Buffalo Chicken Salad
by Sommer Collier — on Jul 27, 2026 I’ll be bringing my buffalo chicken salad to every game day from now on! But honestly, it’s so tasty I’m adding it to my weekly meal prep plans, too. I make it with tender pieces of chicken, crunchy carrots, celery, fresh herbs, and blue cheese crumbles, all combined in a creamy Cayenne pepper dressing. This buffalo chicken salad recipe has just the right balance of bold and rich flavors I want from traditional chicken wings, but in an easy salad form I can scoop up with crackers, load into sandwiches, or eat straight from the bowl with a spoon!
I love chicken salad of all varieties, and I make them a lot! Cold and creamy, packed with protein, they make a fantastic quick lunch or dinner option! My recipe for chicken salad with relish is the gold standard of a classic All-American recipe with sweet apples. Today I’m sharing a buffalo chicken salad that hits at the other side of the Chicken Salad spectrum… It’s just as creamy, cool, and satisfying, but this particular chicken salad has a lovely pop of spicy heat from buffalo Cayenne sauce! I also include blue cheese crumbles, chopped carrots, and celery all mixed with the chicken to give it that wonderful game day flavor and crunch. It’s super simple to whip up, keeps well for up to a week, and adds some pizzazz to anything you serve it with!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Perky Flavor – If you like to walk on the spicy side (hello, friend!) you’re going to love the heat in this chunky chicken dip. It’s not too much, but definitely has a kick like traditional buffalo wings. However, if wings are too hot for you, I’ll be honest, this recipe probably isn’t for you. Try one of my more mellow protein salads.
Versatile Protein – This simple creamy chicken salad recipe is made with all the components for buffalo wings but in a scoop-able salad you can use in sandwiches or wraps, as a hearty protein packed dip, or even scoop it on top of fresh greens!
Meal Prep – I use precooked chicken to make this recipe in only 20 minutes! So it’s great to make in the evening when I’m getting other tasks done, then pop in the fridge, and enjoy it as a snack or lunch for several days throughout the week. For a sweeter option to add to the lineup you should also check out my cranberry chicken salad recipe!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Cooked chicken – I love recipes that use precooked chicken! They’re terrific for getting rid of day-old leftovers from a roasted chicken or chicken breasts. Or if I’m in a hurry (or feeling lazy) I’ll use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Yes, this is a great place to use that cooked Costco chicken!
- Mayonnaise – I use classic mayo but you can use a light version if you like! Duke’s in my favorite.
- Veggies – I keep things simple with chopped celery and carrots in the chicken salad. Just like what you would pair with buffalo chicken wings.
- Blue cheese – I like to buy a solid block of blue cheese, then use a fork to crumble as much blue cheese as a I need. Or you can buy ready-to-use crumbled blue cheese, no judgement here!
- Buffalo sauce – Choose your favorite store-bought cayenne pepper sauce brand. Or whip up my homemade buffalo wing sauce in under 10 minutes. Everyone agrees it’s better than bottled!
- Herbs – A trio of fresh chopped parsley chives, and dill are what give this salad the perfect fresh balance to all of that spicy, creamy and rich goodness.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep – I start by getting out a large mixing bowl before chopping the chicken, celery, and carrots. I also finely chop the fresh herbs… Parsley, chives, and dill. Then I add everything to the bowl.
Add Remaining Ingredients – Next, in no particular order I add in the mayo, cayenne pepper sauce, and crumbled blue cheese. Feel free to add more or less blue cheese to taste. You can also add more cayenne pepper sauce here, but be careful, you don’t want the dressing to get too thin!
Mix Well and Refrigerate – Now I use a large spoon or silicone spatula to stir the ingredients together, until the chicken and veggies look evenly coated in the dressing.
Last, I cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge to chill before serving.
Expert Tips
The chicken pieces should be a bit larger, however, you want to chop the celery and carrots so they are as uniform in size as possible. This makes them mix in more evenly, and adds nice crunch without overpowering the chicken.
Like your buffalo chicken with some serious spice? To make this chicken salad recipe more spicy you can use Frank’s RedHot Sauce Extra Hot, or mix in a pinch of ground cayenne pepper to the mayo before adding the remaining ingredients. As mentioned above, you can add more cayenne pepper sauce, but this will thin out the dressing a bit. My preference for more heat is good ol’ cayenne pepper!
It is hard, however, to cut back on the spiciness very much… After all, this is a buffalo chicken salad. Your best bet is to use a more mild wing sauce, like Sweet Baby Ray’s Mild buffalo wing sauce. Adding a bit more crumbled blue cheese will also mellow out the heat, but also throw off the texture and taste.
For the best taste I recommend you chill the recipe for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before eating. This gives the flavors time to really come together and create an ultra creamy texture.
Need more chickie salad to serve or keep on hand for the week? Easy increase the number of servings using the sliding scale in the recipe card below.
Serving Suggestions
I tend to serve chicken salad more like a dip when friends come over to hangout or I’m hosting a game day party. Then it’s great with with buttery crackers, chips, and pretzels.
Want to make it a more low carb-friendly chicken salad recipe? Try serving it with my cloud bread recipe or cauliflower crackers, or with fresh veggies like more carrot sticks or celery sticks, thick slices of bell peppers, or cucumber slices.
When I’m having it as part of my weekly lunch plan, I use it make sandwiches or wraps, like you would a “traditional” creamy and chunky chicken salad.
Storage Notes
As I mentioned this is a fabulous buffalo chicken salad recipe to prep once and enjoy throughout the week. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try mixing in an extra tablespoon of mayo and another teaspoon or so of Cayenne pepper buffalo sauce (if you want to keep the same level of heat). I suggest combining the two in a bowl before stirring into the chicken salad so everything mixes in evenly.
Sure you can! Just keep in mind that it won’t have the same buffalo-style appeal and can make the salad more spicy without the cheese to balance the heat.
Yes and no… Can you? Technically yes, you can use thoroughly drained canned chicken to make the salad. Should you? In my opinion, no, you shouldn’t. The flavor of canned chicken is very distinct, and comes out more shredded in clumps. Firm and tender chunks of rotisserie or leftover chicken breasts are best.
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More Salad Recipes
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped cooked chicken leftover or rotisserie
- 1 cup finely chopped celery
- 3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup cayenne pepper sauce like Frank’s RedHot
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
Instructions
- Set out a large mixing bowl. Chop the chicken, vegetables, and herbs. (I like to leave the chicken in 1/2 – 3/4 inch chunks, but cut the celery and carrots pretty thin.) Place them all in the bowl.
- Add in the mayonnaise, cayenne pepper sauce, and crumbled blue cheese. Gently mix until well combined.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until ready to serve.
