Originally posted Aug 23, 2015. Updated as of March 25, 2018.
Sundays are for meal prep. For me, that means figuring out what to make for lunches that will both travel well (to the office) and last until the end of the week! I've been building up a collection of JUST these types of recipes... so some day, I'll have to share a round-up post!
Today though, I'll just share this one easy, delicious, lunch-tastic recipe for Buffalo Chicken Salad. You can start with whatever chicken you have -- baked, Instant Pot, grilled, whatever! If you're looking for a great shortcut, start with a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, or even use canned chicken! I have made this recipe ALL of these ways and you really can't go wrong.
I can not get enough of buffalo chicken flavored things. Give me all of the buffalo things. Good news for me, Frank's Red Hot is Whole30 approved, so I can make and consume buffalo things to my heart's content, even during a Whole30. (Like these Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats).
This buffalo chicken salad is perfect for lunch, served over a bed of mixed greens, scooped up with celery sticks, or really, just eaten straight from the bowl with a fork!
Buffalo Chicken Salad
[Whole30 - Paleo - Gluten Free - Dairy Free]
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked and chopped/shredded chicken breast (or canned!)
1/3 - 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot (depending on how spicy you like it)
1/2 cup Whole30 Mayo (I use this recipe from The Healthy Foodie)
2-3 stalks celery, finely chopped (I leave this out if I'm serving with celery sticks)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
Instructions:
Cook the chicken however you'd like, then chop or shred it. I used the slicing blade in my food processor to shred the chicken, but you could just as easily shred it with two forks (or start with canned chicken!)
Chop celery and onions, then add those to the bowl. Mix in mayonnaise and hot sauce, adjusting as desired for consistency and taste. I sometimes leave out the celery if I'm serving this recipe with celery sticks (which I almost ALWAYS do).
After a good mix, it's done. BUT, if you'd like to package it up for lunches for the week, follow the steps below.
Lay out 8 squares of plastic wrap. Divide chicken salad evenly among the 5 squares, placing a scoop right in the middle of the sheet. You should get about 8 half cup scoops.
Fold each of the corners/sides in to form the chicken salad into a tightly wrapped little bundle.
In separate plastic containers, portion out 2 cups of baby spinach or mixed greens. Top with the chicken salad bundle and store along with some cut celery stalks for grab-and-go lunches!
Buffalo Chicken Salad – Maria Makes: Super simple make-ahead lunch that you can meal prep and enjoy all week! Like a healthier version of Buffalo Chicken Dip! #whole30 and #paleo