This buffalo chicken salad recipe introduces a splendid way to enjoy your favorite smoky flavor of buffalo wings in the form of a healthy salad. It comes with much fewer calories and cholesterol, and also requires less time and effort to put together.
Composed of spicy chicken pieces, crisp veggies, and a sharp dressing, this salad is also open to tons of spin-off ideas. Read through to see what else you can do with it!
Is Buffalo Chicken Salad Healthy?
Buffalo chicken salad can easily be made into an entrée salad or a quick lunch for work. It’s low-carb and packed with a healthy source of animal protein.
Provided below are its nutrition values to briefly explain how this salad is a healthful dish to add to your meal plan.
Calories
One serving of this buffalo chicken salad provides 197 calories. You’ll only get 11.7 grams of carbohydrates per serving, which comes mostly from honey.
From this info, it’s reasonable to say this buffalo chicken salad is beneficial for weight loss.
You can also take a chicken salad to a new level by adding avocados and still getting healthy results. The ball is in your court.
Dressing for Buffalo Chicken Salad
In this buffalo chicken salad recipe, the dressing is made by whisking together ground black pepper, mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, parsley, and lime juice. Of course, each of these components can be adapted to your taste.
1. Buffalo Sauce
Our buffalo sauce is made of melted butter, bird’s eye chili, and jalapeño. As we prefer a lean and mild-tasting salad that’s not too spicy or greasy, we decided to use a homemade version.
Homemade buffalo sauce takes only a few minutes to put together. It can jazz up your dish, whether it’s baked or fried chicken.
You only have to spend a minimal amount of time creating a batch of buffalo sauce. A big jar of buffalo sauce is enough to last for six months!
The homemade sauce also brings convenience as you have full control to make it entirely to your taste. If you like it spicy, feel free to add Frank’s red hot buffalo sauce. Or substitute with soy sauce for another dish you can easily make at home.
However, as this uses no preservatives, this homemade version has a significantly shorter shelf life than commercial ones. It also needs a week of fermentation before use, so please note this to make the best choice for your dishes.
Homemade buffalo sauce easily keeps for six months in a cool, dark location (like a low cupboard). You can also refrigerate it for a long-lasting period.
2. Greek Yogurt
To keep things lighter in taste, we suggest swapping mayo for Greek yogurt.
In comparison to regular mayonnaise, Greek yogurt is much lower in both calories and fat. For a similar consistency, we suggest using a 1:1 ratio when swapping these ingredients.
So buffalo sauce and greek yogurt are the two main elixirs. But sour cream is another extra we like to add to achieve an almost perfect dish.
What Goes With Buffalo Chicken Salad?
This buffalo chicken salad recipe allows you to be inventive with any spin-offs you may want to try. Use the below suggestions for reference.
1. Sandwiches
Have a go at another healthy chicken salad sandwich recipe. You can scoop out a small portion of this buffalo chicken salad and put it on toasted sandwiches. Baguette slices can also make for a hearty, protein-rich brunch.
Alternatively, you may double up the dressing amount and leave some of it to serve as another dish’s dipping sauce. Any possible way to enjoy a meal that makes you happy— go for it.
2. Pasta
The buffalo chicken can be added to pasta dishes for more flavor and protein, and easily makes a quick weeknight dinner recipe.
How Long Does Buffalo Chicken Salad Last?
Buffalo chicken salad can last up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Make sure to store the leftover salad in an airtight container and cover it tightly.
Can You Freeze Buffalo Chicken Salad?
Yes, you can, but not if it’s already tossed with the dressing. Dressed buffalo chicken salad does not freeze well and will result in curdled mayo.
The best way to freeze buffalo chicken salad properly is to cook the chicken in advance and put it in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat, defrost it and then toss with the remaining ingredients.
More Chicken Salad Ideas We’ve Made
This salad combines greens, chicken cubes, parm shaves, and crisp croutons as large as the chicken. All is tied together in a bright lemon-mustard dressing.
We also love the idea of adding eggs to a salad for that protein boost, and so we made this recipe. Watercress and beetroots go together, apparently, and they taste even better dressed in a tahini dressing.
Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe
This buffalo chicken salad recipe is specially developed for someone who's in need of a quick and wholesome, yet delicious protein option. With juicy chicken, crisp veggies, and a sharp dressing, it requires no special cooking skills and only half an hour to make.
- cook TIME 25 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 35 mins
- COURSE Salad, Side Dish
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 197 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 10 oz skinless boneless chicken breast (chunked)
- 4 oz romaine lettuce
- 1 oz carrots (julienned)
- 1.5 oz red onion (thinly sliced)
- 4 oz cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 oz red bell pepper (julienned)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tbsp homemade buffalo sauce
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (divided)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp parsley (chopped, divided)
- 2 tbsp scallions (chopped, divided)
- 1 tsp lime juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate the 10 oz chicken with 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1 tbsp of scallions, and 2 1/2 tbsp buffalo sauce. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Sear chicken over medium heat in a skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Allow the chicken to cool down and, while waiting, make the dressing: Whisk together 1/4 tsp of ground black pepper, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp sour cream, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tbsp of parsley, and 1 tsp lime juice.
Place a bed of 4 oz romaine lettuce on a large plate, then assemble the chicken, 1 oz carrots, 2 oz bell pepper, 1.5 oz red onion and 4 oz cherry tomatoes on top.
Drizzle the dressing, and sprinkle the remaining parsley and scallions. Toss everything together and enjoy.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer
- Patti Serpa
May 12, 2023 at 7:21 AM
This buffalo chicken salad is a spicy and satisfying meal that's perfect for lunch or dinner.