Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad with Avocado Ranch
This delicious Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad is loaded with crispy romaine hearts, spicy buffalo chicken, all your favorite veggies and tossed in a healthy and super tasty avocado ranch dressing. We like it as a hearty dinner salad but it's just as good as a side salad with a summer BBQ meal.
Hello, summertime dinner salad! This deliciousness in a bowl will see you straight through the end of summer. Get ready for months of craving your weekly Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad fix.
Now I know that buffalo chicken and ranch dressing don't normally fit into the whole healthy recipes category. But don't worry, this is all things healthy AND all the flavors you crave.
Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad love:
- Chicken thighs (or chicken breasts, if you must) grilled on the BBQ until perfectly charred then tossed in buttery hot sauce. BIG time yum going on here.
- Crispy romaine hearts. Cause as much as we love our kale salads, crispy lettuce is summertime magic.
- Creamy ranch dressing that's loaded with healthy avocado and all the ranch flavors that I know you love as much as I do.
- All your favorite veggies. I've shared with you what I like in this salad, but go crazy and add any or all of your favs. More veggies = awesome!
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All that slightly spicy grilled buffalo chicken you see up there is totally DELCIOUS. Grilled chicken always wins flavor wise. Once it's smothered in buttery buffalo sauce it's totally addictive. I can't let myself snack on even one bite or my dinner would become a Buffalo Chicken Salad sans buffalo chicken.
I've got plans for some sort of grilled buffalo chicken appetizer in the future, but for now it's all about this salad.
And this dressing. Just look how creamy it is!
The Best Avocado Ranch Dressing Around
Do you see that creamy, dreamy ranch dressing up there? It's my newest obsession. Here's the secret truth: I love ranch dressing. I never buy it and I never make it, so I almost never eat it. But if you put some lettuce in front of me and some ranch dressing (I'm looking at you salad bar) I'll go all 1980s on you smother my salad. #sonotglamorous
In this version, I've ditched the buttermilk (cause who keeps buttermilk on hand anyway?) and reduced the mayo to a big spoonful. I kept all the spices, cause the ranch flavors are what we want.
The avocado adds lots of healthy fats which makes the dressing super creamy even though it's 100% dairy-free. It also gives it the most beautiful pale green hue. Pretty = awesome.
If you love this Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad as much as we do, make sure to give it a 5-star review in the comments below!
Grilled Buffalo Chicken Salad with Avocado Ranch
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
Avocado Ranch Dressing
- 1 large avocado
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, Whole30 compliant, if needed
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill
- 1 sprig green onion, green part only
- A generous pinch of salt and pepper
- ¾ – 1 cup water, start with ¾ cup
Buffalo Chicken
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter, use ghee for Whole30 or avocado oil for dairy-free
- ¼ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 3-4 drops of Worcestershire sauce, omit for Whole30
- A pinch of salt
The Salad
- 3 romaine hearts, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- A handful of radishes, sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, pepitas
Instructions
- Add all the avocado ranch dressing to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if you would like a thinner dressing. Set the dressing aside to let the flavors meld.1 large avocado, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon fresh dill, 1 sprig green onion, A generous pinch of salt and pepper, ¾ – 1 cup water
- Preheat your grill to medium-high. Toss the chicken thighs in the oil and ½ teaspoon of salt and grill for 7 minutes per side.8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt
- To make the buffalo sauce, add the butter (or ghee or avocado oil), the hot sauce, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce (if using), and salt to a small pan over medium-high heat. Once it comes to a boil, whisk and set it aside.¼ cup butter, ¼ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 3-4 drops of Worcestershire sauce, A pinch of salt
- Cut the grilled chicken into 1-inch chunks. Add them to the buffalo sauce and toss to coat.
- Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, add the buffalo chicken, and pour the avocado ranch dressing over the top. Toss and serve right away.3 romaine hearts, 1 avocado, 1 bell pepper, A handful of radishes, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup diced red onion, ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
This is the best buffalo chicken salad I’ve ever tried! I was looking for a healthier version of the one I usually make and am so happy I found yours..That avocado ranch is delicious!
I’m so happy to hear you liked it as much as we do!!