This Buffalo Chicken Salad delivers all the spicy, tangy flavor of wings in a hearty, fork-friendly meal. Tender shredded chicken gets coated in a fiery buffalo sauce and piled over crisp greens with celery, carrots, and creamy blue cheese. It’s a satisfying riot of textures and temperatures that’s perfect for weeknights or game day.
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Why You’ll Love This Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Flavor explosion: Spicy, tangy, and cool elements create a symphony in every bite.
- Surprisingly versatile: Serve in a wrap, on sliders, or straight from the bowl.
- Meal prep breeze: Make chicken and dressing ahead for fast assembly.
- Feels like a treat: All the fun of wings with a big dose of fresh greens.
Ingredients & Tools
For the Buffalo Chicken:
- 450 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 120 ml Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- 55 g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
For the Salad Base:
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 4-5 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 2 large carrots, grated
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 150 g crumbled blue cheese
For the Blue Cheese Dressing:
- 120 g full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 60 ml buttermilk
- 60 g crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Tools: A large skillet or pot for cooking the chicken, two mixing bowls, a whisk, and a set of tongs.
Notes: Frank’s is the classic for its balanced heat and vinegar tang. Don’t skip the butter—it tames the heat and gives the sauce a rich, glossy coating.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 420 kcal |
| Protein: | 35 g |
| Fat: | 25 g |
| Carbs: | 12 g |
| Fiber: | 3 g |
Serves: 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs or breasts? Honestly, both work! Breast meat is leaner and shreds into nice strands, while thighs are more forgiving and deliver a richer, juicier result. If you’re worried about dry chicken, thighs are your best friend here.
- Can I use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken? Absolutely, this is a fantastic shortcut. You’ll need about 3 cups of shredded meat. Just warm the shredded chicken slightly before tossing it with the buffalo sauce so it absorbs all that flavor beautifully.
- What if I don’t like blue cheese? No problem at all. You can easily swap it for a milder feta or even a sharp cheddar. For the dressing, a good ranch would be a classic and delicious substitute that still provides that cool, creamy contrast.
- How spicy is this, really? The heat level is totally controllable. Start with the recommended amount of hot sauce and taste it. You can always add more for extra fire, or a pinch of sugar to balance it out if it’s too intense for your palate.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad
Step 1: Cook and Shred the Chicken. Place your chicken in a skillet and cover it with water or a light broth. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). You’ll notice the chicken is firm and opaque all the way through. Remove it from the liquid and let it rest for 5 minutes—this is key for juicy meat. Then, use two forks to shred it against the grain into a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Whip Up the Buffalo Sauce. While the chicken rests, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once it’s just melted and foamy, take it off the heat and whisk in the Frank’s RedHot sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. The mixture should be a vibrant orange-red and smell incredible—that signature buffalo aroma is unmistakable. Pour this sauce over the warm, shredded chicken and toss until every piece is thoroughly coated. You want it to look glossy and inviting.
Step 3: Make the Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing. In a separate bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, 60 grams of crumbled blue cheese, white wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk it all together until it’s mostly smooth, but with some lovely blue cheese chunks remaining for texture. Season with a good pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Give it a taste—it should be tangy, creamy, and powerfully cheesy.
Step 4: Assemble Your Salad Base. In a large, wide salad bowl, add your chopped romaine lettuce. Scatter the thinly sliced celery, grated carrots, and red onion over the top. The goal here is to create a sturdy, crunchy base that can hold up to the weight and flavor of the warm buffalo chicken.
Step 5: Bring It All Together. Pile the saucy buffalo chicken right in the center of the salad greens. Drizzle a generous amount of that homemade blue cheese dressing over everything. Finally, top it all off with the remaining 150 grams of crumbled blue cheese. The contrast of the warm, spicy chicken against the cool, crisp lettuce and the cold, creamy dressing is what makes this salad truly magical.
