As a girl born in Buffalo, NY, I will always have a love for hot sauce, buffalo flavored anything. But sometimes, okay…most times, my taste buds can’t handle the heat. Jason thinks that statement makes absolutely no sense, since homeboy loves anything spicy. If we go out to eat, instead of sharing wings, we usually have to get two orders; mild/medium, and hot/nuclear and take home leftovers. Unfortunately for Jason, I do most of the cooking at our casa, and therefore I tend to win the Battle of the Buffalo.
But since I like to feed my husband food he will actually eat {and enjoy}, I feel I have finally found the right spicy, heat combo for buffalo chicken. My trick is to serve over salad, allowing for the flavor we both love, while slightly cooling the h.e.a.t. that yours truly can’t handle. Plus, shredded chicken in a crock pot is a much healthier version of the fried wing, and so I call this meal, a win on many counts!
Shredded Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
32 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
3/4 bottle hot sauce
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
dash salt and pepper
For the salad:
{serves one}
2 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 stalk celery
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons dressing of your choice {I like yogurt ranch dressing, personally}
1-2 tablespoons tortilla strips, optional
To make:
In crock pot, combine chicken, garlic cloves, garlic salt, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.
Remove chicken, and shred. With the natural juice from chicken, add to a saucepan with hot sauce and butter. Bring to boil. Return shredded chicken with hot sauce mixture to crock pot, and cook on low for 1 hour. Makes approximately 2 cups of shredded buffalo chicken.
To prepare salad, combine all ingredients and top with cooled buffalo chicken.
Enjoy!
For more spicy dishes, see what others are cooking this week!
Snappy Starters & Snacks
Hatch Chile, Grape & Grilled Onion Salsa from Shockingly Delicious
Spicy Tempeh Chips from The Urban Mrs
Sriracha Popcorn from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
Cheese, Smoked Paprika and Fennel Crackers from What Smells So Good?
Banana Pepper Poppers from Daily Dish Recipes
Spicy Black Bean and Corn Soup from Mama’s Blissful Bites
Caldo de Camaron y Pescado (Shrimp & Fish Soup) from girlichef
Bajia with Tomato and Chili Chutney from My cute bride
Buffalo Chicken {shredded} Salad from Casa de Crews
Baked Sriracha Potato Chips (Crisps) from Mess Makes Food
Smoky Salmon Chowder from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Hummus with Spicy Turkish Ezme Salad from Neighborfood
Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppedew Peppers from Healthy. Delicious.
Fiery Main Dishes
Spicy Stuffed Mexican Peppers from Peanut Butter and Peppers
Jalapeno Popper Fettuccine Alfredo from Chocolate Moosey
Baked Tilapia en Escabeche from La Cocina de Leslie
Spicy Grilled Chicken Wings with a Chipotle Honey Dipping Sauce from Runner’s Tales
Chorizo and Scallop Skewers from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Buffalo Chicken Pizza from Cookin’ Mimi
Thai Cashew Chicken from Doggie at the Dinner Table
Skillet Jambalaya from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Firecracker Chicken from Juanita’s Cocina
Cumin, Coriander and Fennel Turkey Pitas from Cook the Story
Aubergine and Chickpea Curry from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Savory Tomato & Poblano Pie from An Appealing Plan
Venison Mole Rojo from Curious Cuisiniere
Za’atar Chicken with Fattoush from Food Lust People Love
Crispy Oven Fried Buffalo Chicken Tenders from In The Kitchen With KP
Tofu Hariyali Kebabs-(Tofu Kebabs in Cilantro Sauce) from Soni’s Food
Skinny Buffalo Chicken Strips from Webicurean
BBQ Chicken Pizza with Poblano Peppers and Pepitas from The Wimpy Vegetarian
Spicy Thai Beef Salad from Magnolia Days
Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Spicy Lemon Paprika Chicken Thighs from Family Foodie
Searing Sauces & Seasonings
Homemade Buffalo Sauce from Growing Up Gabel
Homemade Creole & Cajun Seasonings from The Foodie Army Wife
Spicy Tomato Sauce from Basic N Delicious
Whole grain Mustard recipe – Moutarde à l’ancienne from Masala Herb
Homemade Sriracha Sauce from kimchi MOM
Zesty Sweets & Sips
Cinnamon Streusel Scones from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Chocolate Chili Ice Cream (No Machine) from Gotta Get Baked
Habanero Cooler from My Other City By The Bay
Cinnamon Monkey Bread from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Cinnamon Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies with Ice Cream from Vintage Kitchen Notes
Goldilocks and the 3 Asian-Fusion Bars from NinjaBaking.com
hi do you add the shredded chicken into the sauce pan too? or only the butter and hot sauce
Hi Steven! I only add the butter and sauce to a pan to boil together. Then I add that back to the shredded chicken IN the crockpot to cook together for another hour or so.
I love buffalo sauce and love that you can adapt this to cool it down or spice it up! Looks like a great weeknight meal.
So clever, all my favourites in one fabulous salad.
Lettuce does cool down the spicy heat very well. I’ve yet to try cooking chicken in the crock pot. Looks like it is a great way to get shredded chicken for the salad.
This looks amazing and I may actually be able to get my husband to eat a salad if I serve him this…he loves all things buffalo!
So hubby has been asking me to make buffalo chicken wings for a while but I am on a diet and have been avoiding it. This looks like a fantastic compromise.
Yummm that looks delicious! I’ll be trying this recipe soon. Thanks for sharing!
What a great salad!!
Buffalo chicken is one of my favorites and I love that you put it on a salad!
Ooh! I’ve never put buffalo chicken in a salad! Fun idea!
I like your technique of the hot sauce at the end… I found adding it at the beginning tasted bitter
Exactly, Sarah. I totally agree.
I love hot sauce, and this looks fabulous! I’m definitely going to make this recipe. Thanks for the idea!
You’re welcome, Andi! Enjoy 🙂
This looks SO good, thanks girl!!!
Buffalo chicken in a crock pot? I *must* try this!
Let me know how it turns out!
That looks so amazing! I love Buffalo chicken.
This looks AMAZING!!! Daddy F and I both LOVE hot wings but we have been trying to eat healthier recently. I think this is a good compromise to getting the flavors we love without frying the crap out of the chicken! 😉
This looks amazing – must try. Thanks for sharing!
Such a marvelous salad! I’m going to have to top my next one with Buffalo chicken…YUM!
Enjoy, Liz!
Buffalo chicken in a salad?! What a great idea, Nichole! I’m always on the lookout for a new salad, especially during summer. This looks delicious!
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good buffalo chicken salad. I like that the chicken here is shredded! Healthier than using the fried stuff, and I bet it distributes throughout the whole plate nicely.
If I order a buffalo chicken salad out, they almost always come with fried, and while it TASTES good, this way is so much better 🙂
Thanks Nichole! I’m making this tonight!
Mmmmm…the spicy chicken with the cool salad! One of my faves!
How smart to add the spicy sauce at the end of the cooking process, bet the meat is nice moist and the salad would definitely satisfy my food cravings and my husband’s as well. =)
I’m just sad that I didn’t think to add the sauce to the end until very recently, but I love it like this!
I love Buffalo Chicken and your salad looks perfect!!
Thanks, Jennifer!
I haven’t made the crockpot buffalo chicken in a long time, but I think I remember it being pretty dry. Great idea to add the sauce at the end. This salad looks mouthwatering!
I love crock pot buffalo chicken! I’ve had the leftovers on a baked sweet potato before and that was also super tasty! 🙂
This sounds great. I’m a Buffalo fanatic and need to make this