Juicy Buffalo Chicken Breasts

overhead view of buffalo chicken breasts grilled in a pan

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 40

These juicy buffalo chicken breasts are marinated in buffalo sauce, finished with a sweet honey-lime glaze, and cooked in a skillet or grill pan for an easy weeknight dinner.

5 from 3 votes

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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

Outdoor Grilling:
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.

Nutrition