Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe (gluten-free)

This Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad is right up your alley if you're into a delicious and satisfying salad that's packed with flavour! With crispy, spicy chicken and a mix of fresh greens and veggies, this salad is the perfect combination of bold and refreshing. It's a healthy, easy to make and gluten-free buffalo chicken salad recipe that hits all the marks!

Who's up for a salad?🥗

Whether you're looking for a quick and easy lunch or a filling but not heavy dinner, this recipe is sure to hit the spot.

Grab that big, wonderful salad bowl of yours and get ready to enjoy the taste of crispy buffalo chicken like never before!

📝Ingredients for buffalo chicken salad

Here's what you'll need to make this gluten-free buffalo chicken salad:

Salad ingredients

• Romaine lettuce - crispy and fresh ice berg lettuce works too
• Celery stalks 
• Shredded cabbage - a mix bag of coleslaw works here too
• Shredded carrots

Crispy Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken tenders - I can usually find those fresh chicken tenders in my local grocery store among the other types of chicken. But iff you can't find them, no prob. Just use regular chicken breasts and cut them into smaller pieces so they cook faster
• 1 large egg
• Almond flour - this doesn't make the chicken taste like almonds, promise! Using almond flour as the main part of the coating keeps this recipe gluten-free and adds some nice crunchy texture to the chicken strips
• Cornstarch
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Olive oil - you'll need this for cooking the chicken and for getting that crispy coating
• Hot Buffalo sauce - Frank's Red Hot is my go-to
• Ranch dressing - optional for on top of the salad after you get it all together. Blue cheese dressing could work too. Just be sure to read the labels on both because bottled salad dressings can be a hidden source of gluten

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪How to make buffalo chicken salad

🥡Storage and Leftovers

This salad makes great leftovers for the next day. I store the buffalo chicken on top of the salad ingredients in a glass container and it's totally fine the next day.

If you like your chicken leftovers warm, store it separately from the salad and warm it up before enjoying😋

🍽️What to serve with buffalo chicken salad

There are many great side dishes that pair well with buffalo chicken salad.

Here's a few ideas:

1. A Greek-yogurt based dressing: keep it on the lighter side with a healthier salad dressing such as a low-fat Greek yogurt, vinaigrette, or a homemade dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs. My husband would prefer that classic combo of blue cheese and hot sauce - me not so much but hey, to each their own😆 A homemade ranch dressing would work too.
2. Sweet Potato Fries: Baked sweet potato fries are a great alternative to regular fries and provide a perfect balance of sweet and savoury flavours to the whole meal. Check out this recipe for Oven Roasted Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes😋
3. Grilled Vegetables: Double down on those veggies! Grilled vegetables like zucchini, peppers, and onions make for a tasty and healthy side dish that complements the salad nicely.
4. Corn on the Cob: Grilled or boiled corn on the cob is a simple and tasty side dish that pairs well with the spicy flavors of the salad.
5. Avocado slices: a simple sliced avocado on the side provides a creamy contrast to the spicy flavours of the buffalo chicken salad.

Choose your favourite side dish or mix and match to create the perfect meal for you and your family!

🏅Top Tips

• Using boneless, skinless chicken breast is my favourite way to make this healthy buffalo chicken salad BUT if you want, you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
• Shortcut the chicken cooking time and use pre-cooked, shredded chicken. I'll often have it in the fridge for the kids lunches. Shredded chicken tossed in the buffalo hot sauce would be totally delicious in the salad.
• Have pre-cooked non-breaded chicken strips in your freezer? Great! You can use those instead of the fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts to get this healthy salad recipe on the table in no time, while still keepin' it easy and delicious.
• Another way to save time is to use leftover rotisserie chicken for this salad. Simply add the torn rotisserie chicken pieces to a large bowl and toss in hot buffalo sauce. Serve on top of the salad. Or use the rotisserie chicken in lettuce wraps (see next tip)
• Turn this buffalo chicken salad into buffalo chicken lettuce wraps! Cook the chicken as directed and then cut it up into small pieces or shred it with forks before tossing in the buffalo hot sauce. Then, instead of big plates of salad, serve in crispy, crunchy and fresh ice berg lettuce leaves. Wrap em' up and enjoy😄

🙋‍♀️More healthy salad recipes

Looking for more healthy salad recipes? Check these out too:

Hope you love this crispy chicken buffalo salad like we do❣️

If you tried it out, I'd love to hear from you - rate and leave a comment below.

~April

📖 Recipe

Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe

This Buffalo Chicken Salad has crispy, spicy chicken and a mix of fresh greens and veggies. A perfect combination of healthy, bold, and refreshing.

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: buffalo chicken, chicken breast

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: April Saunders

Ingredients

Salad ingredients

• 4 cups romaine lettuce chopped
• 3 celery stalks chopped
• ¾ cup cabbage shredded
• 1 cup carrots shredded

Crispy Chicken Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken tenderloins
• 1 large egg whisked
• ¾ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup buffalo sauce
• Ranch or dill dressing optional for serving

Instructions

• In a large serving bowl, arrange the salad ingredients. Set in fridge.
• Whisk the egg in a small shallow bowl and in another shallow bowl, mix together the almond flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once oil is sizzling hot, dip a piece of chicken in the egg, shaking off excess, then coat with the dry mixture, and place in the skillet. Repeat with all chicken pieces.
• Cook the chicken filets on one side until golden brown, about 3 mins. Cook on the second side until golden brown on the outside and cooked through inside. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Set cooked chicken pieces in a large bowl.
• Pour the buffalo sauce over the chicken and coat to combine. Then, place the chicken on a cutting board to cut it into pieces.
• Divide the salad between 4 plates. Arrange chicken on the salad, drizzling any leftover sauce over the top. Serve right away with ranch or dill dressing if desired.

Notes

Tapioca flour can be used in place of cornstarch.

Store leftover chicken in an air-tight container and use it within 24 hours.

Nutrition Information is approximate and does not include any dressing.

Nutrition Facts

Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

573

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

40

g

62

%

Saturated Fat

 

4

g

25

%

Trans Fat

 

0.02

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

11

g

Cholesterol

 

113

mg

38

%

Sodium

 

1374

mg

60

%

Potassium

 

693

mg

20

%

Carbohydrates

 

23

g

8

%

Fiber

 

7

g

29

%

Sugar

 

4

g

4

%

Protein

 

36

g

72

%

Vitamin A

 

9559

IU

191

%

Vitamin C

 

10

mg

12

%

Calcium

 

140

mg

14

%

Iron

 

3

mg

17

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Calories

573

Nutrition Facts