Chili’s Buffalo Chicken Salad [Copycat Recipe]
This is my take on the famous Chili's Buffalo Chicken Salad. I LOVE the crispy, spicy chicken and fresh vegetables. I made Pico de Gallo with some jalapeño and drizzled it with lime juice for the zing. The star of the meal is the signature buffalo sauce for coating the chicken.
Equipment
- 1 grill pan
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 oz chicken breast
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 egg (medium)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 5 tbsp buffalo sauce
Pico de Gallo
- 1 Romain tomato (small)
- ½ red onion
- 1 spring onion
- ½ jalapeño
- ½ lime (juiced)
Tortilla Strips
- ½ tortilla
- 1 tsp paprika
- pepper (to taste)
Ranch Dressing
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- ½ tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp buttermilk
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- dill, parsley, chives (to taste)
For Salad
- ½ carrot (shredded)
- 2 cups Romain salad
Instructions
Preparing the Chicken
- In a bowl, big enough to dip the chicken, mix flour, eggs, and spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Give it a good stir, so it’s smooth without lumps of flour.
- Cut the chicken breasts into strips. Dip the chicken strips into the coating and let it soak for a moment while you’re preparing the crunch.
- In a zip-lock bag or a bowl combine breadcrumbs and more salt and pepper, to taste. Place the chicken in the mix and coat it thoroughly with crumbs.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray it with some cooking oil, and arrange the chicken strips.
- Spray some more oil over the tenders and bake them at 400-450 °F (200-230 °C). Bake them for about 12-14 minutes in the middle rack. Broil them for an additional 3 minutes for the crisp.
Preparing Pico de Gallo
- Chop tomato, spring onion, red onion, and jalapeño into pea-size pieces. Juice a lime, pour it over the vegetables, mix, and let it sit for a bit to soak up the flavors.
Making Tortilla Strips
- Slice a tortilla into the strips, brush it with some oil, and coat it with some paprika and pepper. Arrange it on the baking paper and toss it in the oven for 3-5 minutes, right after the chicken to crisp up.
Making a Ranch Dressing
- In a dish, mix sour cream, mayo, buttermilk, and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, parsley, and chives.
Assembling the Salad
- In a bit larger bowl, pour the buffalo (hot wing) sauce, place the chicken tenders in, and give them a good coat.
- On a large plate, make a bed out of chopped Romain lettuce and shredded carrot. Top with Pico de Gallo, sprinkle crumbled turkey bacon and blue cheese and round it with buffalo chicken tenders.
- Drizzle the ranch sauce on top or leave it in the bowl at the side.
Notes
Storing Tips
Store the chicken for up to 3 days, without coating it in sauce before. Ranch will be good for up to 2 weeks and Pico de Gallo for 3 days.
Before diving into the nutritional details, please review our Nutritional Disclaimer page for important context and clarifications.