This spicy hot twist on classic chicken salad is exactly what all of our buffalo sauce, wing loving hearts have been waiting for. It's Whole30 compliant, Paleo-friendly and packed with plenty of protein. It's also a great low carb option! It's naturally gluten-free and a great dish to meal prep for lunches and snacks. No need to look any further for a buffalo chicken salad recipe. This is the one.
Someone recently asked me what is the worst food I eat regularly that I don't share on Instagram. Immediately deep fried wings drenched in buffalo sauce came to mind. Full disclosure: I'm not ashamed of my chicken wing obsession. I'm just hesitant to share every time I'm chowing down on them. Posting the same exact meal once (sometimes even twice) a week would bore the heck out of people. But seriously, I just can't get enough.
The prep for this chicken salad takes very little time, especially if you're using leftover chicken. Lately, I've been cooking chicken breasts in my Instant Pot to use for chicken salads, but any leftover chicken will do. Just make sure that whatever chicken you're using is chilled.
I use an electric mixer to shred chicken. It can get a little messy (like you may find chicken pieces clung to your kitchen cabinets), but I think it's the best way to get the chicken evenly shredded.
To prep the veggies, thinly slice the celery, dice the onion and julienne the carrots. To be completely honest, the julienne cut is not (and probably never will be) on the list of my knife skill credentials. If you can relate, just make your life a lot easier and grab a bag of matchstix carrots. Work smarter -not harder, people.
Once the chicken is shredded and the veggies are prepped, the last thing to do is mix everything together. Simply add the chicken, veggies, wet ingredients and spices to a large bowl and give everything a good stir.
Quick notes about the ingredients:
For the mayo, the easiest and most cost-efficient option is to make your own. There are a million recipes for homemade mayo out there, but Natalie's recipe (over at Tastes Lovely) is my go-to! You seriously can't go wrong! Otherwise, just use a store-bought brand. Primal Kitchens mayo seems to be a fan favorite.
For the hot sauce, use Frank's! I can't stress this enough. All hot sauce is not created equal. Frank's has the perfect balance of tang and heat. I put that stuff on everything. Trust me.
This salad tastes best if left in the fridge to chill for an hour or so before serving. Doing so gives all of the flavors enough time to really soak into the shredded chicken.
As far as serving goes, this salad is very versatile. I like wrapping it up in lettuce leaves for a refreshing, satisfying meal, but I also have zero qualms with just eating it straight out of the bowl. Do your thing!
This salad is seriously so simple and bursting with flavor! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
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Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds roasted chicken breast shredded
- ½ cup mayo
- ¼ cup celery sliced thin
- ¼ cup onion diced
- ¼ cup matchstix carrots aka julienned
- 3- 4 tablespoons Frank's Red Hot Sauce original
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons seasame seeds plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prep ingredients; shred the chicken, thinly slice the celery, dice the onion and julienne the carrots (if not pre-cut).
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir well. Adjust the amount of Frank's Red Hot Sauce to your spice preference.
- Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Garnish with additional sesame seeds before serving.
