Buffalo chicken salad is packed with romaine lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, shredded carrots, celery, ranch dressing, and our homemade buffalo chicken.
I am obsessed with buffalo chicken! In round 1 of the whole 30, I did a lot of research on what recipes to make. I trusted Pinterest, and they did not disappoint. Did the world just discover buffalo sauce? It was everywhere! Buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes, buffalo chicken salads, buffalo cauliflower, and the list goes on.
Buffalo chicken wings are typical pub grub which is not the healthiest meal choice. I was surprised when I looked at the nutrition label on the back of a bottle. It's just water, cayenne pepper, and vinegar!
Make my buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potato on Monday, then on Tuesday turn it into this salad. I always recommend making a large batch in the slow cooker and freezing some. It's so great to reach into your freezer for a quick and easy dinner.
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What you need to make this recipe
- Romaine lettuce - This crisp and sweet-tasting lettuce is perfect for buffalo chicken.
- Hard-boiled eggs - More protein!
- Cherry Tomatoes - Snappy and sweet, they have a very juicy center.
- Avocado - Creamy and buttery, they help cool your mouth from the spicy buffalo sauce.
- Cucumber - Refreshing, crunchy, and crisp. A great addition to any salad!
- Carrots and celery - Have you ever had buffalo chicken wings without them?
- Ranch dressing - Try my dairy-free ranch dressing. It has all the herbs and flavor of a delicious Ranch!
- Buffalo Chicken - Tender and spicy chicken, what's not to love?
How to make buffalo chicken salad
- Prepare hard-boiled eggs. Place eggs in a small sauce-pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water up to a boil, cover, and turn off the heat. Let sit for 10 minutes, then transfer to an ice-bath.
- Cut romaine lettuce and rinse under cold water. Strain in a colander and dry completely.
- Grab your buffalo chicken and prep all of the vegetables.
- Toss salad together with ranch dressing in a large bowl. Top with avocado and a drizzle of Ranch dressing.
Pro tips
- Have buffalo chicken all ready-to-go beforehand. This is meant to be a quick and easy recipe. Take your left-over buffalo chicken out of the freezer, and you are ready to rock!
- Make sure to let romaine lettuce dry before tossing the salad. If the salad is still wet, the dressing will not be able to coat the lettuce. Wash the lettuce first, so while you are prepping out the salad, it has time to dry.
- Purchase shredded carrots at the store. You can shred the carrots in a food processor, but that takes too much time. Make it easy.
- Peel hard-boiled eggs while they are still warm. If you are buying pasture-raised eggs, they are hard to peel. Chill in an ice-bath for 5 minutes, then peel.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this salad keto?
Yes, add some crumbled blue cheese on top. The high-fat content of the blue cheese will give you the needed fat.
What if I want to use different lettuce?
Absolutely! I use romaine because of the sweet flavor and crisp texture. Little gem, spinach, and mix-greens are good alternatives. You can also mix lettuces like half romaine and half spinach.
Would this be a good salad to meal prep?
Oh my gosh! We are thinking the same thoughts! The answer is yes! Keep the dressing on the side, so the lettuce doesn't wilt, and add the avocado just before eating, or it will turn.
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Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Prep Time: 15
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: salad
- Cuisine: american
Description
I always like cooking a large batch of buffalo chicken and freezing my leftovers. Why? Buffalo chicken salad, that's why!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups buffalo chicken
- 3 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1 cup celery, sliced on the bias
- 1 cup cucumber, halved, seeded, sliced
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 cup Ranch Dressing
Instructions
- Hard-boiled eggs: Place 4 eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water up to a boil, cover, and turn off the heat. Set timer for 10 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath. Peel.
- Romaine lettuce: Split hearts of romaine in half lengthwise, then chop. Wash chopped romaine and let dry in a colander.
- Prep the veggies: Cut cherry tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, celery, carrots, and hard-boiled eggs.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl combine romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, carrots, and ranch dressing. Divide salad into 4 separate bowls. Top with sliced avocado halved hard-boiled eggs and a drizzle of ranch dressing.
Notes
Dry romaine lettuce completely: If the lettuce is still wet dressing can't stick to it. I like to lay my lettuce out on a large kitchen towel and pat it dry.
Meal prep: This is a great salad to meal prep. Make sure to put the dressing on the side to preserve the lettuce. Also the avocado with turn brown on you, so add it right before eating.
Cutting on the bias: Means to cut on the diagonal.
Keywords: easy salad recipe, buffalo chicken, buffalo chicken salad