If you're a fan of the fiery kick of Buffalo sauce paired with tender, juicy chicken and the freshness of crisp greens, you're in for a treat. This Buffalo Chicken Salad combines the zesty goodness of Buffalo sauce with a creamy dressing to create a tantalizing salad that's perfect for lunch, dinner, or any occasion where you crave a spicy, tangy, and satisfying meal. Either way, this recipe will have your taste buds dancing!
If you're a big fan of "meal salads" but aren't a fan of blue cheese or buffalo sauce, we highly suggest trying out our Greek Cesar Salad with an added chicken breast! If you're a big fan of buffalo chicken, try out our game-day Buffalo Chicken Dip, made with the convenience of canned chicken!
Ingredients
This Buffalo Chicken Salad is packed with fresh ingredients. The creamy blue cheese dressing creates a the perfect balance for the heat from the Buffalo sauce.
- Romaine Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Red Onion
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Bacon
- BBQ Chicken
- Buffalo Sauce
- Blue Cheese Dressing
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Make this salad when you have precooked chicken at hand. Other short cuts can also be taken if you don't feel like taking on the task of making the buffalo sauce AND the dressing. The blue cheese dressing for this recipe, is the same as the base for our Waldorf Chicken Salad.
Start by cooking the bacon so it can cool down before making the bacon bits. Cook your chicken at this time if you don't have any precooked on hand.
Prepare the Blue Cheese Salad Dressing. Combine all of its ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare the buffalo sauce in a small sauce pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Shred the head of romaine lettuce and divide it into 2 plates. Prepare the other vegetables and divide them equally on top of the plates of lettuce.
Slice the cooked chicken breasts and toss them in a pan with the prepared buffalo sauce. Heat them through and coat them evenly.
Drizzle the blue cheese dressing on the salad. Place the coated pieces of chicken on top of the salad. Chop up the bacon and sprinkle on top of the chicken.
Substitutions
- Lettuce - Use arugula or iceberg lettuce instead of romaine lettuce.
- Onions - Substitute the red onion with a finely sliced green onion.
Storage
Prepare the salads in advance by placing the lettuce, vegetables and coated chicken pieces together in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Buffalo Sauce
- ? Cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon Worcester Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Cayenne Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Cayenne Pepper Sauce (Frank's Red Hot)
Blue Cheese Dressing
- ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ Cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Blue Cheese , crumbled
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Dill , finely chopped
Salad Ingredients
- 2 large Chicken Breasts , cooked
- 4 slices Bacon , cooked and chopped
- 1 head Romaine Lettuce , shredded
- ¼ Red Onion , thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes , halved
- 1 Cup Cucumber , sliced or cubed
- 2 tablespoon Blue Cheese , crumbled
Instructions
- Blue Cheese Dressing: Combine the mayo, yogurt, mustard, salt, blue cheese and dill in a bowl. Break down the blue cheese with the end of the whisk and then whisk the dressing until smooth.
- For the salad bed, divide the shredded romaine and prepared vegetables between 2 serving plates. If serving this as a side, you may divide the lettuce and veggies into 4 side plates.
- To make the buffalo chicken, start by shredding the chicken breasts or slicing them into half inch slices.
- In a sauce pan on medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add in the minced garlic and cook in butter until lightly golden.
- Stir in the Worcester sauce, salt, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and hot sauce into the pan with the butter and garlic. Bring to a simmer and turn off the heat. Place the chicken into the buffalo sauce. Toss to coat evenly.
- To assemble the salad, drizzle blue cheese dressing over the prepared plates of lettuce. Divide the buffalo chicken evenly on top of the salads. Top with the crumbled bacon and extra blue cheese. Enjoy!
