Buffalo Chicken Salad- classic greens topped with chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce and of course some creamy ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Today I want to share a fun way to switch up your salad! A few weeks ago I posted an Onion Ring Southwest Salad with Spicy Honey Mustard Dressing. It was super tasty and a large part of the inspiration for this Buffalo Chicken Salad. The other thing that inspired me to create this delicious Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe was Cracker Barrel's Chicken Tenderloin Salad. It's basically chicken fingers... on a salad. Two of my favorites combined into one. Yes, please! It's my go-to order at Cracker Barrel, and now I want to spice it up, literally, with my Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe.
Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1-1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts) cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt & pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup cayenne pepper hot sauce such as Frank's Red Hot
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Tabasco to taste
For the Salad
- 2-3 Romaine hearts washed and chopped
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup whole kernel corn (if frozen, thawed)
- ½ red onion thinly sliced (and soaked in cold water)
- 16 cherry tomatoes sliced or quartered
- ½ cup tortilla strips (or crushed tortilla chips)
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar
- ½ cup Ranch dressing
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Season chicken breast with salt and pepper, and add to skillet with oil. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain chicken from excess liquid.
- Add butter to the same skillet. Allow to melt over medium heat.
- Add cayenne pepper hot sauce, garlic powder, and chicken back in. Stir to combine, and allow to heat through. Add a couple dashes of Tabasco until sauce reaches your desired level of heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
- To assemble: Add lettuce and all remaining ingredients evenly into 4 separate bowls. Add chicken on top. Drizzle extra buffalo sauce and dressing onto salad.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe is naturally gluten free.
- For crispy chicken, bake some tenders before tossing in buffalo sauce.
- Use rotisserie chicken as a time saver instead of cooking your own.
- Red onion: to lessen the onion-y bite, soak in a bowl of water before adding to the salad.
- Grilling Instructions: Grill chicken breasts whole over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes per side (A fully cooked chicken breast will reach an internal temperature of 165°F.) Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and tossing in buffalo sauce.
- Make Ahead Directions: All ingredients can be prepped up to 5 days in advance. Store ingredients separately, especially cheeses and dressing, to prevent lettuce and other veggies from getting soggy.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator. How long it will last depends on if you added dressing, cheese, or other wet ingredients. If possible, store these wet ingredients separately to allow the salad to last up to 3-5 days.
Nutrition
Did you like this Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe? Find more on my Salads & Side Dishes, Main Dishes, and Summer Days boards on Pinterest!
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Amanda @ The Chunky Chef says
Delicious!! It's like having buffalo wings, only healthier 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing with Friday Favorites, we love having you join us! Pinned and yummed 🙂
Britta says
I love how easy, yet special this salad sounds. This is a super summer salad and has been selected as one of the featured posts for the Family Fun Friday linky party. Thank you for sharing! Stop by brittalafont.com (food hostess) on Thursday after 1pm PST to grab your "I was Featured" button! 🙂 Already pinned it!!