Buffalo Chicken Salad

5 from 2 votes
9 Comments

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This Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe is packed full of spicy baked chicken, cooled off by creamy avocado, crisp lettuce and dressing.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Salad in a white bowl.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Buffalo Chicken Salad Ingredients
  2. Tips for a Healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad
  3. More Uses for Spicy Baked Chicken
  4. Frequently Asked Questions
  5. Salads, Sides and More
  6. How to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad
  7. Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe

This Buffalo Chicken Salad is one of my favorite dishes to make at home for lunch! It tastes just like those fancy salads you get at a restaurant, but for a fraction of the cost, and it’s super simple to make. I can’t think of how many times I forget to eat lunch on a busy day or when I nibble at my kids’ leftover sandwich crusts instead of enjoying an actual lunch. This salad is so easy to throw together, especially if you bake the chicken ahead of time!

Buffalo Chicken Salad Ingredients

  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts – to simplify this recipe, you can use rotisserie chicken soaked in a marinade of your favorite chicken wing sauce
  • Frank’s Buffalo Chicken Sauce
  • Lettuce – we like to use romaine lettuce
  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Avocado
  • Corn
  • Cheese – our favorites are cheddar cheese or blue cheese crumbles
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Ranch or blue cheese dressing – use our homemade ranch dressing or homemade blue cheese dressing recipes

Tips for a Healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad

  • Bake or grill the chicken! Baking rather than frying will give you yummy flavor with much less fat. Just cover some chicken breasts with my favorite Frank’s Buffalo Sauce and bake for about 25 minutes and you’re done!
  • Really pile this salad high with veggies. I love slicing creamy avocado over the top and adding a handful of corn kernels for a sweet crunch. You could also add shredded carrots, broccoli, spinach leaves, red bell peppers, red onions, celery, or just about any vegetable you have on hand in your fridge.
  • Add hard boiled eggs. Slice a hard boiled egg over the top of this Buffalo Chicken Salad for extra protein and flavor.
  • Opt for low fat cheese. I like to add a handful of low fat shredded cheddar or some blue cheese crumbles. You could leave out the cheese altogether if you really want to keep this on the lighter side.
  • Finally, try a low calorie dressing. There are tons of delicious options out there. I like a low calorie buttermilk ranch or blue cheese dressing for this salad.

More Uses for Spicy Baked Chicken

You can bake a huge batch of this buffalo chicken and freeze it to use later. I usually double or triple the amount of chicken I bake, then store it in Ziploc bags in the freezer. It’s so delicious on top of pizza, salad, tacos, nachos, or just plain with a baked potato and green salad. The chicken breasts will store nicely in the freezer for up to two months. To reheat, just microwave or allow them to thaw in the refrigerator before heating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is buffalo chicken hot or spicy?

Yes! The level of spiciness depends on what type of hot sauce you use, as well as the amount.

Why is buffalo sauce called that?

It was created in a restaurant in Buffalo, New York.

What makes buffalo sauce different?

Buffalo wing sauce is different from hot sauce because it has butter in it. It also has a richer flavor and contains more spices.

Read more:35+ Easy Lunch Ideas

Salads, Sides and More

Looking for more recipes like this one? Try some of my filling favorites:

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad

Baked Buffalo Chicken Salad in a white bowl.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

5 from 2 votes
This Buffalo Chicken Salad is packed full of spicy baked chicken, cooled off by creamy avocado, crisp lettuce and dressing. A low fat salad with tons of flavor!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken
  • 1 bottle Frank's Buffalo Chicken sauce
  • 8 cups lettuce
  • 3 hard boiled eggs peeled and sliced
  • 2 avocados peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 1/2 cup grilled corn kernels optional
  • 3/4 cup cheese shredded
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing or to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cover chicken in buffalo chicken sauce and place on a greased pan.
  • Bake about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  • Cut chicken into slices and place in a large bowl. Stir in more Buffalo Chicken sauce until chicken is well coated.
  • Shred lettuce and place on plate.
  • Add chicken, egg, avocado, corn, cheese, sunflower seeds.
  • Drizzle with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Notes

Fun additions to your salad:
  • Shredded carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Red bell peppers
  • Red onions
  • Croutons
  • Green onions or chives

Nutrition Information

Calories: 708kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 28gFat: 59gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 213mgSodium: 630mgPotassium: 1029mgFiber: 11gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1366IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 238mgIron: 3mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. I absolutely love buffalo chicken salad even though I know that the way it is generally prepared is completely unhealthy. This recipe however present a more healthy option. While I have opted to use grilled rather then friend chicken in the past I had never considered baking the chicken. I work with Better Recipes so I am constantly looking for great recipes, but personally I seek out Chicken Salad Recipes most commonly because I am not a huge fan of red meat. I can't wait to try baked buffalo chicken.

  2. 5 stars
    This salad sounds so great!!! I love salads..and spicy chicken. 🙂 Great combination!

    ~ Carrie ~

  3. 5 stars
    I love buffalo chicken salads and this one looks fantastic – not only that but your picture is amazing1