Buffalo Chicken Salad

I love all things Buffalo Chicken related.  Wings, dips, pastas…they all work for me!  The problem is, the different varieties I’ve seen are usually packed with calories and fat, so diving into them is a splurge.  I’m trying to lighten things up around here now that spring has sprung (We think.), and I was really excited when I came across this Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe from Ellie Krieger.  I’ve made quite a few of her recipes, all healthy, and each and every one has been delicious.  I figured I’d give this one a try too!

It was just Aaron and I diving into the salad that night, so I whisked together some hot sauce (I used Frank’s) and just a couple of teaspoons of olive oil.  Then, I poured the mixture over two, thin, boneless-skinless chicken breasts and let the mixture marinate while I got the rest together.

First, I made my blue cheese dressing.  For years, I was very anti-blue cheese.  In fact, for years, the only way I would eat blue cheese dressing was with Buffalo Wings!  For this dressing, all I had to do was whisk together a little mayonnaise, some low-fat buttermilk, a scoop of plain Greek yogurt, some white vinegar, a dash of sugar, salt, and pepper and then I stirred in some blue cheese crumbles.

I let that chill in the fridge while I got the rest together.

I shredded up some carrots, sliced up some celery and chopped some green onions.

I also shredded up some Romaine lettuce, rinsed it well, and gave it a good spin in my salad spinner.

At this point, we were almost ready to go.  I removed my chicken from the marinade and put the pieces on a cookie sheet that I’d lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray.

The chicken went under the broiler for about eight minutes, and I flipped it mid way through.  The chicken breasts were nice and thin, so it didn’t take long in the oven at all.

Once the chicken was cooked through, I removed it from the oven and set it aside while I tossed together my lettuce, carrots, celery, green onions, and that creamy Blue Cheese dressing.

I piled some of it onto our plates, and topped each salad with one of the chicken breasts that I’d sliced up.  Then, I drizzled it with just a bit more of that hot sauce, just for good measure.  Oh, and a few more sprinkles of blue cheese.

This salad was delicious!  Aaron and I were very happy campers that night.  You’d never know you were missing out on the fat and calories.  The spicy Buffalo flavor was perfect, salad was crisp and cool, and the blue cheese dressing was creamy and delicious.

It’s a winner, and I didn’t feel guilty at all after cleaning my plate.

BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD

Adapted from Ellie Krieger