Healthy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad: the kick of hot sauce and the zing of ranch come together to create this unique chicken salad. Mixed with fresh carrots, celery and scallions, all the fixings of a buffalo chicken platter, this dish has it all rolled into one.
What is buffalo ranch chicken salad?
This chicken salad is a spin on the classic; it’s got the flavors of classic hot sauce, combined with ranch. It’s got the extra crunch from fresh vegetables like carrots, celery, red onion and scallions- all the extras you’d find on a buffalo chicken platter. Buffalo ranch chicken salad is not overly spicy; it’s got a little kick on the back end, but the hot sauce flavor is toned down by the other dressing ingredients. The dressing is made from a combination of hot sauce, light mayo, plain non-fat Greek Yogurt, and ranch seasoning. Using ranch seasoning really rounds out all the flavors and ties them together without the addition of a ton of spices. It makes this recipe so simple to come together.
Do you taste the Greek yogurt? No! Nope, nope, nope. I can assure you, if you did taste the Greek yogurt, I wouldn’t approve of it. My husband loves this recipe, and if he knew there was yogurt in it, he probably wouldn’t eat it! The yogurt just helps stretch the mayo out, without adding a ton of calories and fat.
To cook your own chicken, or to not cook your own chicken?
First, you’ll have to decide whether or not you want to cook your own shredded chicken; if you do, you’ll need a few different ingredients than if you were to buy a rotisserie chicken. This recipe calls for 6 cups of cooked, shredded chicken breast. To yield this amount of cooked chicken, we start with 3 lbs. of raw chicken breast, or 4 large chicken breasts. So, if you plan on using cooked rotisserie chicken for this, you will need two. And that might get a little expensive.
Although using pre-cooked chicken will cut your preparation time down by a solid 25 minutes, it might be more expensive than cooking your own chicken. So its really up to you to weigh your options here. I find it easy enough to cook my own chicken while I prepare the other ingredients, and it doesn’t require a ton of extra effort. Plus you can control the ingredients here, where as with a store bought chicken, you can’t.
How to poach chicken breast
Start with a large pot, and add your raw chicken breast to the bottom of the pot. Add in your smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, and kosher salt.
Next, cover the chicken breast with cold water so that the chicken is submerged. Cover the pot with a lid, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer. Cook until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F. Depending on the thickness of your chicken, this takes anywhere from 20-30 minutes. To check the internal temperature of proteins when I cook, I use this meat thermometer from OXO.
What you’ll need to make buffalo ranch chicken salad
Now that we have (somewhat) settled the chicken debate, the other ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are as follows:
- plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- light mayo
- hot sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot)
- ranch seasoning (I use this Hidden Valley Ranch packet)
- carrots
- celery
- red onion
- scallions
Once you have the chicken part down pat, assembling this salad couldn’t be easier. Just combine the hot sauce, mayo, yogurt, and ranch seasoning together in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Whisk so that they are thoroughly combined.
Next, chop up the celery, red onion, and scallions. Finely dice them, if possible. No one wants a huge chunk of red onion when they bite into chicken salad. Also, shred your chicken at this point.
Next, fold the vegetables and the chicken into the dressing you created in the mixing bowl… voila! Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad is complete and ready for digging in!
How-To Video
Meal prepping and serving buffalo ranch chicken salad
The options are endless with how to serve this recipe; on bread, on a wrap, in a bowl over greens with ranch dressing, or as a dip for carrots and crackers. To meal prep this, divide your heaping 1 cup portions into storage containers in the fridge. During the week, choose how you want to eat the chicken salad depending on how you feel that day! Sandwich one day, dip the next. Make sure to pack your bread or other ingredients separately to keep things from getting soggy. This chicken salad will last fine in the fridge for the week. If you’re uneasy about eating protein for that long, you can half the recipe or adjust accordingly. The recipe card below has an option to adjust servings up or down.
