Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad (Printable format)

Spicy buffalo chicken over crisp romaine with crunchy vegetables and tangy blue cheese dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Buffalo Chicken

01 - 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (14 ounces)
02 - 1/4 cup hot sauce (such as Franks RedHot)
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
04 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Salad Components

06 - 2 large hearts romaine lettuce, finely chopped
07 - 2 celery stalks, diced
08 - 1/4 small red onion, finely diced
09 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
10 - 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
11 - 1/4 cup shredded carrots

→ Dressing

12 - 1/3 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
13 - 1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional for additional heat)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until fully cooked, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into bite-sized pieces.
02 - Transfer cooked chicken pieces to a mixing bowl. Pour hot sauce over chicken and toss until evenly coated. Set aside while assembling salad.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine chopped romaine lettuce, diced celery, red onion, cherry tomatoes if using, and shredded carrots. Mix gently to distribute evenly.
04 - Add buffalo chicken to the vegetable mixture. Gently toss to combine ingredients. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese evenly over the top.
05 - Drizzle ranch or blue cheese dressing over the salad. Add additional hot sauce if desired. Toss lightly to coat and serve immediately.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • You get all the satisfaction of buffalo wings without the mess and guilt
  • The textures are incredible, crisp cool vegetables meeting warm spicy chicken
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like you put in way more effort
02 -
  • Let the chicken rest before cutting, otherwise all those juices end up on your cutting board instead of in your salad
  • Toss the vegetables and chicken together before adding blue cheese so you do not break down the cheese too much
  • Extra hot sauce in the dressing is personal preference, taste first then decide
03 -
  • Pound your chicken to even thickness so it cooks at the same rate
  • Use your biggest bowl, tossing this salad takes some room
  • Make double the buffalo chicken, it keeps for days and works in wraps, tacos, or just straight from the container
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