Description
Healthy Buffalo Quinoa Chicken Salad is a bold, protein-packed meal featuring shredded buffalo chicken, fluffy quinoa, crisp veggies, and a creamy yogurt dressing. It’s spicy, satisfying, and perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped
- 1/3 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, shredded or diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups spinach or romaine lettuce (optional, for serving)
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese or feta (optional)
- Dressing:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or light ranch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss cooked chicken with buffalo sauce until evenly coated. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, celery, carrots, bell pepper, red onion, and cherry tomatoes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt or ranch, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
- Add buffalo chicken to the quinoa and veggie mixture. Gently toss to combine.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad or serve it on the side. Mix to combine if desired.
- Serve over a bed of spinach or romaine and top with crumbled blue cheese or feta if using.
- Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for later.
Notes
Use rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked quinoa for quicker prep.Swap quinoa for cauliflower rice or brown rice if preferred.Add avocado or cucumber for more texture.Use dairy-free yogurt and omit cheese to make it dairy-free.Store dressing separately to keep salad fresh for meal prep.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