Healthy Buffalo Ranch Chicken Salad
Equipment
- large pot
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain non fat Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup light mayo
- ⅓ cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- 2 tsp Hidden Valley ranch seasoning and salad dressing powder
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 3 scallions, chopped
For the Shredded Chicken Breast
- 3 lbs chicken breast, raw
- 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves, dried
Instructions
For the Shredded Chicken Breast
- Place the raw chicken breasts in the bottom of a large pot.
- Add the kosher salt, peppercorns, smashed garlic cloves, and bay leaves to the top of the chicken.
- Cover the chicken breasts with cold water, place the lid on the pot and bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer/low boil and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature should read 165F).
- When the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the water and place on a cutting board to cool.
- Shred the chicken breasts with two forks.
- * NOTE: yields 6 cups of cooked chicken breast. You can use rotisserie chicken breast to save time.
Salad Dressing and Other Ingredients
- Combine the hot sauce, yogurt, mayo, and ranch seasoning on the bottom of a large mixing bowl.
- Fold in the carrots, celery, onion, scallions, and shredded chicken.
- Makes 6 servings at a heaping cup each. Serve on wraps, on bread, or with crackers and fresh veggies for dipping.
Notes
- 3 WW points (green plan)
- 1 WW point (blue and purple plans)
Nutrition
You might also enjoy:
Classic Chicken Salad with Herbs
Vanessa says
Crack – so good! Can’t mess it up and always a favorite in our house.
Lisa says
This recipe has been repeated in my house several times. Can’t recommend enough !
Ashley says
Our favorite of Steph’s Chicken salads
Jen says
This recipe is AMAZING! So simple to make and delicious!
Katie says
Could you replace the mayo with just more yogurt? I greatly dislike mayo…
Steph says
Yes you can
Rosaria says
This recipe was phenomenal. I made it for a lunch meal prep. I had it with lettuce and I also threw it on a wrap with some extra hot sauce and it was great both ways. Definitely a recipe that will stay in rotation.
Rosa says
Yummy!!! New fav 🙂
Rebecca Toothaker says
Superb! I love your recipes!
Meghan says
Hi Steph, this looks amazing! Could I use some Bolthouse Farms Ranch dressing in place of the dry seasoning? That’s the only item I don’t have in my pantry. Thank you!
Brenda says
I meal prepped this recipe today for my lunch next week and it is amazing!!! I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow. It will be on repeat for sure.
Julie Monita says
So easy and yummy! Will definitely make again
Cindy says
This is very good and easy to make!
Jennie says
This is a great recipe for lunch ! I hate plain Greek yogurt but can tolerate it ro spread out mayo or sourcream. I will add some more hot sauce next time …and I love all the veggies in it…so filling.
Meg Dizon says
THE EASIEST MEAL PREP! It was just the right about of kick and the serving size was plenty to keep me full!
Alison Talbert says
Made this for lunches this week!! Amazing and so low in points!!
Julie Callahan says
Super easy to make a versatile! One day it can be a wrap the next a dip with cucumbers and celery.
Lonneke says
This is a great recipe!!! It’s so easy to make and perfect for lunches on repeat during the week!
Lindsey says
This will be a staple for me. This is a lunch that I could eat everyday without getting tired of it. So easy and the perfect heat level and SO versatile (on a salad, in a wrap, with a fork, on celery sticks)
Laura says
Easy to make, versatile, and super delicious. Helped me stay on track this week with my points. Thank you!!
Nancy says
So incredibly good. Easy to make – my whole family loves it! Steph, you are a genius!
Alexandra Borman says
Made this for lunch today. It is WONDERFUL. Will definitely be in the lunch rotation. Great dinner option for hot summer nights as well. Thanks Steph!
Traci Smith says
Delicious! Definitely a new favorite and so quick and easy to make.
Kristin says
I am not really a chicken salad person, and definitely have never been a fan of celery in chicken salad, macaroni salad, potato salad etc. But I actually LOVED this!!! It’s almost like a different kind of Buffalo Chicken dip. I had it on toast a few days, a wrap one day, and then actually heated it up another day and dipped with some tortilla chips. So, so good!!!
