Buffalo/BBQ Chicken Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

This is one of our go-to salads. We almost always have the ingredients on hand and every time we eat it, we look at each other and say, “I forgot how good this salad is!”

I am posting this recipe in the Spring so I used veggies in season, but you can easily change them out for veggies that are in season when you make it.

Pro tip: when we’re feeling particularly exhausted after a day of work and barely have it in us to even make dinner, we air-fry frozen chicken nuggets or tenders instead of breading the chicken ourselves.

Feeds 2-4 people (depending on how hungry you are)

Ingredients:

CHICKEN

1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 egg

½ c. AP flour

1 c. breadcrumbs

dash of salt and pepper

¼ c. buffalo or BBQ sauce

SALAD:

4-6 c. salad mix, spicy asian greens, arugula, spinach, a mix of greens, etc

3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into ribbons with a veggie peeler

1 small bunch radishes, thinly sliced

1 small bunch spring turnips, thinly sliced

1 small bunch of scallions, chopped (white and green parts)

¼ c. cilantro, chopped

4 hardboiled eggs, chopped

DRESSING:

¼ c. greek yogurt

2 T. mayo

1 Tbsp. milk or water

2 Tbsp. cilantro, minced

2 Tbsp. dill, minced

zest and juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. onion powder

Directions:

1. If you’re going to bake your chicken, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Otherwise, prepare your air fryer.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour with a dash of salt and pepper. In another small bowl, whisk the egg with a splash of water. And in a third small bowl, add the breadcrumbs.

3. Take a third of your chicken breast pieces and add them to the flour bowl. Toss to dredge in flour. Then add the chicken cubes to the egg mixture and dredge fully. Then add to the breadcrumb bowl and toss until fully coated in breadcrumbs. Scoop chicken out and set on a sheet pan or in an air fryer pan. Continue the process until all of the chicken is coated and placed on the pan.

4. Bake or air fry for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through, tossing half way through.

5. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salad: add the greens, carrots, radishes, turnips, scallions, cilantro, and hardboiled eggs to a large bowl and toss to mix.

6. Then, make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well-mixed. Add more milk or water to thin to desired consistency if you’d like.

7. In a medium bowl, toss the cooked chicken with the BBQ or buffalo sauce until well-coated.

8. Divide the salad into bowls and top with the chicken. Drizzle the dressing over each bowl and enjoy!