Use this buffalo chicken marinade recipe to make juicy, flavorful grilled buffalo chicken breasts with a tangy, spicy coating.
Looking for a tasty meal to serve your family and friends? Make marinated buffalo chicken and serve with oven-roasted potato wedges! Ranch dressing and blue cheese sauce are perfect for dipping both the chicken and potatoes.
Tonia’s Notes
People often think of buffalo chicken as an appetizer, like chicken wings and buffalo chicken dip. But I wanted to use all of that flavor to make chicken as a main dish. This recipe gets its flavor from both the buffalo chicken marinade and the sauce you brush on after cooking.
My family loves this recipe, and we enjoy it for dinner, but also for lunch in chicken lettuce wraps and rice bowls. When grilling the marinated chicken isn’t an option, we cook it in the air fryer or bake it in the oven.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Marinade
Prepare Marinade
Put vegetable oil, vinegar, hot sauce, ranch dressing mix, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, coarse-ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Marinate Chicken
Flatten the chicken breasts to an even thickness and place them in a gallon-sized storage bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and turn it to coat the chicken. Place in the fridge to marinate for one hour.
Grilled Buffalo Chicken
To make grilled buffalo chicken, preheat the grill to medium heat. Grease the grill grates, remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the remaining marinade.
Grill the chicken for 13-16 minutes, flipping halfway through, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.
Baste With Buffalo Sauce
Prepare the buffalo sauce by combining melted butter and hot sauce. Brush the sauce over the grilled chicken.
Ways To Serve Grilled Buffalo Chicken
- Dinner: Serve the grilled buffalo chicken breasts alongside oven-roasted potato wedges and cooked broccoli.
- Lunch: Use the chicken in a wrap or rice bowl.
- Salad: Slice or cube the chicken and serve on a salad with homemade ranch dressing.
- Appetizer: Cube the buffalo chicken and serve it with blue cheese sauce or cheese fondue for dipping.
Recipe Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the marinade ahead of time and add the chicken breasts one hour before you plan to start cooking so they have enough time to marinate.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
- Reheat: Reheat the chicken in the microwave, air fryer, or oven.
More Chicken Marinade Recipes
- Teriyaki Chicken Marinade
- Greek Chicken Marinade
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Marinade
- Garlic and Herb Chicken Marinade
Buffalo Chicken Marinade
Video
Ingredients
Buffalo Marinade
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup vinegar
- ¼ cup hot sauce
- 1 ounce packet ranch dressing mix
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Buffalo Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce
Instructions
- Put the vegetable oil, vinegar, hot sauce, powdered ranch dressing mix, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Flatten the chicken breasts to an even thickness and place them in a gallon-sized storage bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and turn it to coat the chicken. Place in the fridge to marinate for one hour.
- Preheat the grill to medium heat. Grease the grill grates, remove the chicken from the marinade, and discard the remaining marinade. Grill the chicken for 13-16 minutes, flipping halfway through, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.
- Combine the melted butter and 2 tablespoons of hot sauce. Brush on the grilled chicken.
