This buffalo chicken salad recipe makes an easy meal prep chicken salad to make for lunches on-the-go (or you know, just at your desk). It’s got all of the classic buffalo wing flavors you love — ranch, blue cheese, celery, shredded chicken, and of course, buffalo sauce! And if you love buffalo chicken flavors, be sure to try my baked buffalo chicken, buffalo zucchini boats, or Instant Pot buffalo chicken dip next time.
What Is Buffalo Chicken Salad?
Buffalo chicken salad is like a classic chicken salad — but with the flavor of buffalo wings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best buffalo chicken salad ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Shredded Chicken Breast – I like to make my own in the pressure cooker, but you can also shred rotisserie chicken from the store to make things really easy.Ranch Dressing – I think making it from scratch tastes the best (my homemade ranch is made with simple ingredients like mayonnaise, sour cream, herbs, and spices), but you can also use prepared ranch. If you really love blue cheese, you can sub blue cheese dressing instead.Blue Cheese – Use a high quality blue cheese crumbles for best flavor. Buying a block and crumbling it yourself will result in better flavor, but buying crumbles is easier. If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, shredded cheddar cheese would also pair well with the other flavors.Buffalo Sauce – Use a classic buffalo sauce like Frank’s Red Hot sauce for the classic flavor.Celery – Diced finely. Not a fan of celery? Red onions make a good sub for crunch.Green Onions – This garnish adds light flavor. You could also use chives instead.
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Salad
This section shows how to make this salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep this salad in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.Meal prep: There are two options for meal prepping this salad. Make shredded chicken a few days ahead and assemble salad before serving.Make entire buffalo chicken salad and prep in portioned containers for a meal on-the-go.
Serving Suggestions
Lettuce Wraps – My favorite option! Butter lettuce (a.k.a. bibb lettuce) or romaine lettuce works best.Sandwiches – Make a buffalo chicken salad sandwich using your favorite bread. My bread of choice is this keto sandwich bread, but any kind that fits your lifestyle is great.Greens – Serve the salad on a bed of greens, with extra ranch dressing.Dip – Scoop the spicy chicken salad with your favorite chips, crackers, or veggies like mini bell peppers, carrots, or celery.
More Chicken Salad Recipes
If you like this buffalo ranch chicken salad, you might also like some of these other chicken and tuna salad recipes: Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
