We love this buffalo chicken chopped salad! It’s packed with bold flavor and lots of crunch, and you can prep most of it ahead for quick weekday lunches. Drizzle with a homemade ranch and you’re ready to go.
I have a serious soft spot for chopped salads.
Chopped salads are my favorite because each bite has a bit of everything — crunchy, fresh, and satisfying. They’re an easy way to get people into salads: uniform, crunchy pieces make the textures more appealing and every forkful feels like a complete mouthful.
This buffalo chicken chopped salad combines juicy grilled chicken with the classic buffalo flavors and crisp chopped vegetables: carrots, celery, romaine, cucumber, green onions, cilantro, chives and crumbled blue cheese.
Full disclosure: I always pick the celery out of my own serving — personal preference — but the salad is delicious either way.
I finish this with my homemade yogurt ranch for drizzling. Sometimes I serve ranch and wing sauce separately so people can control the heat; other times I stir a few tablespoons of wing sauce into the ranch to make a buffalo ranch. Both options are great and this salad always impresses.
Texture is everything here.
The flavors are bold and satisfying — it barely feels like you’re eating a “salad” and more like a hearty bowl meal. That’s often the difference between wanting a salad and avoiding it; when it looks and tastes like a complete, crunchy bowl, it becomes much more appealing.
It’s a salad you’ll crave.
We make this all the time because it hits our favorite flavor notes and it’s so easy. Most components can be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge until assembly.
I usually chop carrots and celery together, peel and chop cucumbers separately, and mince cilantro, chives and green onions into a small container. The chicken can be grilled in advance and the ranch dressing keeps well in the refrigerator.
I prefer to chop the romaine right before serving so it stays extra crisp. That crunch is key to what makes the salad so enjoyable.
This combination is perfect for weekday lunches: flavorful, filling, and easy to customize. Leave out any ingredient someone doesn’t like, add more or less dressing, and make it your own.
It’s also a great way to get kids to enjoy vegetables. For younger eaters I might skip the lettuce and serve bite-sized pieces with milder sauces like BBQ or a house sauce, which they love and often dip into dressing.
The recipe below makes a large salad for four but you can easily halve it. This is more of a method than a strict recipe: add the quantities you prefer, omit what you don’t like, and adjust the dressing and heat to taste.
Our favorite wing sauce is Frank’s RedHot buffalo wing sauce — the buffalo wing variety gives the best flavor.
You really can’t go wrong.
This is what’s on the menu this week!
Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad
Buffalo Chicken Chopped Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- kosher salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- buffalo wing sauce (we like Frank’s RedHot)
- 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 8 to 10 cups chopped romaine hearts
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- ranch dressing for serving
Instructions
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Preheat a grill to high heat. (You can also cook the chicken any way you prefer.)
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Season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Drizzle a little wing sauce over the chicken.
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Grill the chicken 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer for accuracy, as times vary by breast size and grill heat.
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Let the chicken rest while you chop the vegetables.
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Chop carrots, celery, cucumber and green onions. Chop the romaine and place it in a large bowl. Aim for evenly sized pieces. Chop cilantro and chives and add everything to the bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and toss.
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Slice or chop the chicken to your preferred size and toss with a few tablespoons of wing sauce. Add the chicken to the salad bowl.
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Drizzle with ranch dressing and add more wing sauce if desired. Serve immediately.
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I appreciate you so much!
Chopped is the only way to go.