Description
This Honey Hot Chicken Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish combining tender cooked chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy honey garlic and buffalo wing sauce, layered over fresh romaine lettuce and crisp vegetables. Enhanced with your choice of ranch dressing and optional shredded cheese, this salad offers a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and freshness, ideal for a quick lunch or light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Sauce
- 2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and diced
- ¼ cup Honey Garlic Sauce
- ¼ cup Buffalo Wing Sauce or plain hot sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot)
Salad
- 2 heads Romaine Lettuce, chopped and washed
- 3-6 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing or any dressing of choice
- ½ medium Red Onion, diced
- 1 large Red Bell Pepper, diced
- ½ large Cucumber, diced
- Cheese, shredded (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: In a small bowl, combine the cooked and diced chicken breasts with honey garlic sauce and buffalo wing sauce. Toss thoroughly until the chicken is evenly coated with the sweet and spicy sauces.
- Toss the Lettuce: In a large bowl, toss the chopped romaine lettuce with your choice of ranch dressing or preferred dressing until the leaves are well coated and flavorful.
- Assemble the Salad: Divide the dressed lettuce between two large plates or bowls. Top each portion with diced red onions, red bell pepper, cucumber, shredded cheese if using, and finally, the honey hot chicken mixture on top.
- Serve Immediately: Serve the assembled salads right away to enjoy the crisp freshness and vibrant flavors at their best.
Notes
- Homemade honey garlic sauce and buffalo wing sauce are highly recommended for the best flavor.
- Any kind of chicken can be used including chicken tenders, thighs, whole roasted chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or even leftover turkey.
- Make it vegan by substituting the chicken with crispy tofu, using a creamy vegan dressing and omitting the cheese.
- This salad can be used as a sandwich filling inside a tortilla wrap or a toasted hoagie roll for a delicious variation.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce based on your spice preference; reduce or omit for milder flavors or use a hotter sauce for extra heat.
- Assembled salads do not store well; if preparing ahead, keep ingredients separate and assemble just before serving.
- If you don’t like honey garlic sauce, you can substitute with homemade teriyaki sauce instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad bowl
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
