Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad (Printable)

Spicy chicken meets crisp vegetables in this zesty chopped salad with creamy blue cheese dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Buffalo Chicken

01 - 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 14 ounces)
02 - 1/4 cup hot sauce (e.g., 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
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

# Directions:

01 - Season chicken breasts generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side until fully cooked, reaching internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from heat and let rest 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 preparing salad components.
03 - Combine chopped romaine lettuce, diced celery, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and shredded carrots in a large serving bowl. Toss gently to distribute vegetables evenly.
04 - Add sauced buffalo chicken to the vegetable mixture. Gently toss to combine without overmixing. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese evenly over the top.
05 - Drizzle ranch or blue cheese dressing over the salad. Add additional hot sauce if extra heat is desired. Toss lightly and serve immediately while chicken is still warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get all the satisfaction of buffalo wings without the mess or the post-meal sluggishness
  • Everything is chopped to the same size, so each forkful has the perfect ratio of spicy to cool to crunchy
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like you put way more thought into it
02 -
  • Let the chicken rest before cutting into it or all those juices will end up on your cutting board instead of in your salad
  • Don't dress the entire salad if you're planning to have leftovers—keep the components separate and toss individual portions
  • The spice level will mellow slightly as the salad sits, so add extra hot sauce if you're making it ahead
03 -
  • Use a very sharp knife for the romaine—dull knives will crush the leaves and make them wilt faster
  • Pat your vegetables dry after chopping to prevent the salad from becoming watery
  • Let the buffalo chicken cool slightly before tossing with the vegetables so it doesn't wilt the lettuce
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