buffalo chicken salad — Honey Street

hi and welcome to day 6 of my staycation, wherein i’ve read 2 1/2 books, started my portuguese lessons again, taken a lot of muddy dog walks, lifted some heavy things (weights, expectations, burdens,) decided i WILL be a closet minimalist once and for all (maybe,) and luxuriated over banana bread french toast. totally normal and rejuvenating behavior and i’m definitely feeling refreshed to stare down another fiscal quarter at work! (i’m not.)

how is january treating you? well, and slowly, and gently, i hope.

my main food hyperfixation during this staycation and many months prior has been ordering buffalo chicken salads from sweetgreen, and then immediately trying to figure out how i can duplicate it at home. homegirl here is on a BUD-GET and i can’t just be ordering sweetgreen salads at every - rather frequent - whim. i set to work on replicating this crunchy creamy spicy dream in a bowl, and i thiiiiiink i’ve nailed it.

i played around with this for a while and what i was missing the most from my at-home version was the crunch factor and the crescendo of different flavors in each bite - i don’t mean to brag, but after much trial and error, quick pickled veggies and basic b croutons are it. also, please don’t stress yourself out about making a dressing; we’re using literal buffalo sauce and ranch to make this easy and dreamy.

this salad is so fresh in all the ways we need during january - it’s crispy, it’s crunchy, it’s zippy, it’s bright - and if you’re me, it’s absolutely toppled by blue cheese.

you’ll need your favorite greens - i used baby kale and spinach because they’re mild and don’t overpower the rest of the good stuff - chicken for a quick saute, tomatoes, cucumber, and carrots for our veg situation, eeeeeasy store-bought croutons and dressing, fresh dill (this is key!) and the aforementioned monsoon of blue cheese.

a few things before we get started:
- please TR-UST when i tell you that this is easy easy easy and so delicious delicious delicious.
- stating the obvious here, but it’s winter - we need bright, crunchy things that make us happy and forget that the world is frigid and gray for a little while. pickle your veggies and book your next vacation (both things will lift your spirits, i promise.)
- you can prep the quick pickled veggies and chicken ahead of time! i wouldn’t recommend tossing the whole salad together if you’re meal prepping as the greens will get soggy - if you’re prepping/packing this one, keep the veggies, chicken, and dressings separate until you’re ready to eat. wet mess = the world’s saddest desk lunch.
- if you don’t like blue cheese (a controversial cheese, truly) you can substitute goat cheese, feta, or skip altogether.

buffalo chicken salad
makes: 2-4 servings
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes

for the chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp onion powder
1tsp salt
1tsp pepper
1tbsp buffalo sauce (frank’s red hot is the best)
1tbsp butter or olive oil

for the quick pickled veggies:
2 mini cucumbers, sliced into coins
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
1c grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4c apple cider vinegar
1tsp honey
1tsp fresh dill
1/2tsp red chili flake

for the salad:
6c greens - i used a mix of baby kale and spinach, but use whatever you love most
2c croutons (optional)
1c good quality blue cheese, crumbled
1tbsp fresh dill
buffalo sauce
ranch dressing

mix the ingredients for the quick pickled veggies in a bowl or jar and set aside.

in a pan, heat the butter or olive oil for the chicken over medium-high heat. add the chicken and spices to the pan and sear on all sides until the chicken is fully cooked through, 8-10 minutes. toss the chicken in the buffalo sauce once its cooked through, and remove from heat.

toss together the rest of the salad - add the greens, croutons, and blue cheese to a large bowl. add in the chicken, quick pickled veggies (be sure to spoon the liquid off them before adding so you don’t have a soggy salad), and dill. drizzle the salad with equal parts buffalo sauce and ranch dressing - as much or as little as you like.