Grilled Buffalo Chicken
This Grilled Buffalo Chicken has the tangy heat of buffalo wings in a boneless grilled chicken dinner using either breast or thighs. The chicken is seasoned before it hits the grill and has buffalo sauce brushed on near the end. It’s a spicy, hearty and delicious way to cook chicken with lots of bold flavor.
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This buffalo chicken recipe takes the flavor of buffalo wings onto the grill, using boneless chicken pieces. The sauce is brushed on near the end, leaving the chicken glossy with grill marks and a hot tangy flavor.
If you’re looking for more bold-flavored chicken recipes, try my Korean Chicken Wings or Hot Cheeto Chicken Tenders. These Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings bring a different kind of bite. And if you love the buffalo flavor, try Buffalo Chicken Dip or easy Buffalo Wings slow cooker style!
Why You’ll Love It
- Fast grill dinner: The chicken needs only a short prep before grilling, so this is a quick way to get buffalo chicken without breading or frying.
- Big buffalo flavor: The sauce gives the chicken that familiar vinegary heat, and brushing it near the end keeps the coating bright and glossy.
- Good for breasts or thighs: Chicken breasts give clean slices, while thighs stay juicier and have a little more richness.
- No long marinade: The oil and dry seasonings coat the chicken quickly, which is handy when you don’t want to start dinner hours ahead.
- Wing-style flavor: This has the buffalo sauce taste everyone loves from wings, with boneless chicken that’s easier to cut and eat.
What is Buffalo Chicken?
Buffalo chicken is chicken that’s coated in buffalo sauce, a tangy hot sauce, that’s often mixed with butter. It’s called buffalo chicken because it comes from Buffalo, New York, not because it has anything to do with buffalo meat.
Grilled Buffalo Chicken Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
- Chicken breasts or thighs: Boneless skinless chicken is a great pick for grilling.
- Buffalo sauce: Gives the chicken its tangy heat.
- Paprika: Adds color and mild warmth. You can use smoked, sweet or any kind of paprika, whichever you have on hand.
- Olive oil: Helps coat the chicken before grilling.
- Garlic powder: Adds a savory flavor.
- Butter: Optional melted butter makes the buffalo coating richer.
- Oil: You need this for greasing the grill grate.
- Salt and black pepper: To season the chicken before grilling.
Substitutions and Variations
- Milder sauce: Mix melted butter into the buffalo sauce before brushing. This adds richness as well as cutting down the spiciness a bit.
- Extra spicy: Use more buffalo sauce or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the seasoning.
- Add some ranch: Drizzle ranch dressing over the cooked chicken for a classic buffalo pairing.
- With blue cheese: Add blue cheese crumbles over the cooked chicken for a stronger buffalo wing flavor.
Grilled Buffalo Chicken
Equipment
- Whisk Optional
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs boneless and skinless
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup buffalo sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons butter melted, optional
- Oil for greasing grill grate
Instructions
- In a bowl, coat the chicken with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Let the chicken marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grate.
- Put the chicken on the grill and cook for 5 or 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
- Meanwhile, mix buffalo sauce with melted butter if you want a slightly richer, milder flavor.
- During the last few minutes of cooking, brush the chicken with plenty of buffalo sauce on both sides.
- Remove the chicken from the grill when it gets to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Keep sauce separate: Use one bowl for brushing during grilling and a clean bowl for extra sauce at serving, to avoid contamination from raw chicken.
- Flatten thick pieces: Pound the thickest part of chicken breasts so they cook more evenly.
- Watch the heat: Buffalo sauce can darken quickly, so move the chicken to a cooler part of the grill if the coating starts browning too fast.
Nutrition Information
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Kim’s Top Tips
Don’t skip the greasing: Lightly oil the grates before adding the chicken. Buffalo sauce can get sticky over heat.
Brush near the end: Don’t add the buffalo sauce at the start. I’d keep it to the final few minutes because the sauce can darken fast over direct heat, and you don’t want it to burn.
Check with a thermometer: Test the thickest piece of chicken and make sure it reaches 165°F in the middle.
Rest before cutting: Give the chicken 5 minutes before slicing so the juices settle back into the meat.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store leftover grilled buffalo chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cool the chicken before closing the container. Keep extra buffalo sauce (as long as it’s not been in contact with the raw chicken) in a separate container.
- Freezing: Freeze cooked chicken for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in the microwave or in a covered skillet with a splash of water or extra buffalo sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Serve grilled buffalo chicken with celery sticks, carrot sticks and ranch or blue cheese dressing. You can slice the chicken to make sandwiches or a salad bowl. Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Fries are really good with buffalo chicken or you could try my Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad. Whip up a jug of Homemade Limeade or Watermelon Lemonade for something refreshing against the buffalo heat.
Grilled Buffalo Chicken FAQs
Use a meat thermometer and check the thickest part of the chicken. It’s done at 165°F.
No, thaw the chicken fully before grilling. Frozen chicken can cook unevenly and leave the center underdone, so it’s not worth the risk.
No. Buffalo sauce is usually hot sauce mixed with butter or butter flavoring, vinegar, and seasonings. Frank’s Red Hot Wings Sauce is one of the most popular brands.