Step 6: Toss and Serve Immediately. Right at the table, use salad tongs to gently toss everything together, ensuring the dressing coats the leaves and the buffalo chicken is evenly distributed. Serve it straight away while the chicken is still slightly warm and the lettuce is perfectly crisp. Dig in!
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Store components separately for up to 3 days. Assembled salad keeps for 1 day but lettuce wilts.
- Freezer: Saucy chicken freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight and reheat gently.
- Reviving: If lettuce wilts, refresh in ice water for 5 minutes and pat dry. Reheat chicken gently in a skillet.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- Crispy Roasted Potato Wedges — Their fluffy interior and salty, crispy skin are the ultimate vehicle for scooping up any leftover buffalo sauce and dressing from your plate.
- Simple Corn on the Cob — The sweet, buttery kernels provide a wonderful sweet contrast that helps cool the palate between spicy bites of the salad.
- Buttery Garlic Breadsticks — Because sometimes you just need something soft and bready to wipe the bowl clean with—it’s a non-negotiable for many.
Drinks
- A Very Cold Lager or Pilsner — The crisp, clean, and slightly bitter notes of a good lager are the perfect antidote to the spice and richness of the buffalo sauce and cheese.
- Sparkling Water with Lemon — For a non-alcoholic option, the effervescence and citrus zing help reset your taste buds, making each bite of the salad taste fresh and new.
- Iced Black Tea with a Hint of Peach — The subtle sweetness and tannins in the tea complement the smoky heat beautifully without overwhelming the dish.
Something Sweet
- Classic New York-Style Cheesecake — Its rich, dense, and tangy profile is a decadent and cooling finish that stands up nicely after a bold, spicy main course.
- Warm Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream — The combination of warm, spiced fruit and cold ice cream is a comforting, homey end to the meal that feels just right.
- Simple Lemon Sorbet — This is the ultimate palate cleanser. Its bright, sharp citrus flavor cuts through any remaining richness and leaves you feeling refreshed.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Dressing the salad too early. If you add the dressing and then let the salad sit, the delicate romaine lettuce will wilt into a sad, soggy mess. Always toss and serve immediately for the best texture.
- Mistake: Using cold chicken for the buffalo sauce. Tossing the sauce with cold, straight-from-the-fridge chicken means the sauce won’t cling properly and the fat in the butter can seize up. Warm chicken absorbs the sauce like a dream.
- Mistake: Skipping the buttermilk in the dressing. Buttermilk adds a essential tang and thins the yogurt to a perfect, drizzle-able consistency. Using just yogurt will give you a dressing that’s too thick and clumpy.
- Mistake: Overcooking the chicken. I’ve messed this up before too… boiling the chicken for too long is the fastest route to dry, stringy meat. Use a thermometer and pull it at 165°F (74°C) for perfectly juicy shreds.
Expert Tips
- Tip: Amp up the crunch factor. For an extra textural element, toast some pecans or walnuts and sprinkle them on top right before serving. The nutty flavor works surprisingly well with the blue cheese and spicy chicken.
- Tip: Make it a Buffalo Chicken Salad Bowl. For a more deconstructed, Instagram-worthy presentation, arrange all the components—the lettuce, veggies, chicken, and dressing—separately in a wide, shallow bowl. Let everyone build their own perfect bite.
- Tip: Infuse your buffalo sauce. For a next-level flavor, gently simmer a whole, smashed garlic clove and a sprig of fresh thyme in the butter before you add the hot sauce. Strain it out for a subtly aromatic, complex sauce.
- Tip: Prep your veggies in advance. Chop all your celery, carrots, and onion and store them in an airtight container in the fridge submerged in ice water. They’ll stay incredibly crisp and cold for days, making assembly a total breeze.
FAQs
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
You can absolutely prep the components ahead, but you should assemble it just before serving. Cook and sauce the chicken, make the dressing, and chop the veggies up to 3 days in advance, storing them separately in the fridge. The warm chicken and cold dressing meeting the crisp lettuce at the last second is what creates the magic, so keep them apart until you’re ready to eat.
