• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Craving California

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Dinner
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Chicken and Turkey
    • Fish and Seafood
    • Beef
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Salads
    • Sides
    • Dessert
  • About
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Category Home » Salads » Buffalo Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

    Buffalo Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

    Published: Feb 27, 2020 · Modified: Apr 25, 2022 by Leigh Anderson · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Spicy, tangy buffalo chicken breast tossed with crisp romaine lettuce, kale, and creamy buttermilk blue cheese dressing! This buffalo chicken salad is like game day in a bowl!

    a blue plate filled with buffalo chicken salad with a small cup of blue cheese dressing on the side

    A big pile of buffalo wings with blue cheese dressing has always been my go-to guilty pleasure meal! This salad is all of that buffalo-blue cheese-chicken goodness tossed together with crisp lettuce and veggies. This salad is definitely easier to eat than buffalo wings and maybe a little healthier?

    Blue Cheese vs. Ranch

    I know, I know, a lot of people really hate blue cheese. I get it, it’s funky, sharp and the flavor is pretty intense. If you don’t like blue cheese feel free to make a ranch dressing instead! I like both and switch between the two depending on how I’m feeling that day.

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
    Romaine Lettuce and Kale: I like the combination of chopped kale and romaine. The kale adds extra crunch and sturdiness that holds up really well to the saucy chicken and creamy dressing.
    Buttermilk: Tangy buttermilk adds so much flavor to blue cheese dressing. Feeling adventurous? Check out this post: Three Ways to Make Buttermilk.
    Buffalo Sauce: Franks Red Hot is the classic buffalo hot sauce. I add a little butter and honey to tone down the spice.
    Celery: You can’t have buffalo chicken without celery!
    Fresh Herbs
    : Chives, dill, or cilantro

    Recipe Step by Step:

    Step 1. Make the Buffalo Sauce.

    Whisk together the melted butter, honey and hot sauce then use half the sauce to marinate the chicken, reserve the second half for drizzling over your salad.

    Step 2. Cook the chicken in a cast-iron pan.

    a bowl of chicken breast marinating in buffalo sauce and a cast iron pan with chicken cooking inside

    Step 3. Make the buttermilk blue cheese dressing.

    If you’re using bottled dressing skip this step.

    Step 4: Assemble the salad.

    Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing, season with salt and pepper, divide between bowls, and top with the buffalo chicken. Dig in!

    a glass mixing bowl of buttermilk blue cheese dressing ingredients and a wooden salad bowl with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and crumbled blue cheese

    FAQs, Tips & Tricks

    Can I use store-bought dressing?

    There are some pretty good bottled blue cheese dressings in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. Feel free to use store-bought in a pinch!

    Can I make this salad in advance?

    Yes, and this salad is great for meal prep! Simply leave the dressing and buffalo sauce on the side and pack into Tupperware and this salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days.

    two bowls of salad filled with chopped romaine lettuce, grilled buffalo chicken and crumbled blue cheese

    Check out more delicious salad recipes:

    • Little Gem Wedge Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese
    • Tomato Salad with Buttermilk-Basil Dressing
    • California Chopped Salad
    • Corn and Arugula Salad with Tomatoes and Blue Cheese
    • Little Gem Salad with Lentils, Radicchio and Pecorino Vinaigrette

    I love to hear from readers and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! Don’t forget to follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest updates!

    Buffalo Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

    Spicy, tangy buffalo chicken tossed with crisp romaine lettuce, kale, and creamy buttermilk blue cheese dressing!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 673kcal
    Author: Leigh Anderson

    Ingredients

    • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
    • 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
    • 1 bunch kale stems removed, chopped
    • 1 c celery and or cucumber thinly sliced
    • 1 handfull cherry tomatoes cut in half
    • ¼ c chopped herbs: chives, dill, or cilantro
    • ¼ c crumbled high-quality blue cheese

    Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

    • ½ c crumbled high-quality blue cheese like roquefort
    • ½ c mayo
    • ½ c buttermilk
    • 1 clove garlic grated
    • 1 tsp champagne vinegar
    • black pepper

    Buffalo Sauce

    • ½ c Franks Red Hot
    • 3 tbsp melted butter
    • 1 tbsp honey

    Instructions

    • Stir together the buffalo sauce ingredients. Pour half over the raw chicken and reserve the rest for later. Coat the chicken evenly in the sauce, season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken in a cast-iron pan over medium/high heat until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
    • To make the dressing: Whisk together the mayo, buttermilk, champagne vinegar, and grated garlic. Next, add in the blue cheese dressing and a few cranks of freshly cracked pepper. Use the back of a spoon to press the blue cheese into the mayo/buttermilk mixture.
    • In a large bowl toss together the lettuce, kale, chopped veggies, herbs, and dressing. Next, add in the chicken. Divide the salad between bowls. Top with blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of buffalo sauce. Serve immediately!

    Notes

     
    Ingredient Substitutions:
    • Blue Cheese Dressing: ranch dressing, homemade or store-bought
    • Buttermilk: plain yogurt
    • Franks Red Hot: Texas Pete, or Tabasco 
     
    Make-Ahead Instructions:
    • Simply leave the dressing and buffalo sauce on the side and pack into Tupperware and this salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 673kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 2472mg | Potassium: 1695mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 34105IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 291mg | Iron: 5mg
    Did you make this recipe?Share a picture on Instagram and tag me: @Craving_California and use the hashtag: #CravingCalifornia!

    « Halibut Burgers with Spicy Sriracha Aioli
    Easy Edamame Salad »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published.

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Craving California!

    I'm so glad you're here! I'm Leigh and this website is where I'm sharing simple, easy to make recipes for eating well everyday! Read More ➞

    Blue and white banner with the words "Spring Forward" and an image of salmon and couscous in a white bowl

    Spring is in:

    • Burrata Salad with Prosciutto and Nectarines
    • Roast Chicken with Toasted Bread Salad (Zuni Café Inspired)
    • Sonoma Chicken Salad
    • Avocado Panzanella with Snap Peas + Feta Cheese
    Orange and beige banner with the words "Everyday Dinners" and an image of Smokey Paprika Chicken and Yogurt on a blue plate.

    Winner Winner Chicken (and Turkey) Dinner:

    • Spring Chicken and Dumplings
    • Crispy Cast Iron Chicken Thighs with Toasted Coriander Vinaigrette
    • Crispy Chicken Thighs with Buttermilk Caesar Slaw (Chicken Under a Brick)
    • Chicken Thighs with Citrus-Cilantro Salsa Verde

    Featured In:

    Shop:

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    Follow

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook

    About

    • Learn more about Craving California
    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • E-mail

    Copyright © 2020 Craving California

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy

    Privacy Policy