This easy and fast Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe is a perfect lunch or meal prep idea! All the flavors you love of popular game day snacks in a creamy chicken salad.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Homemade chicken salads are incredibly easy to make.
This recipe is gluten free and keto low carb, plus it makes a perfect option for meal prep for lunches and snacks! It holds over well and is great on bread, lettuce, or just on its own.
Use rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken, or even leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or a holiday!
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need for Buffalo Chicken Salad:
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Celery
- Carrots
- Mayonnaise
- Buffalo Wing Sauce
- Blue Cheese Crumbles
- Walnuts
- Green Onions
- Fresh Parsley
- Garlic Powder
Equipment
This is the equipment you need to make this recipe:
- Large Bowl
- Spatula
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
Instruction Overview
First make sure you have cooked chicken (ideally rotisserie for extra flavor!) ready to go.
Make the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, buffalo wing sauce, and garlic powder.
Chop up the chicken, celery, and carrots into desired sizes. Add to the large sauce bowl.
Also add the chopped walnuts, green onions, and parsley.
Mix to combine. Season to taste with salt, pepper, or more buffalo sauce/hot sauce as desired.
Ideally chill at least 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to develop.
Modifications and Substitutions
Rotisserie chicken is perfect for this recipe. It uses just less than about half a chicken, depending on size. You can also use any leftover chicken or cook a neutral-seasoned chicken for the recipe (salt, pepper, garlic).
Leftover turkey such as from Thanksgiving or a holiday is also a great option!
Easily leave out the blue cheese if desired. Or add a neutral white cheese instead like Monterey Jack.
Ranch fan instead of blue cheese? Use a few squirts of ranch dressing in place of some mayo or add some ranch seasoning mix.
Easily leave out the nuts if desired.
This recipe is a mild heat. Want to make it spicy? Add (1) more buffalo sauce or (2) some hot sauce to the mix. Taste as you go until you get your desired heat level.
Kim’s Tips
Toasting the nuts gives them more flavor and is recommended, but you can add them raw as well if desired.
This chicken salad is best if refrigerated at least 30 minutes before eating so that flavors develop.
Cut all the ingredients as large or small as desired based on what you like!
FAQs
What is buffalo chicken salad made of?
What flavors pair well with buffalo?
Is Buffalo chicken hot or spicy?
Because we are using just a little buffalo sauce with creamy elements, it will be on the mild side. See the Modifications and Substitutions section above for how to make it spicier!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Knife
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 cups rotisserie chicken or other leftover, cooled chicken
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup buffalo wing sauce
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup celery chopped (1-2 ribs)
- 1 large carrot chopped
- ¼ cup walnuts chopped
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles optional
- 2 green onions sliced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped, optional
Instructions
- Make sure your chicken is cooked and cooled.2 cups rotisserie chicken
- Make the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, buffalo wing sauce, and garlic powder in a large bowl.⅓ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup buffalo wing sauce, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Chop the carrots and celery, and add to the large bowl.½ cup celery, 1 large carrot
- Add the chopped chicken, walnuts, blue cheese crumbles, green onions, and fresh parsley. Mix to combine.¼ cup walnuts, ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles, 2 green onions, 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
- Season to taste with salt, black pepper, or more buffalo sauce.
- Ideally chill at least 30 minutes for flavors to combine and ingredients to be cold.
