If you like the taste of buffalo chicken and are looking for a quick & easy healthy lunch, try this high protein Buffalo Chicken Salad! You can make it with leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Enjoy it with chips or crackers, dip celery and carrots in it, or turn it into a sandwich or wrap! 😊
As a dietitian, I am on a mission to provide you with recipes that you can meal prep and enjoy the next day, too. And since I know how much you all love a good chicken salad and recipes with a buffalo sauce flavor, I figured it's about time to marry the two together! The result is this easy buffalo chicken salad that comes together in just about 10 minutes - you won't believe how good it tastes!
I usually have this recipe for lunch either over lettuce with quinoa or in a sandwich. It's a great one to bring with chips to football watching parties or tailgates, too. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. 😊
More Prepable High Protein Salads
- Healthier Classic Chicken Salad
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad with Cottage Cheese
- Herby Green Goddess Chicken Salad
- Tuscan Chicken Salad
- Buffalo Tuna Salad
- Mediterranean Tuna Salad
- Asian-Inspired Spicy Tuna Salad
- Creamy Dill Pickle Egg Salad
Jump to:
Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This healthy buffalo chicken salad is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Check the recipe card for measurements.
- Chicken - as a shortcut for this quick recipe, I use rotisserie chicken. If you don't want to use pre-cooked chicken, you can cook your own and use either chicken thighs or boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cook it using your favorite method and then shred the chicken.
- Buffalo Hot Sauce - tangy buffalo sauce is a great way to add the classic buffalo chicken flavor! I use the Primal Kitchen brand. You can find it at the grocery store or on Amazon.
- Plain Greek Yogurt - using Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise makes this buffalo chicken salad creamy, adds protein, and has less added saturated fats. If you can't tolerate dairy, use a plain dairy-free yogurt. You can substitute it with cottage cheese or do a half mayo & half Greek yogurt mixture.
- Celery - crunchy celery is commonly served with buffalo chicken and adds dietary fiber + the perfect crunch to this chicken salad. If you want more veggies, you can also throw in carrots, bell peppers, red cabbage, or diced cherry tomatoes.
- Green onions - onions add lots of flavor and are an easy way to enhance this buffalo chicken salad. You can replace green onion with red onion or shallots if you want.
- Lemon Juice - a little lemon juice to brighten it up. Don't skip this ingredient because it makes a big difference!
- Seasonings - garlic powder and paprika add flavor.
- Kosher Salt & Pepper - a bit of kosher salt and pepper to tie all the flavors together.
- Optional ingredients if you want to kick it up a notch - blue cheese crumbles, fresh herbs like fresh dill or parsley, creamy avocado, olive oil or avocado oil.
How to Make High Protein Buffalo Chicken Salad
Below are the instructions for how to make this recipe with photos that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Step 1 - Shred your chicken using either 2 forks or a hand mixer. Finely chop the celery and green onions
- Step 2 - in a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, buffalo hot sauce, celery, green onions, lemon juice, seasonings, and salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Hint: if you like things spicy, add more buffalo sauce and cut back on the amount of Greek yogurt!
Dietitian Tip
It seems basic, but it's so easy to forget that when it comes to sticking with healthy eating, having easy lunches like high protein buffalo chicken salad meal prepped and ready to go is so helpful. Especially on busy days. And recipes that taste great and are versatile are key to making mealtime truly enjoyable! 😊
Video of How to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad
Here's a short video of how to make this recipe.
Variations
The best part about this recipe is you can customize it based on your preference. Below are some ideas!
- Deluxe - add chopped carrot, red onion, and cucumber for an extra crunchy texture! Top it with lemon zest to add even more flavor.
- Buffalo Chicken Salad with Cottage Cheese - use cottage cheese in place of Greek yogurt if you like the flavor better.
- Spicy - double up on the hot sauce or add crushed red pepper flakes, serrano or jalapeno pepper to spice it up.
- Potato Salad - add cooked red potatoes and blue cheese to turn it into a twist on normal potato salad.
Ideas for Serving
Once you have a batch, there are so many different ways you can serve it! Here are some of my favorites.
- Buffalo Chicken Salad Sandwich or Wrap - turn this chicken salad into a balanced healthy meal by serving it between two slices of sourdough or whole wheat bread with some crunchy romaine lettuce.
- In Lettuce Wraps - if you're looking for a gluten-free option, serve this buffalo chicken salad recipe in fresh lettuce wraps. Romaine lettuce works great for this.
- Green Salad - add a couple of scoops of this buffalo chicken dip on top of spring mix and add your favorite fresh vegetables and some blue cheese on top!
- Buffalo Chicken Tacos - wrap it up in a tortilla and enjoy buffalo chicken tacos.
Storage for High Protein Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Refrigerator - store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to use a chicken you like the flavor of since it will have an impact on the flavor of this chicken salad!
- One of the easiest ways to shred chicken for chicken salads is to shred it by pulsing it in a food processor or with a hand mixer.
- For the best flavor, I suggest using fresh lemon juice instead of bottled lemon juice if possible.
FAQs
While healthy means something different to everyone, this buffalo chicken salad is a nutrient-rich option. Chicken is a high-quality lean protein and also provides other important nutrients including iron and vitamin B6. This recipe also contains Greek yogurt which provides more protein, phosphorus, and calcium. This recipe is gluten-free and does not contain added sugars.
I use Primal Kitchen's Buffalo Sauce made with avocado oil.
Great question! Make it a meal by serving chicken salad in a sandwich or a wrap. You could serve it on a bed of lettuce or in a green salad. Eat it as a snack with crackers, pita chips, raw vegetables, or even sweet potatoes. I enjoy Mary's Gone Crackers Seed Crackers or Pretzel Crisps with this buffalo chicken salad.
This recipe is not dairy-free since it uses Greek yogurt. You can make this recipe dairy-free by replacing the Greek yogurt with a plant-based yogurt! Just be sure to use plain flavored yogurt.
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Perfect for Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Buffalo Chicken Salad:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
High Protein Buffalo Chicken Salad (Healthy, Easy)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 4 stalks green onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup Buffalo sauce
- ½ large lemon, juice of
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Shred your chicken using either 2 forks or a hand mixer. Finely chop the celery and green onions.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, buffalo hot sauce, celery, green onions, lemon juice, seasonings, and salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Hint: if you like things spicy, add more buffalo sauce and cut back on the amount of Greek yogurt!
Video
Notes
- Be sure to use a chicken you like the flavor of since it will have an impact on the flavor of this chicken salad!
- One of the easiest ways to shred chicken for chicken salads is to shred it by pulsing it in a food processor or with a hand mixer.
- For the best flavor, I suggest using fresh lemon juice in the dressing instead of bottled lemon juice if possible.
- Refrigerator - store leftover Buffalo Chicken Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Amy
Made this for lunch and both me and my husband loved it! He asked me to make it again. 😊
Mallory
Hi Amy,
I'm so happy to hear that you both loved it! Thank you so much for taking time to leave a comment and rating. It truly means so much to me. 😊 -Mallory