Buffalo Chicken Salad

Buffalo Chicken Salad features spicy buffalo chicken on a crisp bed of romaine, with celery, carrots, and crunchy tortilla strips.  Sure to satisfy your buffalo wing craving! 

Oh my, this Buffalo Chicken Salad, are you kidding me?  This might just be a new favorite and let me tell you it's really tough to beat that cilantro lime vinaigrette on a taco salad!  It hits all the right notes between the crunchy romaine and celery, crispy tortilla strips, spicy buffalo chicken, sweet carrots, and creamy ranch.  My mouth is watering again just thinking about it.

Making the Shredded Buffalo Chicken

The first thing I did to make this buffalo chicken salad, was make the buffalo chicken.  Which was so easy thanks to the instant pot.  Although, you could also make it in a slow cooker.  All you need to do is drop some chicken in the pot of your choice with some buffalo sauce, cook, and shred.

For the Instant Pot: cook 12-15 minutes on manual

For the Slow Cooker: cook 2 hrs on high or 4 hours on low.

Prepping the Salad Ingredients

Now, you'll prep your salad ingredients.  

• Shred the romaine,
• shave the carrots, and
• slice up green onion and celery.
• You could also slice up an avocado if you have it.  

I found this Tessemae's organic creamy ranch at the store and I really liked it.  It's dairy free but somehow creamy!   Just use your favorite ranch or bleu cheese dressing.  After that just pile it all in a bowl and chow down!

Uses for the Leftover Chicken

If you have any chicken leftover, obviously you can make more salads throughout the week but this shredded buffalo chicken is also great on:

• a sandwich 
• Potato Skins - with Monterey Jack cheese, ranch, and green onions
• in a Quesadilla - with cheese and veggies

This Shredded Buffalo Chicken is so delicious, I often make it for uses other than this salad!  

Buffalo Chicken Salad

Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

Easy Buffalo Chicken Salad with Instant Pot shredded Buffalo Chicken is the best, healthy salad to satisfy that buffalo craving! 

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Main Course, Salad

Diet Gluten Free

Servings 8 salads

Calories 278 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark.

Ingredients

  

0.5x1x2x

For the Buffalo Chicken

• ▢ 1.5 lb chicken breasts
• ▢ 1 cup buffalo wing sauce, like Frank's, make sure to get 'wing' sauce

For the Salad

• ▢ 1 pkg romaine lettuce
• ▢ 2 carrots
• ▢ 2 stalks celery
• ▢ 1 small bunch green onions
• ▢ 1 avocado, optional
• ▢ ranch dressing, or bleu cheese
• ▢ tortilla strips

Instructions

 

For the Buffalo Chicken

• Place the chicken and buffalo sauce into the instant pot.  Close the lid and sealing valve.  Cook on Poultry or Manual (high) for 12-15 minutes.  Allow the pressure to naturally release (NPR).  
• Remove and shred the chicken with two forks. Place the chicken back into the pot along with the sauce. Set aside.
• Alternatively, place the chicken and buffalo wing sauce into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hrs.  Remove and shred the chicken.  Place chicken back into the pot with the sauce and set aside.

To Assemble the Salad

• Slice the romaine lettuce, green onions, celery, and avocado (optional).  Shave the carrots with a vegetable peeler. Set aside along with the tortilla strips and dressing.
• Assemble all ingredients into a large bowl and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

Just look at that salad.  Come to mama!!  Speaking of salads... this BBQ Chicken Salad is also the amazing!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Please consider leaving a comment & star-rating below. Click the social share buttons below to share this recipe to Facebook or Pinterest! If you make a recipe, tag me on Instagram: @wheatbythewayside and use #wheatbythewayside.  Happy Cooking!

SaveSave