Buffalo Chicken Salad

My Buffalo Chicken Salad uses just 6 ingredients. Serve as lettuce wraps, crackers or in a sandwich for a healthy, protein-packed lunch!

Chicken salad can sound like a boring lunch but it doesn't have to be! I love how easy it is to make fun and new flavor variations. Some of my faves are my tzatziki chicken salad, cranberry pecan chicken salad and Mexican street corn chicken salad, but lately I've been loving this buffalo chicken salad.

Buffalo sauce is just so flavorful. It's delicious in buffalo chicken tenders and dips, and definitely underrated in a chicken salad. I love serving this buffalo chicken salad in some lettuce wraps for a light lunch that's still satisfying and packed with protein.

Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved

1. Easy to meal prep. Thanks to my stand mixer hack, this chicken salad is super easy it make. It only takes 30 minutes total!
2. Versatile protein. I prefer making meal prep proteins that can be used in multiple different meals. Chicken salad is great for serving in lettuce wraps, with crackers, or in a traditional wrap or sandwich.
3. Packed with protein. One serving of buffalo chicken salad has 20g of protein, which is what I aim for at most meals.

Ingredients

Chicken breast. I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken breast/ If you are in a pinch, a great time saving tip is to use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

Yogurt and mayonnaise. With chicken salads, I like to do a mix of 2:1 plain greek yogurt to mayonnaise. This allows for a higher protein, lower fat option that doesn’t sacrifice on texture or taste. I typically use 0% or 2% greek yogurt. If you prefer you can use all mayonnaise or all yogurt. 

Buffalo sauce. Our key flavour maker in this recipe! Please note the type of buffalo sauce will impact the spice level of this recipe. I always recommend testing the chicken salad and adjusting to taste. This is the one I used.

Coleslaw. Coleslaw mix is my key to adding veggies and making this a bit more filling without any additional prep. I like to use regular coleslaw, kale slaw or even broccoli slaw.

Feta. The saltiness of the feta pairs perfectly with the spice of the buffalo sauce. Another amazing option would be blue cheese crumbles if you enjoy that flavour.

Green onions. For a mild onion flavour we use both the whites and greens of green onions. I love the freshness that green onions add!

The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below. 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Season chicken breast with salt, pepper and paprika and place in a shallow baking dish. Cook for about 15-18 minutes, until chicken is completely cooked (until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F).

3. Shred the chicken using a stand mixer, two forks or a hand mixer. (details below).

4. To a large mixing bowl add shredded chicken, greek yogurt, mayonnaise, buffalo sauce ( i recommend starting with 1.5 tablespoon and adding as necessary), coleslaw mix, feta cheese and green onions. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix well. 

5. Serve as part of a snack plate, in lettuce wraps, or as a topping on a wrap, salad or sandwich. 

Substitutions and Variations

In all of my chicken salad recipes, I always use a combination of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt. This is a great combination to help create the classic creamy texture we love in a chicken salad while decreasing the added fat and increasing the protein. I personally find using both creates the perfect texture and taste as plain Greek yogurt alone can be slightly bitter, however the ratio you choose to use it up to you! Just ensure you have ⅓ cup  total.

If you prefer not to use coleslaw mix you can use an equal amount of shredded carrots, diced celery and shredded cabbage.

Equipment

• Stand mixer (optional)
• Baking dish

Storage

This chicken salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days! I recommend storing in a glass, airtight container such as these.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Chicken Salad Recipes

Try these other chicken salad flavor variations next:

• Southwest Chicken Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad
• Crunchy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
• Honey Mustard Chicken Salad

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Buffalo Chicken Salad

My Buffalo Chicken Salad uses just 6 ingredients. Serve as lettuce wraps, crackers or in a sandwich for a healthy, protein-packed lunch!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chicken, meal prep, Protein, salads, Sandwiches and Wraps

Servings: 5

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt black pepper and paprika to taste
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoon mild buffalo sauce please see notes
• 1.5 cups coleslaw mix regular coleslaw, kale slaw or broccoli slaw all work.
• ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
• 3 green onions finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Season chicken breast with salt, pepper and paprika and place in a shallow baking dish. Cook for about 15-18 minutes, until chicken is completely cooked (until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F).
• Shred the chicken using a stand mixer, two forks or a hand mixer (details below).
• To a large mixing bowl add shredded chicken, greek yogurt, mayonnaise, buffalo sauce (I recommend starting with 1.5 tablespoon and adding as necessary), coleslaw mix, feta cheese and green onions. Season with salt and black pepper. Mix well.
• Serve as part of a snack plate, in lettuce wraps, or as a topping on a wrap, salad or sandwich.

Notes

To easily shred your chicken once cooker, add the chicken breasts to the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and turn your mixer to the 'high' setting. This is my best tip for quickly shredding chicken, but you can always pull it together with two forks if you don't have a stand mixer.

Mayonnaise: if you wish to substitute mayonnaise with additional plain greek yogurt you can. Please note the taste will change slightly (there will be slightly bitter undertones rather than a smooth creamy taste).

*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 697mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 129IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg

Did you know....rating and sharing recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favourite food bloggers? If you make this recipe, I would love if you clicked the stars below to leave a rating and/or sharing a photo on social media by tagging @nourishedbynic or using the hashtag #nourishedbynic!