wp header logo 23

Buffalo Chicken Salad

ByRestauFeed

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it:  Turn leftover chicken into a stellar lunch with this Buffalo chicken salad recipe! It’s creamy and spicy, with celery and red onion for crunch, and you can even throw in pungent crumbled blue cheese if that’s your thing. So easy and delicious!

How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: bowl
Servings: 4

A bowl of buffalo chicken salad with diced chicken, celery, and creamy buffalo sauce, surrounded by celery sticks, crackers, and a bowl of blue cheese crumbles.

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

“Buffalo chicken” and “salad” might seem like they exist in two very different worlds—one world that involves sitting on the couch watching football and another that gets up early on weekdays to fit in some Pilates before work. This Buffalo chicken salad is kind of like those two worlds colliding. Buffalo chicken flavor, in a form that’s pretty darn good for you!

Like my crockpot Buffalo chicken sandwiches and Instant Pot Buffalo chicken pasta, the hot sauce is here to bring the flavor. It’s really what makes this recipe, so if you’re heat-averse, I recommend checking out something like my dill chicken salad or avocado chicken salad instead.

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Salad

Big on flavor. When you see the words “Buffalo chicken,” you expect lots of big, bold flavor and this recipe delivers. This chicken salad also has fantastic contrasting textures with the creamy dressing, meaty chicken, and crunchy veggies. I love adding blue cheese, but I know it’s polarizing, so you do what you like!

Lower fat dressing. The dressing is a combination of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt. Using half yogurt, half mayonnaise instead of all mayo cuts some of the richness (and calories) without sacrificing all of it.

Packed with protein. I love protein salads like chickpea salad and chicken salad because they’re simple and satisfying, whether you fold them into a sandwich or serve them on lettuce. With protein as the main component, they have much more staying power than a typical green salad recipe.

So many ways to serve it. Just like my crockpot Buffalo chicken dip, there are many you can enjoy this Buffalo chicken salad! Make it into sandwiches, wraps, or sliders, spoon it onto lettuce leaves, stuff it into pitas, scoop it up with crackers or celery sticks, and so on. The world is your oyster!

Ingredient Notes

  • Cooked chicken: You can use leftover chicken, cook extra air fryer chicken breasts or Instant Pot shredded chicken for dinner one night, and set aside what you need for Buffalo chicken salad. Another option is to just pick up a rotisserie chicken (an option I often choose).
  • Celery and red onion: These two vegetables add flavor, yes, but also a nice crunchy texture. Celery is a traditional go-along with Buffalo chicken wings.
  • Blue cheese: Adding crumbled blue cheese is optional. If you like to dip your Buffalo wings in blue cheese dressing, it’s a must-have in this chicken salad.
  • Hot sauce: Frank’s RedHot sauce is the classic sauce used for Buffalo recipes.
  • Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt: If you like, you can use all mayo (for a richer salad) or all Greek yogurt (for a lighter salad with more protein), but I like equal portions of the two for balance. Another option is to use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt if you want slightly less tang.
  • Seasonings: Garlic powder and onion powder add savory depth.
Seven bowls containing chopped celery, shredded cooked chicken, diced red onion, mayonnaise, yogurt, hot sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder arranged on a white surface.

How to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad

Make the dressing. In a mixing bowl large enough to contain the whole salad, whisk together the hot sauce, mayo, yogurt, garlic powder, and onion powder until smooth.

A bowl containing tomato sauce, mayonnaise, yogurt, and seasoning powder on a light surface.
A clear glass bowl containing a creamy, light orange mixture sits on a white surface.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir in the chicken, celery, onions, and blue cheese until everything is coated.

A glass bowl containing chopped cooked chicken, sliced celery, and diced red onion over a creamy sauce.
Close-up of a mixed chicken salad with diced chicken, celery, and red onion coated in a creamy, orange-colored dressing.

Finish. Season to taste, then refrigerate for 15 minutes to let the flavors develop. The salad can be refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it.

A bowl of buffalo chicken salad is surrounded by celery sticks, multigrain crackers, and a small dish of crumbled blue cheese on a light surface.
Chicken salad with diced red onion and creamy buffalo dressing served in a crisp lettuce leaf on a light-colored plate.

How To Serve Buffalo Chicken Salad

  • As a sandwich. Pile the chicken salad between two slices of bread, into rolls or a bun, or in a sliced croissant. Add lettuce leaves to your sandwich, too.
  • As a wrap. Sandwich wraps or ordinary tortillas are excellent for wrapping up this chicken salad. Spoon the Buffalo chicken salad onto crisp romaine leaves or tender Bibb lettuce to make a lettuce wrap.
  • As a salad. Serve the chicken salad on a bed of torn lettuce.
  • With crackers or chips. Add the Buffalo chicken salad to buttery Ritz crackers or use a sturdy tortilla chip to scoop it up.
  • Dip for veggie sticks. Sturdy celery and carrot sticks would be great, or halve and seed multicolored baby sweet peppers that come in bags from the produce section.

Refrigerate: Pack this Buffalo chicken salad in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for three to four days. Because of the mayo and fresh veggies, this chicken salad will not freeze well.

Make it a “Lunchable”. To make a meal prep lunch, portion the salad into divided containers with crackers and/or veggie sticks in one compartment and the salad in another.

More Chicken Salad Recipes

  • In a large bowl, combine hot sauce, mayonnaise, yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder to make dressing. Whisk until smooth and combined.

    ⅓ cup hot sauce, ⅓ cup mayonnaise, ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder

  • Add chicken, celery, onion, and blue cheese (if using). Stir until everything is coated with dressing.

    4 cups chilled cooked chicken, shredded or diced, ½ cup finely diced celery, ¼ cup finely diced red onion, ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese, optional

  • Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as needed.

  • Cover and refrigerate the salad for 15 minutes to let the flavors develop.

  • Serve Buffalo chicken salad as a filling for wraps, sandwiches, or on its own with crackers and veggie sticks. It can also be served on a bed of lettuce.

  • How to cook chicken: If you opt not to use rotisserie chicken, cook the chicken ahead of time and chill it. Try poaching the chicken, Instant Pot shredded chicken, or make air fryer chicken breasts. Choose white meat, dark meat, or a combination.
  • Dressing options: The dressing can be made with all mayonnaise or all Greek yogurt (or any combination). Sour cream may be substituted for Greek yogurt.
  • Storage: Refrigerate Buffalo chicken salad in an airtight or covered container for three to four days. Because of the mayo and fresh veggies, this chicken salad will not freeze well.

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 410kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 120mg, Sodium: 866mg, Potassium: 451mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 224IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 91mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

wprm supporting r Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!