We have a slight obsession with buffalo sauce in our house and this Buffalo Chicken Salad has been on heavy rotation for lunches. We also love these Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas, Baked Buffalo Wings, and Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches.
I am always on the hunt for easy, make ahead recipes that make me look forward to lunchtime and this chicken salad with buffalo wing sauce has been hitting the spot. To keep things interesting, I always pack it a few different ways so I don't bored. Usually, this means one day as a sandwich or wrap, another day as a salad, and a third day with some crackers or pretzels.
The other amazing thing about this recipe is that there are so many ways to mix it up and make it your own. As someone who loves blue cheese, I almost always add some crumbled blue cheese to the salad. On the other hand, the rest of my family loves ranch so for their batch, I will add some ranch seasoning to the mix to add herbs and tone down the spice. I have a friend who loves buffalo chicken dip, so she makes her with half cream cheese.
How to Serve Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Lettuce Wraps: For an easy low carb option, serve this in butter lettuce or Romaine lettuce wraps topped with crumbled blue cheese.
- Sandwich or Wraps: Grab some whole grain bread, a light English muffin, or low carb wrap and add the chicken salad, lettuce, and tomato. Makes the best buffalo chicken salad wrap.
- Salad: Grab a big bowl of greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and the buffalo chicken salad. Drizzle with some healthy ranch dressing.
- Cucumber slices or boats: Slice an English cucumber into rounds and serve the salad on top. You can also scoop out the inside and make cucumber boats. This works with celery as well.
Recipe Ideas and Tips (for the Best Buffalo Chicken Salad!)
- Add blue cheese: For buffalo and blue cheese lovers, you need to add some crumbled blue cheese to the chicken salad. You can also drizzle some dressing right on top or replace some of the yogurt with your favorite light blue cheese dressing.
- Add ranch dressing: Drizzle the chicken salad with your favorite healthy ranch dressing or stir some right into the salad. If you are adding it right into the chicken salad, consider using a little less yogurt so the chicken salad doesn't get watery.
- Add ranch seasoning: If you can get enough buffalo and ranch, add some ranch dressing seasoning to your chicken salad. Start small and taste along the way to make sure it doesn't get too strong.
- Try it with sour cream: Replace the mayo with sour cream for a slightly different flavor option. Just remember, it will be extra tangy from the yogurt if you go this route.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs add freshness and brightness to this dish. Consider adding some chopped cilantro, dill, or chives.
- Cream cheese: For a creamier, cheesier option, add in a few tablespoons of low-fat cream cheese to replace some of the Greek yogurt. Some people also like to add some shredded cheddar or jack cheese to the mix.
- Whole30 friendly: For a Whole30 buffalo chicken salad, replace the Greek yogurt and mayonnaise with a Whole30 compliant mayo. Also make sure to grab an approved buffalo sauce, like the one by Primal Kitchens,
- Keto: For a lower carb option, use full-fat Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. Also, make sure to choose a buffalo sauce that doesn't have any added sugar. Frank's is a good option.
How long can I keep chicken salad in the fridge?
Generally speaking, you want to eat your chicken salad within 3-5 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container. If you like your veggies nice and crunchy, consider packing them on the side and stirring them in right before serving. This assumes the chicken you are using is freshly cooked. If your chicken has already been cooked in the fridge for a couple of days, your chicken salad won't last as long.
Can I freeze chicken salad?
Chicken salad doesn't freeze well due to the mayonnaise. If you want to freeze chicken salad, your best bet is to make the chicken in advance since that can be frozen. Then let it defrost overnight in the fridge and make the chicken salad with the cooked, defrosted chicken.
How to cook chicken for chicken salad?
If I am being honest, 99% of the time I make chicken salad it is with a rotisserie chicken. However, if you want to make it fresh, almost any method of cooking chicken will work. You can grill the chicken, poach it, or cook it with a touch of chicken broth in the slow cooker.