Emilie says
Made this for lunch today and I love it! Delicious, filling, and low point! Thanks for all of your amazing recipes Steph!
Kelly Roth says
Ahhhhmazing! My 15 year old daughter event loved it!
Kristin says
So easy & so delicious. This will definitely be a lunch I keep on rotation.
Kristin says
So easy & so delicious. This will definitely be a lunch I keep on rotation!
Candy Shuman says
One of the easiest and most loved lunch prep ideas.
Look forward to it every day!
Kristina says
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! Just the right amount of heat! I love that it can be eaten in so many different ways too! So excited for lunch this week! Thanks for sharing!
Brandy says
Amazing Recipe. I made this for meal prep and I’m looking forward to it all week! It’s so good and filling.
Jolene K says
This is really delicious!
Tanya says
So it’s 3 pounds of chicken divided by 6 servings? That seems like such a big portion 1/2 pound of chicken, am I reading this correctly?
Marianne Alef says
This stuff is the absolute best. I’ve made 2 batches in one week. Make at night and let the flavors mingle. It’s really taaaasty!
Julie says
Made this for meal prep this week and seriously look forward to eating it every day! One day I ate it over lettuce, one day in a wrap, and another day with cucumbers. Delicious no matter what!
Agatha says
Beautiful, so tasty and easy to make.
Sarah says
Such a great meal prep option for lunch but also an AWESOME filling for a calzone.
Cathy says
I made this for meal prep. It is so easy to make and so delicious. I cannot taste the yogurt. It has just the right amount of kick from the hot sauce. This recipe is a winner.
Laureen Warlix says
Delicious! Made this twice within one week because I was disappointed when first batch was gone. Added more Franks sauce to make it extra spicey. Great on a wrap and 1 cup, 1pt on WW blue, WOW! Thank you for this recipe.
Megan says
I am not usually a fan of leftovers, but the amazing flavors in this recipe make me happy to eat it for days in a row. Steph’s flavor expertise definitely shows in this recipe.
Molly says
I keep rereading the recipe to see if I did something wrong but I haven’t. This was very bland.
Tracy Gent says
Loved this for my lunch meal prep this week! Full of flavor!
Carroll says
This was really good! I’m like “The Princess & the Pea” when it comes to tasting greek yogurt in a recipe and I didn’t even get a hint of it! The recipe makes A LOT of chicken salad so you’ll be set for your meal prep lunches!
Brittany says
Easy receipe and great to pair with some chips for lunch.
Jo says
Meal prepped this for lunch this week. It is so flavorful and each serving is huge!
Roseann says
When I made this for the first time, I stood over the bowl for 5 minutes and just took forkfuls of the finished salad. It’s really versatile but my favorite way to eat it, is scooping it onto some celery sticks!
Diana says
This. Is. Amazing! New staple.
Heather Simonds says
Made this last week for lunches and we loved it so much we will be making it again this week!! It is SO easy to make but it doesn’t lack in flavor! I am so thankful for recipes like this because we don’t have a lot of time to meal prep between our 4 year old and being a teacher. I am so thankful that I don’t have to think about lunch during the week when we have everything else going in. Thank you for such amazing recipes!!!
Catherine says
Love this. Very flavorful and filling.
Nicole Gregory says
So delicious! I’ve made the Buffalo Chicken Salad several times. I’ve had in over greens, on a low carb wrap and even rolled some up into egg roll wraps and cooked them in the air fryer.
Amy says
Made this for the first time today and will definitely be a go to from now on. This is so good! I do not like Mayo but you can’t even taste it. I added a little more hot sauce since I love it and it came out delicious!
Sarah says
I used a rotisserie chicken and this recipe is so good! This will definitely be going on my regular lunch rotation!
Jen R. says
I loved this recipe! The was my first shot at doing meal prep and after making this, I decided to do a meal prep again this week. Highly recommend!
Karen Cottrell says
This is superb! Just the right amount of “wing flavor” but much better for a healthier lifestyle. 👍🏼👍🏼 Generous portion size, too! I did the chicken in the Instant Pot to save a little time. If you’re on the fence about trying this recipe: JUST DO IT ALREADY.
