This easy and delicious Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Salad is a quick, flavour-packed meal that’s perfect for any day. With creamy blue cheese dressing, crispy chicken, and a zesty hot sauce, it’s both satisfying and simple to make. Feel free to use any salad greens you have on hand for a flexible, tasty dish!
Ingredients Needed
- 1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 120ml Louisiana hot sauce (e.g. Frank’s)
- Salad greens (iceberg, romaine, or mixed greens)
- 120ml blue cheese dressing
- Extra blue cheese crumbles
- Celery hearts, leaves intact
How To Make Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Slice the chicken: Carefully slice the chicken breast in half lengthwise to create two thinner pieces.
- Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil and butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Pan-fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and drain off any excess fat, but don’t clean the pan.
- Coat the chicken in hot sauce: Return the chicken to the skillet and pour the hot sauce over it. Turn the chicken to coat it on both sides and let it sit in the sauce while you prepare the salad. (No heat should be on under the skillet at this stage.)
- Prepare the salad: In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with just enough blue cheese dressing to lightly coat them. Thin the dressing with a little milk if it’s too thick.
- Assemble the salad: Divide the tossed salad between two bowls. Sprinkle with extra blue cheese crumbles.
- Slice and serve: Slice the chicken thinly on the bias and arrange over the salads. If needed, dip the slices back into the hot sauce to ensure they’re fully coated. Top with more blue cheese crumbles and serve with celery hearts on the side.
Recipe Tips
- Ensure the chicken is thinly sliced: Slicing the chicken breast in half makes it cook faster and ensures it’s tender, absorbing all the hot sauce.
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Aim for a golden brown colour on the outside, but keep it juicy on the inside. Overcooking can dry it out.
- Use full-fat blue cheese dressing: For a creamier texture and richer flavour, use full-fat blue cheese dressing. It enhances the overall taste of the salad.
- Adjust the hot sauce to your liking: If you prefer a milder dish, reduce the hot sauce. For extra spice, add more.
- Toss the salad just before serving: Toss the salad greens with dressing right before serving to keep them fresh and crisp.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Placing leftover buffalo chicken salad in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover buffalo chicken salad in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until warm, but avoid reheating the salad as the greens will wilt.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/3 of the recipe)
- Calories: 161 kcal
- Total Fat: 3.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Cholesterol: 84 mg
- Sodium: 575 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 3.7 g
- Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
- Sugars: 2.7 g
- Protein: 29.5 g
More Pioneer Woman Recipes:
Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Salad
Description
This easy and delicious Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Salad is a quick, flavour-packed meal that’s perfect for any day. With creamy blue cheese dressing, crispy chicken, and a zesty hot sauce, it’s both satisfying and simple to make. Feel free to use any salad greens you have on hand for a flexible, tasty dish!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Slice the chicken: Carefully slice the chicken breast in half lengthwise to create two thinner pieces.
- Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil and butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Pan-fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and drain off any excess fat, but don’t clean the pan.
- Coat the chicken in hot sauce: Return the chicken to the skillet and pour the hot sauce over it. Turn the chicken to coat it on both sides and let it sit in the sauce while you prepare the salad. (No heat should be on under the skillet at this stage.)
- Prepare the salad: In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with just enough blue cheese dressing to lightly coat them. Thin the dressing with a little milk if it’s too thick.
- Assemble the salad: Divide the tossed salad between two bowls. Sprinkle with extra blue cheese crumbles.
- Slice and serve: Slice the chicken thinly on the bias and arrange over the salads. If needed, dip the slices back into the hot sauce to ensure they’re fully coated. Top with more blue cheese crumbles and serve with celery hearts on the side.
Notes
- Ensure the chicken is thinly sliced: Slicing the chicken breast in half makes it cook faster and ensures it’s tender, absorbing all the hot sauce.
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Aim for a golden brown colour on the outside, but keep it juicy on the inside. Overcooking can dry it out.
- Use full-fat blue cheese dressing: For a creamier texture and richer flavour, use full-fat blue cheese dressing. It enhances the overall taste of the salad.
- Adjust the hot sauce to your liking: If you prefer a milder dish, reduce the hot sauce. For extra spice, add more.
- Toss the salad just before serving: Toss the salad greens with dressing right before serving to keep them fresh and crisp.
Pioneer Woman Buffalo Chicken Salad