Buffalo Chicken Bowls

Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 4

Why this recipe works

• Tossing the chicken in flour creates a crisp coating, despite the chicken being oven-baked.
• A chilled buttermilk and mayonnaise sauce, flavoured with fresh dill and chives, offsets the Buffalo sauce’s heat and also makes a creamy dressing for the bowls.
• Carrot ribbons, celery and fresh herbs bring crunch, texture and freshness.

These bowls transform the flavours of favourite pub food into a straightforward, flavour-packed weeknight supper. Rather than frying the chicken, small pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thigh are lightly dusted with flour and roasted at a high temperature until golden. They are then coated in ready-made Buffalo sauce and a little butter for the familiar rich, tangy finish.

Build the bowls on a base of steamed Moroccan couscous or quinoa, although the recipe is highly adaptable. Use rice, farro or roast potatoes instead, or leave out the carbohydrate altogether for a salad-style bowl.

To complete the Buffalo wing-inspired combination, every portion gets a crisp, herb-led salad of shaved carrot ribbons and celery slices, recalling the celery and carrot sticks traditionally served with wings. Celery leaves, dill and chives lend a fresh lift, so the bowls remain bright rather than heavy while still being deeply satisfying.

A speedy buttermilk and mayonnaise sauce provides the counterpoint: it is creamy and tangy, and softens the chilli heat. Dill, chives, garlic powder and onion powder turn it into an all-purpose dressing with flavours somewhere between ranch dressing and blue cheese dip. Use a light drizzle for a hotter, punchier bowl, or add plenty for the fullest cool, creamy contrast.

Chicken thighs are central to the recipe’s success: they remain succulent at high temperatures while their edges become crisp. As the entire dish is prepared on one baking tray, washing up is minimal. Make these bowls when you want bold flavours without delay, need an impressive meal quickly, or are feeding people with different preferences.

What can you do with leftover buttermilk?

Buttermilk is a useful ingredient with numerous applications. Its natural acidity tenderises meat and other proteins, giving buttermilk fried chicken its particularly juicy result, while it also works well as a pork-chop marinade to help keep the meat moist. Add any remaining buttermilk to quick breads, pancakes or cakes, where its acidity reacts with raising agents to create a lighter crumb. It can also loosen sauces and creamy dressings while contributing a bright, tangy note.

Are bottled Buffalo sauces really that different?

Shop-bought Buffalo sauces differ according to their brand and style. Traditional Buffalo sauce generally combines a cayenne-pepper hot sauce-commonly made with cayenne, vinegar, salt and water-with butter. In place of butter, certain bottled products contain rapeseed or soya oil plus butter-style flavouring. Many include dried seasonings such as garlic or onion powder, and some contain a small amount of sweetness. Consequently, sauces vary widely: some are hotter or more acidic, others are distinctly sweeter, and their consistency can differ too.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

• Cut the chicken into evenly sized pieces so that it cooks consistently.
• Replace the chicken with tofu or cauliflower.
• Serve the bowls with chips rather than couscous or quinoa.

This recipe was developed by Justin Chapple; the text was written by Andee Gosnell.

Ingredients

• 120 ml buttermilk
• 120 ml mayonnaise
• 15 g roughly chopped fresh chives, plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, divided
• 15 g fresh dill fronds, plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, divided
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder, divided
• 1 tablespoon onion powder, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 900 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6 thighs), cut into 2.5 cm pieces
• 120 ml Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
• 2 medium carrots, halved across the middle and shaved into ribbons (about 475 ml)
• 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced diagonally (about 180 ml), plus 80 ml celery leaves
• 950 ml cooked quinoa
• Crumbled blue cheese, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C. Line a large rimmed baking tray with foil and set it aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, 2 tablespoons finely chopped dill, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover the buttermilk ranch dressing and chill until needed.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon pepper, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is coated. Arrange it in one layer on the prepared baking tray.

3. Roast the chicken for about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until firm and lightly browned. Take the tray from the oven, pour the hot sauce evenly over the chicken and dot with the butter. Return it to the oven and cook for a further 10 to 12 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the sauce has reduced slightly and the chicken is cooked through with crisp edges.

4. In a medium bowl, mix the carrot ribbons, celery slices and leaves, remaining 1/4 cup roughly chopped chives, remaining 1/4 cup dill fronds and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper until thoroughly combined. Divide the cooked quinoa between 4 bowls, then add the chicken, carrot mixture and blue cheese. Serve with the buttermilk ranch dressing.

Make ahead

Prepare the chicken, sliced vegetables and dressing up to four days ahead, storing each component separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Warm the chicken and quinoa in the microwave; serve everything else chilled or at room temperature. For the best texture, assemble the bowls immediately before eating.