This Buffalo Chicken Salad is a bold, creamy, high protein lunch that comes together in under 30 minutes. Tender shredded chicken is tossed with crunchy celery and carrots in a spicy buffalo ranch dressing made with Greek yogurt and mayo. It is lighter than traditional chicken salad but just as creamy and satisfying. Serve it on a sandwich, in a wrap, in lettuce cups, or with crackers and veggies for a quick lunch or meal prep for the whole week!
Looking for another fun chicken salad option for lunch? Try this BLT Chicken Salad.
weeknight-easy
minimal prep
Quick Look: Buffalo Chicken Salad
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 25 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍗 Servings: 4 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 335 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Boil chicken and mix everything together
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Chicken, greek yogurt, hot sauce, ranch seasoning
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Pretty simple and quick! This comes together in 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Buffalo wing flavor in a healthy meal prep dish. Enjoy the delicious taste of buffalo wings in a healthy and easy chicken salad version!
- Super versatile dish. This chicken salad can be enjoyed on a sandwich, in a wrap, in lettuce cups, or with crackers and veggies. Get creative and enjoy!
- Great for making ahead. It is really easy to make this on a Sunday and enjoy throughout the week!
For another flavorful chicken salad dish, try this jalapeño popper chicken salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you need to make this delicious chicken salad. For a full list of ingredients, see the full recipe.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast – The chicken is gently poached in broth until tender and then shredded in the food processor for the quickest and easiest method. You can also use rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Celery – Roughly chopped celery adds a fresh, satisfying crunch to every bite. It is a classic pairing with buffalo flavor and also adds a little extra bulk to the salad.
- Shredded carrot – Shredded carrot adds a subtle sweetness, a pop of color, and an extra serving of vegetables without changing the flavor of the salad.
- Mayonnaise – A small amount of mayo adds richness and creaminess to the dressing. Together with the Greek yogurt it creates the perfect creamy base without being too heavy.
- Plain Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt lightens up the dressing while adding a boost of protein and a slight tang. It is what makes this chicken salad feel fresh and not too heavy.
- Hot sauce – This is where all the buffalo flavor comes from. Start with 3 tablespoons and add more if you want extra heat. Frank’s RedHot is the classic choice but any hot sauce you love will work.
- Ranch seasoning blend – A packet of ranch seasoning blend is the shortcut that makes this dressing taste so good without having to measure out a bunch of individual spices. It adds that classic ranch flavor that pairs perfectly with the hot sauce.
Looking for another buffalo sauce flavored meal prep dish? Try these grilled buffalo chicken tenders.
How to make Buffalo Chicken Salad
Step 1: Place chicken breasts in a sauce pan with chicken broth or water mixed with bullion. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover the pot and simmer.
Step 2: Place the chicken breasts in a food processor. Press the pulse button a few times until the breasts are just shredded, not too much because we want some texture.
Step 3: Add the celery, carrot, mayonnaise, greek yogurt, hot sauce (If you are sensitive to spice, start with just 1-2 tablespoons) and ranch seasoning to the food processor.
Step 4: Pulse again just until everything is evenly combined. At this point I like to taste and mix in a bit more hot sauce if i want it a bit spicier. If you want extra heat, add more hot sauce one tablespoon at a time.
Note: Shredding the chicken in a food processor is the quickest and easiest method. Just pulse a few times until the chicken is shredded to your preferred texture. Do not over-process or it will become too fine and mushy. A few short pulses is all you need. The food processor also makes it easy to mix everything together in one place.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Buffalo Chicken Salad 🍗
- Use the food processor to shred the chicken. This is the fastest way to get perfectly shredded chicken without the effort of two forks. Just pulse a few times until shredded. Do not over-process or it will turn into a paste.
- Taste the dressing before serving. The hot sauce level is very personal. Taste the salad after mixing everything together and add more hot sauce if you want it spicier or a little more Greek yogurt if you want to cool it down.
- Chill before serving if you have time. This salad is great right away but the flavors come together even more after 30 minutes in the fridge. It is also one of the best meal prep lunches because it stays fresh for up to 4 days.
- Use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut. If you want to skip the poaching step, a store-bought rotisserie chicken works great. Just shred the breast meat and use it in place of the poached chicken.
Looking for another buffalo sauce favorite? Try this crockpot buffalo chicken dip.
Recipe fAQs
How long does buffalo chicken salad last in the fridge?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It actually tastes better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together.
What do you serve with buffalo chicken salad?
It is great on toasted bread as a sandwich, in a tortilla wrap, scooped into lettuce cups, or served with crackers and celery sticks. It also works as a dip for game day spreads.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes! Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut that saves a lot of time. Just shred the breast meat and use it in place of the poached chicken. The salad will taste just as delicious.
Can I make this dairy free?
Yes! Swap the Greek yogurt for a dairy free plain yogurt or just use all mayo in place of the yogurt. The flavor will be slightly different but still really good.
Storage
This buffalo chicken salad will be good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Other delicious Buffalo Sauce Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 cup celery – roughly chopped
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp hot sauce – more or less depending on your heat preference
- 2 tbsp ranch seasoning blend
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a sauce pan with chicken broth or water mixed with bullion. The liquid should cover the chicken completely if you don’t have broth, salted water will also work. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover the pot and simmer for 16-18 minutes.
- Check that the chicken has cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165F before removing from heat. Allow the chicken to cool for 10-15 minutes before continuing.
- Place the chicken breasts in a food processor – its okay if they are still a little warm. Press the pulse button a few times until the breasts are just shredded, not too much because we want some texture. Add the celery, carrot, mayonnaise, greek yogurt, hot sauce and ranch seasoning to the food processor
- Pulse again just until everything is evenly combined. At this point I like to taste and mix in a bit more hot sauce if i want it a bit spicier. Then, transfer to the fridge so all of the flavors can come together and I serve chilled. You can also serve immediately at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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