This healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad is made with chicken breast, veggies and your favorite dressing. It’s made without mayo or yogurt, packs a ton of flavor and is perfect for meal prepping lunches!
I know what you’re thinking — another chicken salad recipe? YES.
What you may not know about me is that I love chicken salad. Like, could eat it every single day and not get tired of it. My “go-to’s” tend to be my whole30 chicken salad or my cottage cheese chicken salad, but this buffalo version has been on repeat lately.
Simply put, buffalo chicken tastes delicious. Whether it’s in pasta or buffalo chicken dip, it’s never not good. This salad is a healthy way to enjoy buffalo chicken for lunch or dinner!
Recipe features
- A healthier chicken salad recipe made without mayo.
- Easy to meal prep so you have lunches ready to go for the week.
- Includes protein and plenty of veggies for a balanced meal.
Ingredients
Chicken breast – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best, though boneless chicken thighs or even chicken tenders are perfectly fine as well. You could also use store-bought rotisserie chicken if you’d like to make meal prep super quick.
Carrot, celery & green onion – Add a ton of flavor to this salad, plus it’s a good way to squeeze some veggies in! Make sure to finely chop them so they’re easier to eat.
Buffalo sauce – Use your favorite kind! Or, opt for homemade buffalo sauce.
Chives – Technically optional since there are already green onions in this, but adding both onions and chives gives this salad the perfect flavor (trust me!)
Blue cheese – Optional; if you want to keep this salad dairy-free and/or paleo, omit it. Otherwise, it pairs perfectly with buffalo sauce, so be sure to include some blue cheese crumbles.
Romaine lettuce – Romaine adds a nice crunch to this salad, but mixed greens is another option.
Dressing – Typical buffalo salad dressings are either ranch or blue cheese; caesar is also an excellent choice in my opinion.
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the chicken. First, dice the chicken into bite-size pieces, then cook it in a skillet until golden brown; transfer to a large bowl.
Step 2: Add the veggies and buffalo sauce. To that same bowl, add the carrot, celery, green onions, and buffalo sauce and stir to combine.
Step 3: Assemble the salad. Divide the romaine into 4 bowls, then place the chicken mixture overtop. Sprinkle with chives and blue cheese, then drizzle with ranch or your dressing of choice. Enjoy!
Tips
- Opt to dice the chicken then cook it in a skillet like I did, or shred it if you prefer shredded chicken.
- Drizzle your favorite ranch dressing overtop, or opt for my homemade caesar dressing.
- Besides a salad, you could prep the buffalo chicken mixture then add it to bread to make a delicious buffalo chicken sandwich instead. If you do this, be sure to dice the chicken really small so it’s easier to eat, or opt to shred it. Or, serve it on top of lettuce wraps!
- Bulk it up: If you want to add even more to this salad, try adding diced avocado, sliced grape tomatoes and/or chopped cucumber.
Tip
Cook the chicken ahead of time so it’s ready to go on days when you don’t have time to prep lunch.
Storage
Refrigerator – Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer – You can freeze buffalo chicken, but don’t add the blue cheese or dressing. Simply mix the chicken, veggies and buffalo sauce together, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
More easy salad recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * { fill: #343434; }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-33 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-50 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50); }#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0 .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-66 svg * { fill: url(#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66); }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-33 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-50 stop { stop-color: #343434; }linearGradient#wprm-recipe-user-rating-0-66 stop { stop-color: #343434; }
Ingredients
- 1.25 chicken breast diced
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 celery chopped
- 2 green onions chopped and divided
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce
- 2 tablespoon chives chopped
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbled
- 3 romaine hearts chopped
- ranch dressing or dressing of choice
Instructions
-
Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray, then add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then cook the chicken over medium heat until golden brown; transfer to a large bowl.
-
To that same bowl, add the carrot, celery, green onion, and buffalo sauce and stir to combine.
-
Divide the romaine into 4 bowls, then top with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle each bowl with chives and blue cheese, then drizzle with ranch or your dressing of choice. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The post Buffalo Chicken Salad appeared first on The Almond Eater.
