Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad 

Take Caesar salad to the next level by adding buffalo chicken over top. Chicken is marinated overnight and then grilled to perfection and placed on a caesar salad. This buffalo chicken caesar salad is spicy, cheesy, creamy and so good. If you want a light meal with a small kick, this recipe gives you just that. Eat this for dinner or meal prep it for work or school. 

Jump to Recipe

Jump to:

• About The Recipe 
• The Ingredients to Make Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad
• How The Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad Is Made 
• Tips and Tricks 
• Common Questions 
• Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad

About The Recipe 

• Prepping the salad only takes about 15 minutes. Grilling the chicken also takes about 15 minutes. This is a simple meal you can prep for the night before and make in no time. 
• Chicken is marinated overnight in a tangy, smoky, buffalo sauce. The recipe calls for the chicken to be grilled but you can pan fry and cook indoors. See common questions for more information on this. 
• This caesar salad is not complicated, keep it simple by using a store-bought caesar salad dressing. Feeling adventurous and want to make the dressing from scratch? See the recipe down below under common questions. 

The Ingredients to Make Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad

For the salad

• Romain lettuce - it’s soft and crunchy and varies in color between dark to light green. The variations in color and texture make this salad super good. 
• Croutons - I usually opt for a cheese or garlic crouton. Feel free to use a seasoned crouton for even more flavor 
• Parmesan cheese - shredded from the block is best but packaged or pre-sliced parmesan will suffice in this recipe 
• Caesar salad dressing - use your favorite brand, we like them all. Keep this separate from the salad until serving 

For the chicken 

• Chicken breast - boneless and skinless. If you’re using large chicken breasts consider pounding until thin or slice in half. 
• Buffalo hot sauce - you can substitute this ingredient and use the hot sauce of your choice. However, buffalo hot sauce is our favorite because it contains butter, garlic, and isn’t too spicy. 
• Lemon juice - this makes the sauce even more tangy. 
• Smoked paprika - can be substituted for regular paprika but the smoked gives it a delicious smoky flavor 
• Onion powder & garlic powder 

How The Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad Is Made 

Step 1: Marinate the chicken by placing the chicken in an airtight container with buffalo sauce, lemon juice, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Let marinate for up to 24 hours. 

Step 2: Grill the chicken over medium to medium high eat on each side for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the grill and let sit while you prep the salad. 

Step 3: Assemble the salad by adding chopped Romain lettuce to a bowl. Top with shredded parmesan, black pepper, croutons, and caesar dressing. Toss the salad to ensure all of the Romain is coated with the dressing. After the chicken has cooled, slice into bite sized pieces and place over the salad. Serve the buffalo chicken caesar salad immediately. 

Tips and Tricks 

• If making ahead don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to serve the salad. Adding the salad dressing will make the lettuce wilt and could cause an undesirable texture in the salad. 
• Use a crunchy lettuce. Caesar salads are typically made with a crunchy salad. Romain is great because the top is very green and softer while the bottom is light and crunchy. You get the best of both worlds. However, If you cannot find romaine, try iceberg or butterhead. 
• Marinate your chicken overnight. Marinating your chicken will give you the flavor you’re looking for. Instead of the flavor being on the outside of the chicken it will be all throughout. After you’ve added the sauce to the chicken in the container, try poking holes into the chicken with a fork so the sauce can permeate into the chicken adding even more flavor! 
• Before adding the marinade to the chicken, reserve some in a separate container. Use this to brush over the cooked chicken for even more flavor. Consider brushing this over your chicken as it cooks as well. This makes your chicken juicy, saucy, and so good! 
• Try not to marinate more than 24 hours. The lemon in the marinade can be absorbed into your chicken and make it too tangy if it sits in it too long. 

Common Questions 

Can I make my own Caesar salad dressing? 

Yes, you can certainly make caesar salad dressing homemade. One of my favorites is this one.

Can I meal prep this buffalo chicken caesar salad? 

Yes, meal prepping this is very easy. I have meal prepped this for my husband on more than one occasion. To meal prep, add the lettuce, cheese, and pepper to the container. After the chicken has cooked let it cool before topping the lettuce so you don’t wilt the lettuce. In a small container or a bag, add the croutons. Keeping the croutons separate is essential if you don’t want them to soften as they’re sitting in the fridge. Don’t forget to place the dressing in a small container next to or inside of the meal prep container. 

Can I cook the chicken on the stove instead of grilling? 

Yes. The marinated buffalo chicken is great on the stove. To cook simply heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Once heated add the chicken breasts and cook on medium to medium high for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through completely. Wait until the sides start cooking before you flip the chicken. Make sure your chicken is cooked thoroughly using a thermometer which should read 165 degrees, or slice through the thickest part and make sure you don’t see anymore pink and the juices run clear.