One Pan Spicy Buffalo Chicken
This one pan spicy buffalo chicken recipe is the prefect weeknight meal. Light, healthy and loaded with flavor, the entire family will love this one. Perfect for days when you want a high protein meal without a lot of fuss, this one pan spicy buffalo chicken is a winner. Drizzle with my homemade yogurt ranch for the ultimate flavor bomb!
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Guys, this recipe is spicy, cheesy and lean. It truly checks all the boxes. Plus, you’ll feel totally full and satisfied after trying There are multiple ways to enjoy this spicy buffalo chicken recipe. Meal prep it for lunches for the week ahead. Or you can enjoy it for dinner. This buffalo chicken mixture can be served in a lettuce cup, tucked in a wrap or baked inside of bell peppers. This recipe kind of reminds me of a buffalo chicken sloppy joe but healthier!
As an added bonus, you only need one pan for this entire dish, so cleanup is a breeze. Let me know if you give this recipe a try.
Ways to Enjoy One Pan Spicy Buffalo Chicken
- Lettuce cups
- Tucked in a wrap
- Burger bowl
- Baked in bell peppers
- Tacos
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ’s
- Can I use ground turkey instead? Yes, you can use ground turkey if you prefer! But I recommend ground chicken.
- What the best hot sauce to use? I use Frank’s wing sauce. It’s my favorite brand, but you can use any hot sauce you enjoy most!
- Can I use regular cream cheese instead of whipped? Yes, it might take longer to melt into the sauce, but you can use regular cream cheese. Whipped cream cheese is nice because it melts so fast!
- When stuffing the bell peppers, should I bake the peppers first? Yes, slice the bell peppers in half and remove the seeds. Lightly spray the peppers with avocado oil or olive oil spray and rub it all over. Place the oil rubbed peppers on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the peppers are par-baked, fill them with the spicy buffalo chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese and bake until the cheese is melted, roughly 5-10 minutes.
Ingredients Needed for One Pan Spicy Buffalo Chicken
- Chicken – You’ll need 1-1.5 pounds of ground chicken for this recipe.
- Avocado oil – This recipe calls for avocado oil. You’ll use the oil to sauté the vegetables and ground chicken in the pan.
- Vegetables – You’ll need diced celery, diced carrots and diced sweet onion for this recipe. Be sure to dice all the vegetables the same size for even cooking.
- Seasoning – Season this dish with kosher salt, cracked black pepper and garlic powder.
- Chicken Broth – You’ll need about a ¼ cup of chicken broth for this recipe. Option to use chicken bone broth for more nutrients.
- Buffalo Sauce – You’ll need about ¼ cup of buffalo sauce for this recipe. I used Frank’s Red Hot buffalo sauce, but you can use whatever you enjoy most. Mild, medium or hot will all work fine.
- Cheese – You’ll need about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of whipped cream cheese for this recipe. The whipped cream cheese melts faster than traditional cream cheese, but either option will work fine.
- Garnish- Option to top your lettuce cups with a few cracks of black pepper, sliced green onion, and a drizzle of homemade yogurt ranch.
How to Make One Pan Spicy Buffalo Chicken
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the avocado oil. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the diced celery, diced carrots and diced sweet onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes then season with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic powder.
Once the vegetables are soft and begin to lightly brown, add the ground chicken. Using a spatula break up the chicken into small pieces as it browns in the pan. Once the chicken is cooked through, deglaze the pan with the chicken broth.
Then, add the buffalo sauce and mix well. Finally, add the whipped cream cheese. Once the mixture is well combined, load it into the lettuce cups. Top with cracked black pepper, sliced green onion and a drizzle of my homemade yogurt ranch. Serve hot and enjoy.
How to Store Leftover Spicy Buffalo Chicken
Extra dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Leftover buffalo chicken mixture can be stored in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat the chicken mixture in the microwave. Extra lettuce can be stored in a sealable bag in the refrigerator for two to three days.
Looking for more recipes? Creamy Chilled Shrimp Salad, Lemon Pepper Shrimp or my Easy Bruschetta Chicken
One Pan Spicy Buffalo Chicken
Ingredients
One Pan Spicy Buffalo Chicken
- 1-1.5 lbs. ground chicken
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ cup sweet onion, diced small
- ⅓ cup carrot, diced small
- ⅓ cup celery, diced small
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup chicken broth, or chicken bone broth
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce, Franks wings sauce works great
- ¼ cup whipped cream cheese, regular cream cheese works fine too
Homemade Yogurt Ranch
- 1 cup 0% Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2-3 tablespoons chives, fresh, chopped
- 2 tablespoon warm water
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Equipment
- 1 large, non-stick skillet
Instructions
How to Make One Pan Spicy Buffalo Chicken
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the avocado oil. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the diced celery, diced carrots and diced sweet onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes then season with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Once the vegetables are soft and begin to lightly brown, add the ground chicken. Using a spatula break up the chicken into small pieces as it browns in the pan. Once the chicken is cooked through, deglaze the pan with the chicken broth.
- Then, add the buffalo sauce and mix well. Finally, add the whipped cream cheese. Once the mixture is well combined, load it into the lettuce cups. Top with cracked black pepper, sliced green onion and a drizzle of my homemade yogurt ranch. Serve hot and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Can I use ground turkey instead? Yes, you can use ground turkey if you prefer! But I recommend ground chicken.
- What the best hot sauce to use? I use Frank’s wing sauce. It’s my favorite brand, but you can use any hot sauce you enjoy most!
- Can I use regular cream cheese instead of whipped? Yes, it might take longer to melt into the sauce, but you can use regular cream cheese. Whipped cream cheese is nice because it melts so fast!
- When stuffing the bell peppers, should I bake the peppers first? Yes, slice the bell peppers in half and remove the seeds. Lightly spray the peppers with avocado oil or olive oil spray and rub it all over. Place the oil rubbed peppers on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the peppers are par-baked, fill them with the spicy buffalo chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese and bake until the cheese is melted, roughly 5-10 minutes.
9 Comments on “One Pan Spicy Buffalo Chicken”
These are unreal! I followed the recipe exactly as written. I love buffalo chicken wraps and this was a great, easy option for home. My husband already claimed the leftovers for his lunch tomorrow!
Incredible and super quick. Thanks for sharing!
One of my favs!
This was the first recipe I have made from this site and it did not disappoint! My husband and I loved it so much we made it twice in a week! Its SO quick and easy and flavorful. We add a little more buffalo since we like spicy but other than that we follow everything and it comes out perfect
Perfect for a high protein, low carb lunch! Great for meal prep lunches!
This was so delicious! Followed every step but added jalapeño and garlic to the sautéed veggie combo and cayenne powder and cumin to the yogurt ranch sauce. We obviously like some spice. Will definitely be making this again.
Haha love that! I am a spice girl too! well, you know what I mean… haha
Sarah, thank you for this delicious recipe! We all loved it! We like spice, so I did 1/2 cup wing sauce – I used Primal Kitchen. We use butter lettuce. We all loved the homemade ranch too and have lots of leftovers to use as veggie dip.
Yay!! So happy to hear that! Thank you for the review!