This Buffalo Chicken Salad has so much flavor, it’s easy to make healthy choices. Customize it with your favorite salad toppings for a totally delicious and good-for-you lunch or dinner.
Suitable for gluten free and low carb diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
When you think of game-day snacks, salad is probably not on the top of your list. But this recipe for Buffalo Chicken salad is so flavorful, it may just become your new favorite game day recipe.
Eating healthy is all about making smart swaps. In this case, we’re swapping deep-fried chicken wings for zesty grilled buffalo chicken and replacing sides like french fries with salad greens and veggies. Yeap, this is one good for your meal that tastes good too!
And you can easily customize this recipe with your favorite veggies. This Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe is super simple to make, so it’s perfect for potlucks, backyard BBQs, Memorial Day picnics, and, of course, game day. Just like this Buffalo Chicken Fries and Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and best ever Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
Plus you can use leftover grilled buffalo chicken to make an easy and affordable lunch box meal any day of the week.
Why Make This Recipe
- Healthy – Healthier than fried buffalo wings and french fries.
- Customizable – Add your favorite salad ingredients to perfectly suit your taste.
- Easy – Use leftover grilled buffalo chicken for meals throughout the week.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – Use boneless, skinless chicken breast so you can easily slice, chop or shred the chicken to add to your salad.
- Smoked Paprika – Adds a smoky flavor without adding a lot of heat.
- Onion and Garlic Powder – Garlic and onion add a depth of flavor to the chicken.
- Salt and Pepper – Always season meat with salt and pepper for the best flavor.
- Buffalo Sauce – Buffalo sauce is much thicker than regular hot sauce and has a rich flavor.
- Lettuce – Romaine is crispy and pairs well with the chicken, but you can use your favorite lettuce.
- Carrots – Thinly slice into matchsticks to add great color and texture.
- Red Bell Pepper – Remove the seed and slice into thin strips.
- Avocado – Look for ripe avocados or leave them on the counter for 2-3 days to ripen.
- Cucumber – Peel and thinly slice or dice.
- Radishes – Radishes add a crunchy zippy flavor to the salad.
- Blue Cheese Crumbles – Creamy, tangy blue cheese pairs so well with buffalo sauce.
- Ranch Dressing – We love Ranch, but Blue Cheese Dressing would be delicious too.
How To Make Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Season both sides of the chicken and brush with the butter and hot sauce mixture, reserving a third of a cup for later.
- Grill 5-7 minutes per side, basting with the sauce as the meat cooks.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad ingredients in a bowl.
- When the chicken is done, use a clean brush to brush the cooked chicken with the remaining portion of sauce, then allow the meat to rest for a few minutes.
- Slice the chicken and place it on top of the salad. Garnish with blue cheese crumbles and serve with ranch dressing.
Note: Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Chicken should be cooked to 165F / 74C before eating.
Tips For Success
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic before brushing with the sauce for extra flavor.
- Avoid salmonella contamination by using a clean brush to add the sauce to the chicken after it has finished cooking.
- Discard any sauce that touched raw chicken.
- Always cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165F / 74C.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.
- Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute before slicing.
Variations
- Make it Mild – Skip the final basting step for a milder buffalo flavor.
- Make it Spicier – Season the chicken with a bit of cayenne pepper before basting. Serve with jalapenos and spicy ranch dressing.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Buy in Bulk – Chicken is often less expensive when purchased in bulk. Stock up when prices are low and store extras in the freezer.
- Swap Veggies – Use the veggies you already have on hand.
- Plant a Garden – Growing your own veggies is a great way to save a bit of money.
- Bulk it Up – Add bulky veggies like cauliflower or broccoli to the salad or add a cooked grain such as quinoa.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Prep Ahead – Prepare the chicken up to 3 days in advance. Portion the salad in individual containers, but don’t add the dressing until you are ready to serve.
- Store – Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze – Freeze pre-seasoned raw chicken breast for easy prep later on.
FAQs
Grilling gives this chicken a wonderful smoky flavor. If you don’t have a grill you can cook this indoors on a grill pan. Alternately, the chicken could be pan-fried or baked at 375F / 190C until the temperature reaches 165F/74C when checked with a meat thermometer.
Make this entire salad as a sandwich by wrapping all of the ingredients in a tortilla or sandwich wrap.
Salads are great because they are so versatile. Other things you can add include:
• Bacon
• Hard Boiled Egg
• Tomatoes
• Red Onion
• Chopped Celery
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Snow Peas
• Your favorite ingredients
Weight Watchers Points
There are 9 Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes You May Like
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese.
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip.
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip.
- Easy Grilled Buffalo Chicken.
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs.
- Buffalo Chicken Tenders.
- Buffalo Chicken Fries.
- Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.
Tools Needed
- Skillet.
- Mixing bowls.
- Measuring cups and spoons.
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Get The Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe:
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the buffalo chicken
- 3 (162g) chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 cup (237g) buffalo hot sauce divided
- 1 tablespoon hot melted butter
For the salad
- 2 heads of romaine (or any lettuce), roughly torn
- 1 large carrot cut into matchsticks
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and cut into matchsticks
- 1 avocado peeled and sliced
- 1 small cucumber sliced
- 3 radishes sliced
- ⅓ cup (40g) blue cheese crumbles
- ⅔ cup (71g) ranch dressing to taste
Instructions
- Combine onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and season both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Mix hot sauce with hot melted butter, Use two-thirds of the hot sauce for brushing and basting (and reserve the rest). Then brush both sides of the breasts with the hot sauce.
- Preheat grill to medium and oil the grill grates, or heat an oiled grill pan on the stovetop.
- Grill chicken for about 5 – 7 minutes per side, basting with hot sauce as it cooks, or until internal temperature reaches 165F / 74C.
- When done, brush the remaining hot sauce over the chicken breasts, let rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Combine all the salad items together, including the sliced chicken, top with ranch dressing and serve.
Notes
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic before brushing with the sauce for extra flavor.
- Avoid salmonella contamination and use a clean brush to add the sauce to the chicken after it has finished cooking.
- Discard any sauce that touched raw chicken.
- Always cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165F / 74C.
- Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.
- Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes after cooking to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Buy in Bulk – Chicken is often less expensive when purchased in bulk. Stock up when prices are low and store extras in the freezer.
- Swap Veggies – Use the veggies you have on hand in your fridge.
- Plant a Garden – Growing your own veggies is a great way to save a bit of money.
- Bulk it Up – Add bulky veggies like cauliflower or broccoli to the salad or add cooked grains such as quinoa.
- Store – Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- There are 9 WW Blue Plan SmartPoints in one serving of this.
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