Description
A vibrant and flavorful Buffalo Chicken Salad combining tender marinated chicken breasts with a spicy buffalo sauce, fresh vegetables, and a creamy homemade dressing. This salad offers a perfect balance of heat, creaminess, and crunch, making it an ideal lunch or light dinner option.
Ingredients
Scale
Buffalo Chicken Marinade
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts)
- 1 tbsp 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 tbsp freshly chopped dill
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped chives
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salad
- 4 cups chopped romaine
- 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
- Prepare the Chicken Marinade: In a large bowl, combine the buffalo sauce, honey, lime juice, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade for later use, then add the chicken breasts to the remaining marinade, tossing to coat thoroughly. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours for enhanced flavor.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip off, and place them in the hot skillet. Cook until the chicken is golden brown on one side, about 6 minutes. Flip the chicken and brush with the reserved marinade, then continue cooking for an additional 6 to 8 minutes until the chicken is 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.
- Make the Dressing: While the chicken cooks, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Add the minced garlic, freshly chopped parsley, dill, chives, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Stir well until all ingredients are fully combined. Refrigerate the dressing until it’s ready to be served.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, toss the chopped romaine, baby spinach, sliced celery, carrot matchsticks, cucumber slices, avocado slices, thinly sliced red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, and blue cheese crumbles together. Arrange the sliced buffalo chicken strips on top. Drizzle the creamy dressing over the salad just before serving, ensuring each bite is perfectly coated.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken longer in the refrigerator (up to 2 hours) will deepen the flavor.
- You can use grilled chicken instead of skillet-cooked if preferred.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute the dressing ingredients with vegan alternatives.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper in the dressing according to your preferred spice level.
- Serve immediately after dressing the salad to prevent wilting of greens.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Buffalo chicken salad, spicy chicken salad, healthy buffalo salad, creamy dressing, blue cheese salad
