Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Salad
When it comes to meal prep, making a tuna salad or a chicken salad at the beginning of the week is one of the best ways to set yourself up for easy, healthy lunches. Mayo-based salads like this Whole30 Buffalo Chicken Salad are especially useful because they are filling and portable, so you’re less likely to reach for carbs out of hunger after a midday meal. A satisfying salad keeps you on track and makes busy days far easier to manage.
This Buffalo Chicken Salad is one of my favorite twists on classic chicken salad recipes. It’s flavorful, uncomplicated, and relies on bold hot-sauce flavor—Frank’s RedHot—to carry the dressing. With just a few simple ingredients and a little shredded chicken, you can assemble a tasty salad that’s ready to eat or to pack for the week.
How I Cook and Shred Chicken
I typically cook bone-in, skin-off chicken breasts for shredding. Place the chicken in a pot and add enough water to just cover the pieces. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Cooking time depends on the size of the breasts and the number you’re making; plan for roughly 45 minutes to an hour for larger pieces. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and transfer it to a cutting board to cool just enough to handle safely.
Using your hands, pull the meat away from the bones and discard any small bones you find. Break the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces or shred it by hand. Check carefully for any remaining tiny bones—those can hide in the meat. The shredded chicken can be used immediately in this Buffalo Chicken Salad or stored for other meals: add it to soups, toss it over greens, stuff peppers, or use it for enchiladas. It’s a versatile base to keep on hand for multiple recipes.
Recipe Overview
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded chicken
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1/8 of a red onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons homemade mayo or a compliant store-bought mayo
- 1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot (adjust to taste)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare and shred the chicken as described above.
- In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, diced celery, and diced red onion.
- Add the mayonnaise, Frank’s RedHot, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust the hot sauce or mayo to reach your preferred heat level and creaminess.
- Serve immediately on a bed of greens, in lettuce cups, or chilled for meal prep.
Notes
- For extra flavor, try stirring in two cloves of minced garlic into the mayonnaise before mixing with the chicken.
- If you prefer a milder bowl, reduce the amount of hot sauce and add a little more mayo to balance the heat.
- This salad is flexible—swap plain shredded chicken for rotisserie chicken in a pinch, or omit the onion if you prefer a milder flavor.
Serving Suggestions and Storage
This Buffalo Chicken Salad works well as a simple lunch served on top of mixed greens or tucked into lettuce leaves for a low-carb option. It can also be used as a filling for baked sweet potatoes, stuffed poblano peppers, or wrapped in compliant tortillas if you’re not following a strict plan.
To store, place the salad in an airtight container and refrigerate. Use it as a convenient grab-and-go option for several meals throughout the week. When packing for lunches, keep any delicate greens separate until you are ready to eat to maintain crispness.