Buffalo Chicken Salad - iFoodReal.com (original) (raw)
This easy, healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad is made with Greek yogurt instead of mayo and packs a little spice and tang in every bite. Serve on lettuce wraps or a sandwich.
With the hot weather here, all I can think about is cold lunch ideas. I do have my go-to healthy chicken salad, but to change things up, I decided to make a batch of buffalo chicken salad.
We already love my healthy buffalo chicken dip and buffalo chicken bites, so I knew this spicy chicken salad would be a hit, especially with my boys. And it was! They’re all about high protein recipes these days with their gym routines, and this buffalo chicken salad recipe was gone in 2 days. So, it’s perfect for meal prep.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick prep: Cooked chicken plus 9 simple ingredients, mixed in one bowl.
- High in protein: Thanks to chicken breast and Greek yogurt.
- No mayonnaise: Hot wing sauce and Greek yogurt combination yield flavorful, lower in fat and calories and just as creamy salad dressing.
- Buffalo wing vibes: If you love bold flavors of buffalo chicken wings, you will love this protein packed salad.
Ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Cooked chicken breasts: I used shredded chicken but cubed chicken leftovers, cooked chicken thighs, or rotisserie chicken all work too.
- Veggies: I love the crunch fresh vegetables add to chicken salad, I tossed in chopped celery, red onion, and grated carrots.
- Roasted cashews: I thought the toasty flavor would pair nicely with the creamy salad, and it totally does! You can sub in other nuts like walnuts, pine nuts or almonds.
- Raisins: They add a sweet, chewy bite that complements the spicy, creamy buffalo dressing flavors.
- Greek yogurt: Please use 2% or higher plain Greek yogurt for the best creamy texture and flavor. You could also use regular yogurt. I do think non-fat yogurt tastes chalky but if that’s what you like, go for it.
- Hot sauce: I love Frank’s red hot sauce, it’s the only one I buy. However, you can use any cayenne pepper sauce you like.
- Seasonings: All you need is a bit of garlic powder and black pepper.
Recipe Tip
I found no need for mayo because the hot sauce makes the buffalo salad very flavorful and adds an umph. You can add 1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise, if you want.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad
This salad is a quick, delicious way to use up leftover chicken. Here’s how to make it, step by step. Full recipe card is located down below.
- Whisk the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, hot sauce, garlic powder, and pepper until smooth.
- Mix the salad: Add the shredded chicken, veggies, nuts, and raisins, then gently stir to combine.
- Chill: Refrigerate for about an hour so the flavors meld, it’s best served cold! Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if you feel it’s needed. Then enjoy as a sandwich, lettuce wrap, or dip.
Tips for Best Results
Here are my top tips for making this buffalo chicken salad recipe.
- Avoid non-fat yogurt: It doesn’t have the same rich, creamy texture. A little fat gives the dressing more body and helps everything blend together. You’ll definitely want to go with 2% fat or higher.
- Chill the salad: Not just because cold chicken salad is perfect on a hot day but because the flavors get even better.
- Adjust the heat: It was the perfect spice level for us but feel free to add more or less hot sauce or buffalo wing sauce to suit your taste.
- Using other chicken: Rotisserie chicken is perfect if you don’t have cooked chicken ready, just keep in mind your salad will be more salty. Skip the skin and chop or shred it. If you’re using canned chicken, it needs to be drained first.
- Other additions: Mix in whatever you like or have on hand. Blue cheese crumbles, sliced green onions, chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, diced avocado, hard boiled eggs, crumbled bacon, fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro, or a dash of smoked paprika.
Serving Ideas
- On a sandwich: Scoop onto a toasted bun or bread. I’ve been making lots of bread lately, rotating between 2 ingredient bread, Greek yogurt bread, and cottage cheese bread.
- In lettuce cups: Spoon into crisp lettuce leaves for a low-carb option.
- Stuffed in a wrap: Roll the salad up in a tortilla with extra veggies.
- With crackers or pita chips: Perfect for scooping and snacking.
- As a dip: Pair with celery, carrots, and cucumber slices for an easy appetizer or snack.
How to Store
Store: Buffalo chicken salad lasts really well, meaning you can double the recipe for meal prep. As is, it lasted the 4 of us 2 days for lunches. Just make sure to keep it in an airtight container.
Freeze: Because of the fresh veggies, I haven’t tried freezing the leftovers. You’re welcome to give it a shot, but I’m not sure how well it will thaw.
More Chicken Salad Recipes to Try
More Buffalo Chicken Recipes
For the Salad:
- ▢ 2 large cooked chicken breasts, shredded or cubed (3 cups)
- ▢ 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
- ▢ 1/2 cup carrots, grated
- ▢ 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- ▢ 1/3 cup roasted cashews, chopped
- ▢ 1/4 cup raisins
For the Dressing:
- ▢ 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 2% fat or higher
- ▢ 1/3 cup Frank’s red hot sauce
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark
- In a large bowl, add Greek yogurt, hot sauce, garlic powder, pepper and whisk.
- Add chicken, celery, carrots, red onion, cashews and raisins. Gently mix until combined.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour as salad tastes best cold. Adjust any seasonings to taste, if you wish. Enjoy cold!
🎉 Last step! If you made this recipe, please leave a review and let us know what you think!
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I have not tried freezing the salad and am not sure fresh veggies will hold up well to it.
- How to cook chicken for salad: Here is baked chicken breast and air fryer chicken breast recipes. If you have Instant Pot, you can make Instant Pot chicken breast.
- Mayo: You can add 1-2 tablespoons of mayo for more classic taste but I find it’s just fine as is.
Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 136kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 363mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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