Crispy Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad is the perfect weeknight dinner, easy lunch, and game day favorite. Crispy chicken tenders are tossed in buffalo sauce, and mixed with crunchy romaine, carrots, celery, avocado, and a creamy anchovy-free Caesar dressing.
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If you're looking for a delicious salad to serve as a main course or on game day, my Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad is it!
Crispy chicken tenders are baked in a hot oven, coated in tangy buffalo sauce, and served atop a salad packed with crunchy romaine lettuce, shaved Parmesan, homemade croutons, and a creamy Caesar Dressing without Anchovies.
If you need more game-day suggestions, try my Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Air Fried Buffalo Cauliflower, and Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip without Mayo.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great for meal prep. I love to portion these salads into individual glass meal prep containers. Assemble the salad, top with spicy buffalo chicken, and serve the dressing on the side for an easy lunch.
- Use up your leftover chicken. Toss your leftover rotisserie chicken with buffalo sauce and serve it atop this salad.
- Make chicken in the air fryer. For a crispy texture, consider using an air fryer to cook your chicken tenders.
- A game-day favorite. Your guests will love this bold twist on a classic Caesar salad.
Ingredients + Substitutions
With these simple ingredients, you can make my Buffalo Chicken Caeser Salad. Scroll to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Romaine Lettuce
You can use any kind of lettuce, and in the tradition of the Caesar Salad, we had to go with romaine.
If you are looking for a substitution, I recommend mixed greens or spinach leaves.
Croutons
I used store-bought focaccia bread to make my homemade croutons.
If you can't find focaccia, a good Italian or French Country loaf of bread makes great croutons.
Chicken Tenders
You can find raw chicken tenderloins at most grocery stores. We set up a breading station of seasoned flour, whisked eggs, and panko breadcrumbs.
A good swap for chicken tenders is chicken breast, boneless chicken thighs, or store-bought breaded chicken tenders.
Veggies
I did a mixture of shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced celery, and avocados.
Parmesan Cheese
Use a vegetable peeler to shave parmesan cheese over the salad or swap with blue cheese crumbles.
Caesar Dressing
We left the anchovies out of the dressing recipe so it didn't overpower the salad.
You can always use store-bought Caesar or Ranch Dressing.
Buffalo Sauce
I used Frank's Red Hot, and next time I will use Primal's Kitchen Buffalo sauce because it's my favorite brand.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Learn how to make this crispy buffalo chicken salad at home. For the complete printable instructions and ingredient quantities, please scroll to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Step 1. Tear focaccia bread into small pieces by hand and toss with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and salt.
Step 2. Spread the bread pieces on a baking tray and bake at 425°F/218°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Step 3. To prepare the Caesar dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. It should be creamy, tangy, and slightly salty.
Step 4. Set up three wide, shallow bowls-one with flour, one with egg wash, and one with panko breadcrumbs. Bread each chicken tenderloin and place on a parchment-lined baking tray.
Step 5. Bake chicken tenders in a 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Toss chicken in buffalo sauce and set aside.
Step 6. Assemble the salad by tossing romaine lettuce, carrots, cabbage, and celery with Caesar dressing. Top with homemade croutons, sliced avocado, Parmesan cheese, and Buffalo chicken.
Air Fryer Method
- Breading Station. Set up three wide, shallow bowls-one with flour, one with egg wash, and one with panko breadcrumbs.
- Season the chicken tenders with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat them lightly in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them into the egg wash, ensuring an even coating. Finally, press them into panko breadcrumbs until fully covered.
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F/204°C and lightly coat the basket with avocado spray. Arrange the chicken in a single layer, then spray the tops with more avocado spray and cook for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Toss air-fried chicken tenders with buffalo sauce and set aside.
Tools
Chef Tips
- Homemade Croutons: Hand-tear the bread for a more rustic look. Make sure the croutons are crispy and not soft when you remove them from the oven.
- Chicken Tenders: Use the dry hand/wet hand method when breading the chicken tenderloins. (One hand for the flour and breadcrumbs and the other for the egg wash)
- For juicy chicken, bake until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes! This is a nutritious salad loaded with fiber and protein. For a lighter option, swap the breaded chicken tenders for rotisserie chicken to cut down on calories.
Yes, Buffalo chicken has a kick! To tone down the heat, use less hot sauce or opt for a mild Buffalo sauce, such as the one from Primal Kitchen.
Yes, I love the meal prep this salad for delicious weekday lunches. Assemble the salad and put the dressing on the side so the lettuce doesn't become soggy.
No, you can use pre-breaded chicken tenders and crisp them up in the oven or air fryer.
More Salad Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 heads romaine lettuce chopped
- 3 celery stalks sliced
- 1 cup red cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1 avocado sliced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese shaved
Croutons
- 4 cups fococcia torn into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
Creamy Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup mayo
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 3 tablespoon parmesan cheese grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Chicken Tenders
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
Instructions
- Croutons. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Tear focaccia bread into small pieces by hand and toss with Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and salt. Spread on a baking tray and bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Caesar Dressing. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
- Chicken Tenders. Set up three wide, shallow bowls—one with flour, one with egg wash, and one with panko breadcrumbs. Bread each chicken tenderloin and place on a parchment-lined baking tray.
- Bake chicken tenders in a 425°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Toss chicken in buffalo sauce and set aside.
- Assemble the salad by tossing romaine lettuce, carrots, cabbage, and celery with Caesar dressing. Top with homemade croutons, sliced avocado, Parmesan cheese, and Buffalo chicken.
Notes
- Use 1-day-old Focaccia or Country Loaves to make the best croutons.
- Use the dry hand/wet hand method when breading the chicken tenderloins. (One hand for the flour and breadcrumbs and the other for the egg wash)
- If you don't want to make homemade chicken tenders, you can bake or air fry store-bought chicken tenders.
- Save time by using your favorite store-bought Caesar Dressing.
Nutrition
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