Buffalo Chicken Salad is a must-have recipe all year round. With juicy, shredded buffalo chicken piled high over a crisp bed of lettuce, carrots, corn, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes, this salad is as refreshing as it is satisfying. Drizzled with homemade ranch dressing, it’s a flavor-packed dish that may just make you forget about traditional salads! If you love bold, hearty salads, be sure to check out our Salmon Salad and our all-time favorite Caprese Chicken Salad.
Why You’ll Love Buffalo Chicken Salad
If you’re looking for a delicious way to add more veggies to your diet, this salad is the perfect solution. The combination of fresh vegetables, tender buffalo chicken, and creamy homemade ranch dressing creates a balanced dish that’s both nutritious and indulgent. One of the best things about this salad is its versatility—you can serve the chicken hot or cold, making it ideal for any time of year.
Tips for Choosing the Freshest Ingredients
The key to an amazing Buffalo Chicken Salad is using high-quality, fresh ingredients. Here are some tips to help you pick the best:
- Spring Mix or Lettuce – Check for vibrant greens with no wilting, yellowing, or brown spots. Crisp leaves are a sign of freshness.
- Carrots – Grating your own carrots saves money and ensures freshness. Look for firm, bright orange carrots with smooth skin. Avoid any with black spots near the tops.
- Cucumber – English cucumbers work well in this salad. Choose firm cucumbers without yellow spots or bulging seed pockets for the best texture.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Select tomatoes with firm, shiny skin and a sweet, tomato-like scent. Store them at room temperature to maintain their flavor.
The Best Shredded Buffalo Chicken
The heart of this salad is the shredded buffalo chicken. You can use store-bought shredded chicken or a pre-made rotisserie chicken, but making it yourself guarantees the best texture and flavor. And, when you make your own buffalo sauce, you can make it as hot (or not) as you like! If you like to meal prep, consider making a batch of shredded chicken at the beginning of the week—it’s perfect for wraps, sandwiches, and salads like this one!
Buffalo Chicken Salad is fresh, flavorful, and easy to make—perfect for a quick lunch or a satisfying dinner. Try it today, and you may never go back to boring salads again!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce
- ½ tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
Salad
- 4 cups baby spring mix
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 1 can (15 ounces) sweet corn kernels, drained
- 1 large cucumber, sliced
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ½ cup ranch dressing
Instructions
Chicken
- In a medium bowl, mix the shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, and dry ranch seasoning until well coated. Set aside.
Salad
- In a large bowl or four individual serving bowls, add the baby spring mix, grated carrot, corn kernels, cucumber slices, blue cheese crumbles, and cherry tomatoes.
- Drizzle with ranch dressing and toss to combine.
- Top each salad with the buffalo chicken and serve immediately.
This recipe is adapted from Iambaker’s Buffalo Chicken Salad
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