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Buffalo chicken salad brings the wing-night flavor to a proper dinner plate. Almond-crusted chicken breasts get a dip in fermented hot pepper sauce and land on romaine with celery and carrot in a creamy coconut dressing. It's spicy, crunchy and completely paleo.
Pro Tips
- Pat the chicken completely dry before dredging, and press the almond meal and tapioca starch coating on firmly so the crust survives the flip.
- Brown the first side for a full 6-8 minutes before flipping; that's where the crust sets. Then drop to medium-low and cook to 160 degrees internal.
- Rest the chicken 5 minutes before slicing it into half-inch pieces — the juices stay in the meat instead of flooding the salad.
- Whisk the creamy dressing and the hot pepper sauce mixture in separate bowls; the chicken gets tossed only in the hot sauce mix, gently, so the breading stays on.
- Toss the romaine, celery and carrots with the creamy dressing first, then arrange the sauced chicken on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the chicken taste 'buffalo'?
The cooked chicken is coated in a mixture of Louisiana-style fermented hot pepper sauce, olive oil and blackstrap molasses — the classic hot-wing glaze, without the deep fryer.
How spicy is it?
It depends on your fermented hot pepper sauce. Half a cup gives genuine wing-night heat; ease off if you want it milder over the creamy dressing.
Why dredge the chicken in almond meal?
The almond meal and tapioca starch crust gives the chicken a coating for the buffalo sauce to cling to — without it, the sauce slides straight off.
Can I make components ahead?
The dressings keep well in the fridge, and the chicken is great cold or reheated. Just toss the salad and sauce the chicken at serving time.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1.
- Whisk coconut milk, Mayonnaise, dried parsley, water, lemon juice, garlic, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper together in small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk Louisiana-Style Fermented Hot Pepper Sauce, olive oil, and blackstrap molasses together.
- 2.
- Combine almond meal and tapioca or arrowroot starch in shallow dish.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with sea salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in almond meal mixture, pressing on coating to adhere.
- Heat coconut oil in twelve-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just shimmering.
- Add chicken and cook until well browned on first side, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Flip chicken, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until chicken registers 160° F, 6 to 8 minutes longer.
- Transfer chicken to carving board, allow to rest for 5 minutes, and then slice crosswise into half-inch-thick pieces.
- 3.
- Toss lettuce, celery, and carrots with dressing and divide among four plates. Gently coat the chicken, being careful not to remove the almond meal breading, with hot pepper sauce mixture and arrange on top of salads.
- Serve.
