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Looking for a healthy, easy meal prep idea? You got it right here with this buffalo chicken salad built with slow-cooked chicken, crisp lettuce, and homemade Ranch… making it the perfect combo for a healthy, meal prep lunch!
Whether you’re eating lunch at home, or packing lunch for work, buffalo chicken salad is about to become your new go-to.
I don’t know what motivates me more about prepping this meal, the delicious chicken or those cute meal prep containers. Whichever it is, it’s working, and I can’t wait for you to try this salad recipe.
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Ingredients
It all starts with the chicken. Since I’m utterly obsessed with buffalo chicken, I typically always have some already shredded in my fridge, which is what I use for this salad. But don’t worry, making buffalo chicken is a ridiculously simple two-step process, so you can keep this flavorful ingredient on hand for all of your buffalo chicken needs. It takes less than 3 minutes to pull together, and you can go about your day while everything cooks, low and slow.
You’ve got your chicken, here is everything else you need for the ultimate salad.
- Iceburg lettuce: or use any shredded lettuce.
- Shredded buffalo chicken: use my slow cooker buffalo chicken recipe or toss shredded rotisserie chicken with buffalo sauce.
- Avocado: full of healthy fats and adds fresh flavor.
- Blue cheese crumbles: a popular cheese for Buffalo sauce recipes but you can swap it for shredded Mozzarella or even feta cheese.
- Boiled Eggs: optional, but I love them on top of the salad.
- Ranch dressing: easy to make and tastes incredible with the Buffalo sauce and blue cheese.
- Buffalo Sauce: an extra drizzle of Buffalo sauce to top it all off. Use store-bought or my homemade Buffalo sauce recipe.
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Salad
Buffalo chicken is a big deal around here, and it’s about time I share this meal prep salad with you guys.
- Cook the Chicken
First things, first! You can use the slow cooker recipe or shredded rotisserie chicken meat tossed with ½-1 cup Buffalo sauce, depending on what level you’re on. - Prep the Toppings
Good news, this step can be prepped ahead of time. Chop the lettuce, boil the eggs, and store both in airtight containers for up to 5 days. - Layer it on a Bowl
We’re getting closer! Layer lettuce into a bowl or lunch container, top it with Buffalo chicken Blue Cheese crumbles, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and avocado slices. - Top with a Drizzle of Ranch
Almost there but we can’t skip the Homemade Ranch dressing! THIS STUFF IS THE BOMB! If you’re using bottled, I love you but join me on the dark side and make your own. You won’t go back. - Devour
Best part ever!
Watch all the buffalo chicken salad magic happen in this recipe video!
Did I mention this salad is low carb and keto-friendly? YASSS! Finally! And if you aren’t any of those things- it’s still an amazing salad, perfect for any occasion.
Favorite Dressing Ideas for Buffalo Chicken Salad
Whenever Buffalo Chicken is involved I reach for the Ranch dressing! You can also go with homemade blue cheese dressing if you prefer.
What else to put on this tasty salad
I pile my salads HIGH with toppings, and you really can’t go wrong pulling in your favorite veggies for this one. If you want more than what I’ve listed in the recipe card below, you can go nuts with the following:
- Bacon
- Diced red onion
- Cherry tomatoes
- Blue Cheese Dressing instead of Ranch
- Whatever else your heart desires
Remember, this is YOUR salad, so do your thang and make it your own. This is one of my favorite salads when I’m doing a 30-day whole food challenge. While I’ve tried several ways of doing it through the years, my favorite way to do it is with my family.
Salad Meal Prep Tips & Ideas
There’s something about prepping healthy lunches for the week, and packing it to the office or enjoying it from home that makes one feel proud and you should!
However, you want to make sure to prep it right to avoid a soggy salad come noon Tuesday. For perfectly crisp, fresh salads:
- Keep sauces and high-moisture contents separate from the lettuce. Just like salad dressing, anything that has excess moisture, like salsa, chopped tomatoes, and sauce will cause the lettuce to wilt.
My tip: pack them in a separate container alongside the salad.When you’re ready to eat, top it over the salad and enjoy. - Make sure to pack the dressing in a separate sauce container.
- Allow all cooked ingredients to reach room temperature before packing into lunch containers.
While cooked protein or veggies go great on a salad if you are eating immediately after. Otherwise, tossing hot ingredients with cold lettuce and storing for later will result in an inedible mess.
What are some other salads or meals you would like to see turned into meal prep? Let me know!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
Ranch dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Salad:
- 1 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 avocado, peeled, cored, and diced
- ½ cup Blue cheese crumbles
- 2 cups cooked Buffalo Chicken
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- Ranch dressing
- Buffalo sauce, for drizzling
Instructions
For the Dressing:
- In a lidded jar, combine the mayonnaise, milk, parsley, dill, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cover with lid, seal, and shake to combine. Refrigerate and use for up to a week.
For the Salad:
- Place the chopped lettuce into a large serving bowl.
- In one row, place the sliced avocado over the lettuce, repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the sliced eggs. Drizzle with Ranch dressing and additional buffalo sauce. Toss to combine.
Sandra says
The buffalo chicken was super easy to make -thanks for the tip on buying rotisserie chicken! I made 4 of these for the week and I felt really good about my lunch all week long. Thank you for the buffalo chicken salad recipe, Laura