Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Salad

This Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Salad packs a whole lot of heat and flavor without a lot of calories. If you love buffalo chicken like I do, but want to keep it healthy, this is the perfect recipe!

The recipe starts by poaching the chicken directly in the buffalo sauce. This keeps the chicken moist while adding all that spicy flavor to the meat. The buffalo sauce that you choose is crucial here, and if you choose one that doesn't have the best flavor the whole recipe will be off. My favorite buffalo sauce is by Noble Made by The New Primal in mild, because it's a bit more kid friendly and made with ingredients that I'm comfortable with. It's also available in medium and hot if you're looking for more heat.

I love to prep this salad ahead of time so I have an easy option to grab for lunch. To prepare ahead, I recommend cooking the chicken and storing it separately from the salad in the refrigerator. Assemble your salad (vegetables only) in a large bowl. Do not top with chicken, avocado, or dressing. Cover the salad, and store it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat, take out the portion of salad that you want, then top it with some chicken, avocado, and dressing. Storing everything separately prevents the vegetables from getting soggy.

For a vegan option, try my Vegan Spicy Salad.

Dairy Free Buffalo Chicken Salad

This buffalo chicken salad is an explosion of flavor without all the calories normally found in the average buffalo chicken. It's full of plenty of heat and crisp, fresh vegetables. A drizzle of the fresh lime and olive oil helps cool it all down.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Servings 4

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 6 oz buffalo sauce more if needed or for garnish
• 6 cups spring mix
• 1 bell pepper Sliced. Yellow or red works well.
• 1 jalapeño sliced thin
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 cup black beans Cooked, drained, and rinsed. Can be omitted for a low carb option.
• ¼ cup cilantro chopped
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 avocado diced

Instructions

 

Prepare the chicken

• Add your chicken and buffalo sauce in a medium sized pot over medium low heat. Cook for about a half hour, or until the chicken is cooked through. Be sure to stir often to avoid burning, Baste the chicken with the buffalo sauce often, and flip the chicken breasts over if you need to. I like to do this step ahead of time to allow the chicken to cool before I serve the salad.
• Once the chicken is cooked, use two forks to shred it. I like to do this right in the pot, but you can shred it on a cutting board if that's easier for you. Once the chicken is shredded, give it a good stir in the pot to cover it with buffalo sauce. If the chicken seems dry, add in a bit more buffalo sauce a small amount at a time.

Prepare the salad

• Add all of the remaining ingredients except for avocado in to a big bowl and give it a toss.
• Combine the oil and lime juice in a small bowl.
• Top your salad with shredded chicken, and drizzle with oil and juice.
• Garnish with avocado.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 30gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 1461mgPotassium: 1063mgFiber: 8gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2008IUVitamin C: 71mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg

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