Description
Honey Hot Chicken Salad is a flavorful and vibrant dish combining tender cooked chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy honey garlic and buffalo wing sauce, layered over fresh romaine lettuce and crunchy vegetables. This easy-to-make salad is perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner and can be customized with your favorite dressing and optional cheese for extra richness.
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
- Combine Chicken and Sauces: In a small bowl, add the cooked and diced chicken, the honey garlic sauce, and the buffalo wing sauce. Toss well to ensure all pieces are evenly coated with the sauces, allowing the sweet and spicy flavors to meld.
- Prepare the Salad Base: In a separate large bowl, toss the chopped romaine lettuce with your preferred amount of ranch dressing or any dressing of your choice until the leaves are lightly but evenly coated.
- Assemble the Salad: Divide the dressed romaine lettuce between two large plates or bowls. Top each with diced red onions, red bell pepper, cucumber, and shredded cheese if using. Then, spoon the honey hot chicken mixture on top.
- Serve Immediately: Serve the salad right away to enjoy the crispness of the vegetables and the vibrant flavors of the chicken with the dressing.
Notes
- Homemade honey garlic sauce and buffalo wing sauce are highly recommended for best flavor.
- Any kind of cooked chicken can be used, including chicken tenders, chicken thighs, whole roasted chicken, shredded rotisserie chicken, or leftover turkey.
- To make this dish vegan, substitute chicken with crispy tofu, use a creamy vegan dressing, and omit the cheese.
- Use this salad as a sandwich filling inside a tortilla wrap or a toasted hoagie roll for a hearty meal.
- Adjust the amount of hot sauce according to your heat preference; reduce or omit it for milder taste or substitute with hotter sauce if preferred.
- The prepared salad does not hold well when stored assembled; store ingredients separately and assemble immediately before serving.
- If you don’t like honey garlic sauce, teriyaki sauce is a great alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
