Buffalo Chicken Salad
Buffalo Chicken Salad- Rotisserie chicken is tossed in a creamy blend of garlic buffalo sauce and ranch dip mix for the ultimate upgrade to your standard chicken salad.
January 30, 2023 by Nicole Collins
I have something TOTALLY unrelated to today’s recipe to talk about today.
I want to talk about the pups! We haven’t talked about them in a HOT MINUTE, so this chat is long overdue actually.
You guys know I went through a journey when I had to return to the office last year figuring out what to do with the pups while I was away at work. And it turned out all they needed was a little freedom.
So, I usually leave the radio on for them when I’m at work. But recently, I’ve started leaving the TV on for them when I make shorter trips. On a whim one day, I left Bluey on for them; and not one thing was out of place when I got home. That was the day I decided they liked watching Bluey.
Now every time I leave for a 4 hour or less outing, I turn on Bluey. And it’s perfect, because it’s always on. But then I get home, it’s still on. And I leave it on. And I end up listening to it. Then I end up sitting down and watching it.
And now, I love Bluey so much that I’ve been turning it on FOR MYSELF before bedtime.
Picture it…a 38 year old girl, sitting on the edge of her bed, watching Bluey, and crying her eyes out because it’s just so sweet.
And you know what? I’m not gonna apologize for it. That show is too darn cute.
I’m also not going to apologize for the level of deliciousness today’s recipe brings.
Today, we’re making Buffalo Chicken Salad!
This chicken salad is SO easy, it clocks in at just 5 ingredients, and it is SO freaking good. Plus, it’s super versatile in how you serve it too!
So, let’s get to it.
I used to poach chicken breast with all the seasonings every time I made chicken salad. And while that’s all fine and good, I just don’t have the time and energy to be doing that every time I want chicken salad these days. So, I turn to my handy dandy friend, rotisserie chicken. I love using rotisserie chicken for chicken salad because it already has a base layer of seasoning, you can choose to use light or dark meat based on your preferences, it’s so inexpensive, and it freezes really well which makes it great to have on hand at all times. So, that’s what we’re using for this chicken salad!
The texture you’re going for in your chicken salad depends on you. I like to pinch the meat between my fingers to shred the chicken. But if you prefer a chunkier, diced chicken…you do you, boo. Either way, we’re going to mix that chicken right into a yummy blend of creamy buffalo goodness.
To coat our chicken, we’re going to do a simple mix of mayonnaise, buffalo sauce, and ranch dip mix. But here’s my secret, we’re not using just any ol’ buffalo sauce. Garlic buffalo sauce is what makes this chicken salad extra epic.
Now in my opinion, this chicken salad has the perfect kick to it. It’s not too spicy at all, but you get a little hint of heat in the back of your bite. However if you like the taste of buffalo without all of the spice, adding a tablespoon of sour cream to the creamy dressing blend really tames things down a lot.
Once the dressing is all mixed, we’ll toss in that chicken and some minced celery; and that’s all there is to it! I really like to serve this is lettuce wraps, and the cool crunch of the lettuce balances out the little bit of heat from the buffalo sauce even more. But, it’s also great with crackers, in a wrap, or on a sandwich. You can choose your own adventure!
I let a friend taste test this who doesn’t even like chicken salad, and she gave me two thumbs up on this one. If that’s not a testimony for its deliciousness, I don’t know what is!
Alrighty, ya’ll. I’m definitely on a buffalo sauce kick. So, what should we make next. I’ll take all the suggestions.
I hope you guys enjoy. And, let’s eat!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Serves: 4 Print
Ingredients:
2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp garlic buffalo sauce (I used Franks)
2 tsp ranch dip mix
2 stalks celery, minced
Lettuce cups, toast, or crackers, for serving
Directions:
To a mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, buffalo sauce, and ranch dip mix. Mix well until fully combined. Add in celery and chicken. Mix until chicken is fully coated in the sauce. Chill for at least one hour.
Serve in lettuce cups, with toast, or crackers, if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe notes:
*You could use regular buffalo sauce if you really want, but the garlic buffalo sauce makes this next level.
*I use a mix of dark and light meat rotisserie chicken. Use what you like.
*This chicken salad is not too spicy but has just the perfect kick. If you want to tame the spice level down even more, add 1 tbsp sour cream to the dressing mix.
