Look no further for a healthy way to satisfy those buffalo wing cravings. You won't be missing a thing with this hearty, flavor-packed Buffalo Chicken Salad.
You've got tender, perfectly cooked chicken tossed in a thick, luscious buffalo sauce, with just the right amount of heat, paired with crisp lettuce, crunchy cucumbers, and juicy tomatoes. Top it off with blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of ranch or blue cheese dressing for a delicious and satisfying meal. For more satisfying salads, check out our Salad Recipes!
We are here for the buffalo chicken recipes and we've got several other good ones for you! Be sure to check out our Buffalo Chicken Sliders and Buffalo Chicken Dip the next time you are deciding what to bring to a potluck or cookout. You really can't go wrong with these recipes.
HOW TO MAKE BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD
When it comes to this Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe there is no fussy marinade and no need to fire up the grill. We're getting maximum flavor with minimal effort. You can get straight to cooking, which means you can get to eating sooner too.
THE CHICKEN
Because the chicken will take the longest to cook, we will start there! Have ready 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts on a work surface. Pat the breasts dry with a paper towel so that the oil and seasoning can stay put.
Once you've got the exterior moisture removed from the chicken breast, drizzle them with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with a mixture of kosher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder.
Rub the oil and the seasoning all over the chicken breast and transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet, preferably lined with aluminum foil. Bake the chicken in a preheated 375°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through. Smaller chicken breasts will take closer to 30 minutes to cook through and larger chicken breasts will likely take the full 35 minutes.
This chicken recipe that we are using for Buffalo Chicken Salad is one of our all-time faves and we use it in all kinds of chicken recipes on the site! However, if you don't have time to bake chicken and you need to get straight to business in the kitchen, feel free to sub in a store-bought, rotisserie chicken.
While the chicken is baking in the oven, you can begin prepping your hot sauce and salad veggies! For more undeniably delicious chicken dinners, check out our Chicken Recipes!
THE BUFFALO SAUCE
Now, we get to the good stuff: the sauce! To kick off your homemade buffalo sauce, you'll begin with hot sauce. Our favorite hot sauce as far as best flavor and texture is Frank's Hot Sauce, not to be confused with Frank's Buffalo Sauce.
Add the hot sauce to a small saucepan along with onion powder, kosher salt, and garlic powder.
Allow this mixture to come to a quick simmer over medium heat and give the ingredients a stir. Reduce the heat to low, and begin adding in cold, unsalted butter cubes, just a few cubes at a time. As you are adding in the butter cubes, be sure that you are whisking constantly.
By incorporating cold butter slowly and whisking all the while, we are not only creating a buffalo sauce that is thick and irresistibly clingy, but also one that will not break even when reheated, making your Buffalo Chicken Salad leftovers even more crave-worthy.
After all of the butter has been mixed in, your buffalo sauce is done and you can remove it from the heat. Set the sauce off to the side and move it on over to the veggies.
SALAD ASSEMBLY
Our favorite veggies of choice for this healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad consist of Romain lettuce, sliced cucumbers, grape or cherry tomatoes, matchstick carrots, and sliced red onion. However, the beautiful thing about salads is they are extremely customizable. Feel free to get as creative as you'd like when it comes to your ingredient list!
Avocado, celery, shredded cabbage, or corn would all make for delicious additions to your veggie role call.
Once you've got your vegetables prepped and ready to go, add them straight to the bowl, and by this time your chicken should be ready!
Pull the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest, just until it is cool enough to handle. Then dice the chicken into 1-inch cubes and add it directly into the buffalo sauce. Toss the chicken around until evenly coated in the sauce and drop it directly over your salad mix.
I like to finish off my buffalo chicken salad with a few blue cheese crumbles and a generous drizzle of blue cheese dressing. It's pretty much a blue cheese lovers' paradise, like our blue cheese dip for wings. But, if you aren't a blue cheese fan, you could use feta, cheddar, or Monterey Jack cheese in place of blue cheese. As far as the dressing goes, a homemade ranch dressing or a red wine vinaigrette would also be super delicious.
Once you've got everybody in the bowl, season the salad to taste with a little extra salt and pepper, if desired, serve, and enjoy!
For another wholesome and flavorful lunch, check out our Strawberry Spinach Salad!
HOW TO STORE BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD
If you end up with some leftover Buffalo Chicken Salad, be strategic about storing it! Because the buffalo sauce is made with butter, you will want to reheat the chicken before adding it to your salad. This means the buffalo chicken cubes should be stored in one container, and your salad ingredients in another container. It's worth a mention that leftover buffalo chicken cubes are amazing in lettuce wraps as well!
I would also recommend storing your dressing separately, rather than dressing a salad and refrigerating it. This will lead to soggy lettuce and veggies – and nobody wants that!
Your buffalo chicken will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The vegetables should stay crisp for 3 to 4 days as well!
6 MORE SALAD RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Southwest Chicken Salad
Fajita Salad Recipe
7 Layer Salad Recipe
Cobb Salad Recipe
BBQ Pulled Pork Salad
Classic House Salad | Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 1 pound (2-3) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
FOR THE BUFFALO SAUCE:
- ½ cup Frank's Hot Sauce
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup cold, unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
FOR THE SALAD:
- 6 cups Romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped
- 1 ½ cups grape tomatoes
- 1 ½ cups halved and sliced English cucumber
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ⅔ cup blue cheese crumbles (optional)
- Ranch or blue cheese dressing (for serving)
Instructions
BAKE THE CHICKEN:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and have ready a rimmed baking sheet, preferably lined with nonstick foil.
- Pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan, drizzle with oil, and rub all over.
- Season the chicken generously with the seasoning and evenly massage the seasoning onto the breasts. Transfer the chicken to the prepared pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes (see notes), or until cooked through. Larger, thicker chicken breasts will require more time in the oven. While the chicken is baking, prepare the vegetables.
MAKE THE BUFFALO SAUCE:
- Add Frank's hot sauce, onion powder, Kosher salt, and garlic powder to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir and allow to come to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low. Begin adding in the butter 2-3 cubes at a time, whisking constantly. Once the butter has melted into the sauce, add another 2-3 cubes, and repeat until all of the butter has been incorporated. Do not rush this process.
- Once all of the butter has been added, remove the sauce from the heat and set aside until ready to use.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to cool. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1" cubes and transfer it to the buffalo sauce. Toss to coat.
ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:
- Add the vegetables to a bowl, top with warm chicken, sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles (is using), drizzle with dressing of choice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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