Allison says
Great for a quick dinner as well as an easy lunch. Perfect balance of flavors and you really can’t tell it’s made with Greek yogurt!
Emily says
My husband and I loved this!
Stephanie says
This is a family favorite! We love it in a tomato basil wrap!
Jenna says
A staple for lunch prep! So good!!
Allie says
Super easy and great for lunches for the week!
Mandy says
This is my all time favorite recipe for meal prep! Any week that I don’t know what to make, I go to this one. I was hesitant to try it because I normally don’t enjoy the tang of Greek yogurt, but you don’t taste it at all. Steph knocked it out of the park with this one!
Lori says
This was yummy!
Carolyn Hewitt says
Amazing recipe but in the builder it is 5 points not 3 on Green, I’ve built it several different ways but no matter how I build it, it comes out to 5.
Steph says
It depends on your brand of chicken. I use Perdue – don’t use the standard chicken entry in the app 🙂
Christina says
Love this for a flavorful and filling lunch!
Geah says
This is my absolute favorite lunch prep! I’m still as excited to eat it at the end of the week as I am on the first day. Best part, it is so filling that I don’t end my day famished. Delish!
Diane De Mato says
Awesome lunch! So flavorful and as always, easy to throw together!!
Jolie Brown says
Made this for the 1st time tonight for lunch the next several days. Very easy to make. Thanks again Steph for another amazing recipe and only 1 point blue.
Judee says
Made this for lunches this week. So tasty and not too spicy! Delicious!!
Sherri says
The chicken was fantastic!!!
Celia Thorn says
I’m beyond obsessed with this recipe. I’ve literally made it and eaten it for the last 8 weeks. It’s so flavorful and filling. I skipped one week and was so sad and complained all week about how much I missed it. I’m a SAHM and will literally pack my lunch bag with a serving if I know I’m going to be out running errands during lunch.
Kirsten says
Definitely trying this. I poach chicken breasts in a similar fashion in my instant pot set for 0 minutes, then 11 min NPR for 8 breasts. I’ll make this with homemade avocado oil mayo, full fat Greek yogurt, and my own ranch seasoning mix. Everything else looks like I’ll keep the same! I adore buffalo everything. Thank you!
Arie says
Delicious and super easy to make. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Michelle Alameda says
This is amazing!!! Does it freeze well?
Shelley says
Love this recipe! So easy to make, delicious and versatile. I had it with some mini naan and veggies one day, in a wrap the next then on a bed of greens. This will definitely be added to my regular meal prep rotation.
Jamie L. says
Wow- this may be the best Buffalo chicken salad I’ve ever made. It’s so good! I did add some blue cheese crumbles to it 😋
Patricia says
just made this for the football game today. Im serving it on slider rolls for some and for me on a bed of zero point salad!. Thanks so much for another great recipe
Angela Webb says
Could i use a good quality canned chicken breast?
Steph says
absolutely
Allison Bidgood says
This is the money !!!
Delicious. I’m going to tell everybody I know about this one and your site!
Felicia says
This is the best Buffalo chicken salad easy to make and the taste is the best plus only 2 WW points is a win win. Thank you!
Vanessa Donahue says
Made today – love it!! I think some bacon would go nicely in it as well!
Lauren says
So good, and so much protein! i love all your Buffalo chicken recipes. I look forward to my lunches this week thanks to you 🙂
Kristene Silverman says
Delicious! Great meal prep for the week!
Robyn Calkins says
Soooo good!
Amy says
I just made this for the first time and it is incredible! I made a single serving just to try (the feature to adjust the portion size in the recipe card is really helpful!). It is so delicious and feels like I’m indulging for lunch. Will be making this again for sure. Like, …tomorrow. Love! Thank you for creating and sharing
Melanie says
What a delicious way that meets my macros! Nothing boring about this recipe! Thank you for creating such great recipes which makes my health and fitness journey a lot easier!