Rhythm Rielly

Buffalo chicken does not need to mean a tray of wings or a long cooking session. A little prepared buffalo sauce turns ready-cooked chicken into the center of this easy bowl, with rice, crisp celery, carrots and a generous spoonful of cooling Greek yogurt.

It is a quick way to give leftover cooked chicken a different flavor. The yogurt stays plain so each bite can be as spicy or creamy as you like. Start with a small amount of buffalo sauce, then add more to suit your taste.

Buffalo Chicken Greek Yogurt Bowl

Serves: 1 · Assembly time: About 5 minutes with ingredients ready · Prep-ahead ingredients: Cooked chicken and cooked rice · Extra time: Any package-directed heating or reheating

• 3 ounces cooked, ready-to-eat chicken, shredded or chopped
• 1 tablespoon prepared buffalo wing sauce, plus more to taste
• ½ cup cooked rice, or ready-to-eat rice prepared according to its package
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup grated carrots or packaged shredded carrots
• 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar, optional

How to Make It

1. Prepare the rice according to its package if needed. If you want warm chicken, reheat it separately before assembly, following its storage and reheating directions.
2. Toss the cooked chicken with 1 tablespoon buffalo sauce in a small bowl. Taste and add a little more sauce if desired.
3. Spoon the rice into your serving bowl. Add the buffalo chicken, celery and carrots.
4. Spoon the plain Greek yogurt alongside the chicken and scatter the cheddar on top, if using. Mix a little yogurt into each bite to soften the heat.

What Makes This a Quick Meal

The five-minute estimate starts with cooked chicken, cooked rice and washed vegetables ready to use. Packaged shredded carrots save a little chopping. Ready-to-eat cooked chicken and rice can keep preparation simple; follow the rice package instructions, since some products require heating.

If you cook chicken or rice from scratch for this bowl, count that cooking time separately. You can also make the bowl without rice and serve it with bread or crackers instead.

Adjust the Heat

Prepared buffalo wing sauce is the simplest shortcut. Choose a mild version if you prefer less heat, or start with 1–2 teaspoons instead of the full tablespoon. Different brands vary in heat and saltiness, so taste before adding extra seasoning.

Keep the yogurt beside the chicken rather than stirring all of it into the sauce. That gives you a cooling spoonful whenever you want one. If you prefer a creamy chicken mixture, stir a spoonful of yogurt into the sauced chicken and keep the rest on the side.

Easy Swaps

Change the starch: Use cooked potatoes instead of rice, or serve the toppings with pita. A potato cooked specifically for this meal adds cooking time; leftover cooked potatoes keep assembly quick.

Change the crunch: Use chopped cucumber, bagged shredded cabbage or shredded lettuce if you do not have celery and carrots.

Change the topping: Skip the cheese, or use a small crumble of blue cheese if you enjoy it with buffalo sauce. Plain Greek yogurt still supplies the creamy contrast.

Small Prep for Another Day

Keep cooked chicken, rice and yogurt covered in the refrigerator according to their storage directions. Portion the celery and carrots separately so they stay crisp. Add buffalo sauce and assemble the bowl when you are ready to eat.

Heat chicken and rice separately if desired, then add the vegetables and yogurt. There is no need to microwave the assembled bowl.

More Easy Greek Yogurt Bowls

This savory bowl follows our Banana Peanut Butter Greek Yogurt Bowl. For a gentler savory combination, try the Mediterranean Chicken bowl. Explore 25 Easy Recipes with Greek Yogurt for more simple kitchen ideas.

Next in our alternating sweet-and-savory collection: Blueberry Lemon, a bright no-cook bowl with fruit and a little crunch.