How can I make this recipe spicier or milder?
Controlling the heat is super easy. For more fire, add a few dashes of a hotter sauce like a habanero-based one to your Frank’s mixture, or include a pinch of cayenne pepper. To make it milder, reduce the amount of Frank’s and replace it with an equal part of melted butter or even a little chicken broth. You’re the boss of the heat!
What’s the best way to store leftovers?
Store any leftover components separately if you can. If it’s already mixed, it will keep for a day in an airtight container, but expect the lettuce to be quite wilted. The saucy chicken itself freezes beautifully for up to 3 months—just thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat gently in a skillet.
Is there a way to make this recipe healthier?
Sure! You can use fat-free Greek yogurt in the dressing and increase the ratio of fresh vegetables in the salad base. For the chicken, you can poach it in water instead of pan-frying, and you can reduce the amount of butter in the buffalo sauce, though it will be less rich. Loading up on the celery and carrots is always a great way to add volume and nutrients.
Can I use a different type of hot sauce?
You can, but the flavor profile will change. Frank’s is a vinegar-forward cayenne pepper sauce, which is the classic buffalo flavor. If you use something like Tabasco, it will be much hotter and less balanced. Sriracha will make it sweeter and garlicky. For the most authentic taste, Frank’s is highly recommended, but feel free to experiment with what you love!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Get the best Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe! Spicy shredded chicken, crisp greens, and creamy blue cheese dressing. A perfect easy meal for dinner or game day. Make it now!
Ingredients
For the Buffalo Chicken:
-
450 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
-
120 ml Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
-
55 g unsalted butter
-
1 tsp garlic powder
-
0.5 tsp onion powder
For the Salad Base:
-
1 large head romaine lettuce (chopped)
-
4-5 stalks celery (thinly sliced)
-
2 large carrots (grated)
-
0.5 red onion (thinly sliced)
-
150 g crumbled blue cheese
For the Blue Cheese Dressing:
-
120 g full-fat Greek yogurt or sour cream
-
60 ml buttermilk
-
60 g crumbled blue cheese
-
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
-
0.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce
-
Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
-
Place your chicken in a skillet and cover it with water or a light broth. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). You’ll notice the chicken is firm and opaque all the way through. Remove it from the liquid and let it rest for 5 minutes—this is key for juicy meat. Then, use two forks to shred it against the grain into a mixing bowl.01
-
While the chicken rests, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once it’s just melted and foamy, take it off the heat and whisk in the Frank’s RedHot sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. The mixture should be a vibrant orange-red and smell incredible—that signature buffalo aroma is unmistakable. Pour this sauce over the warm, shredded chicken and toss until every piece is thoroughly coated. You want it to look glossy and inviting.02
-
In a separate bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, 60 grams of crumbled blue cheese, white wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk it all together until it’s mostly smooth, but with some lovely blue cheese chunks remaining for texture. Season with a good pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Give it a taste—it should be tangy, creamy, and powerfully cheesy.03
-
In a large, wide salad bowl, add your chopped romaine lettuce. Scatter the thinly sliced celery, grated carrots, and red onion over the top. The goal here is to create a sturdy, crunchy base that can hold up to the weight and flavor of the warm buffalo chicken.04
-
Pile the saucy buffalo chicken right in the center of the salad greens. Drizzle a generous amount of that homemade blue cheese dressing over everything. Finally, top it all off with the remaining 150 grams of crumbled blue cheese. The contrast of the warm, spicy chicken against the cool, crisp lettuce and the cold, creamy dressing is what makes this salad truly magical.05
-
Right at the table, use salad tongs to gently toss everything together, ensuring the dressing coats the leaves and the buffalo chicken is evenly distributed. Serve it straight away while the chicken is still slightly warm and the lettuce is perfectly crisp. Dig in!06
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