Description

This Buffalo Chicken Salad is a flavorful and vibrant dish combining tender, marinated chicken breasts cooked in a zesty buffalo sauce with a fresh and crisp salad of romaine, spinach, and assorted vegetables. Topped with a creamy homemade dressing and blue cheese crumbles, this salad offers a perfect balance of spicy, tangy, and creamy flavors making it an ideal meal for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

Buffalo Chicken Marinade

1 cup buffalo sauce
2 tablespoons honey
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salad

4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups baby spinach
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 Persian cucumber, cut into half moons
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Instructions

Make chicken marinade: In a large bowl, combine buffalo sauce, honey, lime juice, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season the mixture with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Reserve one-third cup of this marinade in a separate bowl for later use.
Marinate chicken: Add the chicken breasts to the remaining marinade in the bowl, tossing thoroughly to coat them evenly. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or, if preferred, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours to enhance flavor.
Cook chicken: Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off, and place the chicken in the skillet. Cook the chicken unbothered for about 6 minutes until golden brown on one side. Flip the chicken, then brush it with the reserved marinade. Continue cooking for 6 to 8 minutes more, until the chicken is fully cooked through and no longer pink inside. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
Prepare dressing: While the chicken cooks, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk in a medium bowl until smooth. Add minced garlic, freshly chopped parsley, dill, chives, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix everything well and refrigerate until you are ready to use the dressing.
Assemble salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the chopped romaine, baby spinach, sliced celery, carrot matchsticks, cucumber half moons, sliced avocado, thinly sliced red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, and blue cheese crumbles. Place the sliced buffalo chicken strips on top of the salad.
Serve: Drizzle the prepared dressing over the salad just before serving to keep the greens crisp and enjoy the vibrant flavors of this hearty Buffalo Chicken Salad.

Notes

For extra heat, add more buffalo sauce or cayenne pepper to the marinade or dressing.
You can substitute blue cheese crumbles with feta or shredded cheddar cheese if preferred.
If you want to prepare ahead, chicken can be cooked and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serve with crusty bread or tortilla chips for a complete meal.
To make it gluten-free, ensure buffalo sauce and mayonnaise are certified gluten-free.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Keywords: buffalo chicken salad, buffalo sauce, healthy chicken salad, spicy chicken salad, homemade chicken salad dressing, blue cheese salad