Buffalo chicken is one of those combinations that I just adore – wings, in a wrap, on a salad – you name it and I love it! With that said, it normally doesn’t scream HEALTH – but that doesn’t have to be the case.
A lot of buffalo chicken recipes call for a sauce composed of Frank’s Red Hot (or similar), mixed with butter. I’m sure the butter adds a layer of decadence, but I don’t think it’s needed! Hot sauce adds so much flavor on its own and you only need a little bit to get the flavor across.
I love to make this salad when I’m craving buffalo chicken – it can be thrown together in about 5 minutes after work and everything can be prepped in advance during your SMP (Sunday Meal Prep)! The ‘key’ ingredient is the Avocado Ranch Dressing – everything else can be switched up depending on likes/dislikes.
Here’s how you make the dressing (2 cups dressing):
- Throw 1 pitted avocado, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 cup greek yogurt and 1 cup chopped chives into a food processor – blend well
- Add garlic powder, salt/pepper to taste and blend quickly to incorporate
Avocado Ranch Dressing – Ingredients:
- 1 pitted avocado
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup greek yogurt (I used 0% in this, but 2% or full-fat would work fine)
- 1 cup chopped chives
- garlic powder (to taste)
- salt/pepper (to taste)
Now that you have the dressing, here is what you need to assemble the salad:
- Cooked chicken, mixed with Frank’s Red Hot (or similar hot sauce)
- Cooked quinoa- I like to mix in fresh herbs once its done cooking, to add flavor
- Chopped red onions
- Avocado slices
- Cherry tomatoes
- Black beans
You could easily switch up the add-ins – farro, barley, chickpeas, cheese crumbles, iceberg lettuce or celery would be great options.
Don’t limit the dressing to salads – it would be great in a cold potato salad, drizzled over fresh summer tomatoes, as a dip for veggies – so many options!
I hope you add this one to your go-to dinner options when you run out of ideas of things to make! The whole family would love it and everyone can add in whatever they choose!
Cheers!
CHH
hungryhungryhoban 