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Twice in my life I’ve been obsessed with Buffalo Chicken wings. Once when I was 19 and I was doing the Atkins diet. I worked at Fridays and they had an Atkins menu (as it was the Keto diet of that era🤣) and their buffalo wings were only 5 net carbs so I are them after every shift. The second time was when I was pregnant with my second daughter and I craved buffalo everything. If there was anything with buffalo chicken on the menu, I would order it. To get my veggies in, I would usually order a buffalo chicken salad.
We lived near a Wing Spot restaurant so I would get it there a LOT! But not only was it pricey, the parking totally sucked and I never wanted to actually go there. So one day I decided to throw some buffalo sauce and chicken in the crockpot and see what happened. Turns out, it was great!
This basic recipe can be transformed into many different dishes but in this one, I’m making Buffalo Chicken Salad because it’s tasty and healthy! I made a bunch of these for my lunch this week and I’ve been happily mowing them down guilt free. It’s a great way to get in lots of protein and veggies all at once.
Buffalo Chicken Salad
This buffalo chicken is great on anything but turning it into a salad is a great healthy option that feels like an indulgence.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins (frozen is fine)
- 1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
- 4 cups romaine, chopped
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
- 1 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
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In a crockpot, place chicken and 1/2 cup of hot sauce on Low for 6-8 hours.
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One chicken is cooked, take it out and shred it up. Add remaining 1/2 cup of hot sauce to chicken and toss to combine. Allow to cool.
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Combine all vegetables in a large salad bowl and then portion out into individual bowls.
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Place a 1/2 cup of buffalo chicken mixture on each one and drizzle with ranch. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
You can use less hot sauce if you want it less spicy.
You can use a rotisserie chicken if you don’t have time to cook it in the crockpot.
Great Make Ahead Lunch
This buffalo chicken salad is clutch in the summer because making the chicken in the crockpot won’t heat up your house. It’s also a great one to make ahead and pack for lunches! I find that premaking the salad portion will hold up in the fridge for 3-4 days and the chicken will be fine for a week. If you are going to take these for lunches, I recommend keeping the chicken, salad and dressing separate until ready to eat. This container is a perfect for just that!
Additionally you could use a large mason jar. First place your desired amount of ranch on the bottom, followed by the buffalo chicken. Then place the tomatoes and bell peppers on top of the chicken and the remaining veggies on top of those. I like to use plastic lids because they are dishwasher safe and they don’t rut like the metal ones. This method will keep for at least 3 days in the fridge.
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Taran is a self-proclaimed undomestic mom. She thrives as a stay-at-home-mom by consistently carving out time for herself and practicing realistic self-care. As a busy mom of 3, she knows that if mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy! With a focus on how SAHMs can carve out time for themselves everyday, she teaches fellow SAHMs how they can do the same.
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