Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad

A salad with lettuce, red onion, and red bell pepper, topped with pieces of buffalo chicken, as creamy dressing is being poured over it.

This grilled buffalo chicken salad is bold, hearty, and packed with flavor. Juicy grilled chicken tossed in homemade buffalo sauce is layered over crisp romaine and fresh vegetables, then finished with a rich, tangy blanch dressing. It’s a satisfying meal you can serve warm or cold, and it’s easy to customize with your favorite greens or toppings.

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Servings serving

Calories 507kcal

Author Diane Gail

Ingredients

1 romaine heart
1 lemon wedge
1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper thinly sliced
4 oz chicken breast
1/4 cup buffalo sauce
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1/8 cup blue cheese crumbles

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare and cook the chicken: Slice the chicken breast into strips. Coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Grill in a cast iron pan or over an open flame until golden brown and cooked through, about 4–5 minutes per side depending on thickness.
Toss chicken in buffalo sauce: Cut the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and toss in buffalo sauce until evenly coated. You can use store-bought sauce or make your own by whisking together equal parts Frank’s Red Hot and melted butter.
Assemble the salad base: Chop romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces and place it in a large serving bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top to brighten the flavor.
Add vegetables: Layer thinly sliced red bell pepper and red onion over the bed of romaine.
Mix dressing: In a small bowl, stir blue cheese crumbles into your favorite ranch dressing to make blanch dressing. For best results, make blanch from scratch by mixing ranch seasoning with buttermilk and mayonnaise and then stirring in the crumbles.
Finish and serve: Spoon buffalo chicken over the salad and drizzle with the blanch dressing. Serve immediately.

Notes

Use a grill pan or outdoor grill: Either option works well for this recipe — choose whichever fits your kitchen setup or the season.
Let the chicken rest before cutting: Resting the meat for 5 minutes helps retain juices and improves texture.
Mix dressing in advance: Preparing it ahead allows the blue cheese flavor to infuse into the ranch, giving you the best taste.
Adjust heat level to taste: Use more or less hot sauce in your buffalo blend depending on how spicy you like it.
Store components separately: If making ahead, keep the chicken, veggies, and dressing in separate containers to maintain the best texture.

Nutrition