dinner is on!
Ingredients
You only need chicken breasts, your favorite Buffalo sauce, lime, staple seasonings like garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and cumin. Then some honey to balance out the spice and olive oil for the marinade.
How to Make These
- Prep.
Pound the chicken to an even thickness (if needed) to help it cook evenly from end to end and make the marinade. - Marinate the chicken.
First, reserve some of the buffalo sauce mixture before adding the chicken, then marinate the breasts for at least 20 minutes so the flavor has time to soak in.
- Make the honey Buffalo glaze.
Add the honey and some of the lime juice to the reserved Buffalo sauce. You’ll need this once the chicken breasts are cooked. Omitting the honey from the marinade prevents it from burning during cooking. - Grill the chicken breasts.
Cook them over medium-high heat until they reach 165°F. If the outside is browning too quickly, lower the heat slightly so the inside has time to finish cooking without burning.
- Glaze and serve.
Brush the honey buffalo sauce over the chicken in the last minute of cooking, then let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Resting traps the juices in the chicken rather than on the cutting board.
Brush the honey buffalo sauce onto the chicken at the end of cooking, not before. The honey helps create a sticky glaze but can burn if it's added to the marinade or too early.
Laura’s Buffalo Chicken Tips
I always insert the tips to match the order of making the recipe or if it’s an ingredient, it goes first
Yes! Anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight works well. The longer it marinates, the more buffalo flavor the chicken develops.
Absolutely. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat (about 375°F) for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Brush on the honey buffalo glaze during the last minute of grilling.
Honey burns quickly over high heat. Keeping it out of the marinade and brushing it on at the end gives the chicken a flavorful glaze without scorching.
Store leftover buffalo chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It's delicious sliced over salads, tucked into wraps, or used in grain bowls.
Serving Buffalo Chicken
I like my Buffalo chicken breasts with a baked potato and veggies or turned into a chicken bowl over rice. You can toss it with pasta or keep it light as a Buffalo chicken salad.
Juicy Buffalo Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken breasts, 3-4 pieces
- ⅓ cup Frank's Buffalo wings sauce
- 1 lime, juiced (divided)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
Prep:
- If needed, pound the chicken breasts to even out the thickness from front to end. This helps achieve even cooking.
- Combine the buffalo sauce, juice from ½ lime, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and cumin in a bowl. Pour ¼ cup of the mixed marinade into a marinade bag or dish with the chicken breasts and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix to combine. You'll reserve a little of the buffalo sauce and spices in the bowl for later.
Quick Marinate:
- Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 20 minutes (I usually do about 2 hours in the fridge) up to overnight in the fridge. Remove the chicken from the fridge before cooking and let it come to room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Make the glaze:
- To the dish with the reserved buffalo sauce and seasonings, add the honey and the juice from the other half of the lime. The reason I don't add the honey to the marinade is because it will burn when grilling on the pan. I rather brush it on towards the end of cooking time.
Cook:
- Heat a large pan or grill pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, grease with oil and immediately place the chicken breasts on the pan (without moving them). Cook the first side for 5 minutes, then flip over and cook the second side for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160-165F. If your chicken is getting too dark, reduce the heat. Discard the marinade from the bag/bowl.
- In the last minute of cooking, brush a little of the buffalo sauce on the dish. You'll add more before serving.
- Remove the chicken from the pan onto a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes to trap the juices in. Brush on the leftover buffalo sauce, and serve. You can also slice it or chop it, depending on how you'll serve it.
Notes
Let the chicken sit at room temperature while the grill preheats to medium-high (about 375F). Then cook the marinated chicken breasts on the grill for about 5 to 7 minutes per side. I usually cook for 2 minutes with the lid on, close the lid, flip, and cook the other side with the lid closed.
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Jean says
That glaze at the end made these Buffalo chicken breasts epic!
Amy says
delicious Buffalo chicken breasts!!
Kate says
My kids LOVED this buffalo chicken recipe!