Buffalo Chicken Salad

This buffalo chicken salad is creamy, zippy, and so easy to prepare with only 6 ingredients and 15 minutes of your time.

Why this recipe works

Similarly to a classic potluck chicken salad, this buffalo chicken salad recipe begins with a creamy base – except it packs a punch with a generous amount of tangy hot sauce. This style of salad is perfect for piling onto buns, sandwiches, or lettuce wraps and doesn’t focus on chopped lettuce as the main ingredient. 

So while it isn’t necessarily healthy like you’d expect from a “salad”, it’s low carb and definitely satisfying. The celery, carrots, and onions lend even more flavor and a nice bit of crisp texture. Plus, it comes together in a snap.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

CHICKEN – You will need chopped cooked chicken for this recipe which you can get from a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or by preparing the chicken breasts yourself in the oven or stovetop. It’s excellent for using leftover chicken as well!

VEGGIES – Chopped celery, red onion, and julienned carrots add flavor and texture to this salad. You’re welcome to toss in other vegetables such as bell peppers – your choice!

SAUCE – A simple mixture of hot sauce and mayonnaise make up the creamy buffalo sauce. Our hot sauce of choice is Frank’s Red Hot, but you’re welcome to use your favorite variety. 

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Place chicken, celery, carrots, and red onion in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together hot sauce and mayonnaise.
3. Pour dressing into bowl with chicken and vegetables and stir together well.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

Serve buffalo chicken salad piled on a soft burger bun (or cloud bread) with bleu cheese crumbles and lettuce. Sometimes I play around and drizzle with either bleu cheese dressing or ranch instead of using the crumbles.

You can also snuggle it inside a lettuce leaf, stuff it into a wrap, pile it onto crackers and tortilla chips, or add it to chopped lettuce in a bowl. Honestly, we wouldn’t judge if you ate it by the spoonful.Enjoy chilled or slightly above room temp!

More Related Recipes

• Cajun Chicken Salad
• Big Mac Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Tenders

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Buffalo Chicken Salad

Low carb buffalo chicken salad is perfect for piling onto buns, sandwiches, or lettuce wraps! We also wouldn't judge if you ate it by the spoonful.

5 from 4 votes

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 servings (4 cups total)

15 minutes mins

Calories: 177

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken
• ▢ ½ cup chopped celery
• ▢ ½ cup julienned carrots
• ▢ ½ cup diced red onion
• ▢ ½ cup hot sauce
• ▢ ½ cup mayonnaise

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  Large mixing bowl

Before You Begin

• Our hot sauce of choice is Frank’s Red Hot, but you’re welcome to use your favorite variety. 
• You will need chopped cooked chicken for this recipe which you can get from a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or by preparing the chicken breasts yourself in the oven or on the stovetop. It’s excellent for using leftover chicken as well!

Instructions

• Place chicken, celery, carrots, and red onion in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together hot sauce and mayonnaise.
• Pour dressing into bowl with chicken and vegetables and stir together well.

Expert Tips & FAQs

• Optionally garnish with bleu cheese crumbles and sliced green onions. Serve it between a burger bun, wrapped in a lettuce leaf, snuggled into a wrap, tossed into chopped lettuce, or with chips and crackers for dipping.
• Store leftover buffalo chicken salad in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
• Buffalo chicken salad is great for meal prepping as it stays good for up to 4 days. You can also prepare it the day before serving if you plan on taking it to a party. Keep it covered and store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1/2 cup) | Calories: 177cal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 529mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1408IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg

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