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Buffalo chicken anything is an automatic win in my kitchen and in my heart. So it’s really no surprise at all that I concocted a cleaned up version of Buffalo Chicken Salad for the blog so that I can make it for myself whenever I please. It’s also Whole30 compliant as written, so I can really eat it whenever I want! Making your own food is the best.

The first time I made this recipe I didn’t have enough mayo to make it correctly. The pictures turned out absolutely awful and it didn’t taste all that great either. Food blog fail. If you didn’t know this by now, fat = flavor. This recipe calls for plenty of mayo (AKA fat AKA flavor) so it’s pretty awesome. So instead of posting the recipe months ago, I decided to wait until I could photograph it correctly and have it look like something you would actually want to make for yourself and eat.

The second time I made this recipe was this week. I made it after I had already eaten a burger and Brussels sprouts for dinner. I wasn’t hungry at all and yet I couldn’t stop eating this chicken salad. It’s just so darn good! And, as is the case with most things, it’s even better as leftovers as the flavors meld together in the refrigerator over time.

This is exactly the kind of recipe I would make for myself for a day hike meal or snack. What’s better than a summit sandwich?! Absolutely nothing, my friends. Okay okay. Summit meatballs are a very close second.

thehungryhungryhiker

Buffalo Chicken Salad

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 5 people
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • garlic powder
  • sea salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 3 celery stalks diced small
  • 2 carrots, large shredded, I use a food processor
  • ½ cup white onion diced small
  • ½ cup mayo check labels for Whole30, add more if you like it creamier
  • ¼ cup Frank's RedHot
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ¼ bunch green onions chopped

Method
 

  1. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season to taste with a little garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
  2. Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes until starting to turn white around the edges. Flip and cook for 7-10 minutes more until a meat thermometer reads 165° F when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken breast. Remove from heat. When cool enough to handle, either shred with two forks or shred in a food processor. Place in a medium bowl and refrigerate to cool completely.
  3. When the chicken has cooled add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine completely. Taste and add more salt, pepper, garlic powder, or onion powder if desired. To serve, place chicken salad in lettuce wraps, over salad greens, on sandwich bread, etc. To store, cover loosely and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.