March is a big month, a transitional month. Our clocks spring forward, the days grow longer, and if you’re fortunate enough to head somewhere warm for spring break, bathing suit season has arrived. The thing is, so has March Madness. While cheering on your favorite team and carefully selecting your brackets, it’s likely that you’re snacking on party fare. Salty, cheesy, greasy bites that taste so good going down, but don’t exactly instill confidence when you’re slipping into that bikini.
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Buffalo Chicken Salad
But fear not, because not all party food is created equal. This buffalo chicken salad has all the flavors you crave, minus the guilt. Everything you love about classic buffalo wings and creamy blue cheese dressing gets lightened up without compromising on taste. Boneless, skinless chicken tenders are dunked in a spicy sauce, broiled and served over a crisp salad that’s been tossed with blue cheese dressing.
Chicken Tenders Recipe
The spicy sauce in this recipe omits the butter found in the classic, but I promise that you won’t miss it. After just a few short minutes in the broiler, the chicken tenders are juicy and moist and even better when dipped into the creamy blue cheese dressing. I skipped the mayo in the dressing and opted to blend Greek yogurt and buttermilk with the crumbled blue cheese. The cool, tangy dressing feels decadent, but this simple swap of yogurt for mayo makes this lighter version a great alternative.
Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe
No one wants to feel like they’re compromising or eating “diet food” when they’re kicking back and watching the game with friends. But that doesn’t mean you want to overindulge either. This buffalo chicken salad lives in that happy place in the middle. Big, bold flavors, a spicy kick and cool, crisp veggies make this salad a slam dunk for your March Madness party.
Buffalo Chicken Tenders Salad
Ingredients
Chicken Tenders
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp hot sauce (I used Franks RedHot)
- 1 ½ tsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 ½ lbs chicken tenders
Blue Cheese Dressing:
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1 tbsp chives, minced
Salad:
- 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 tbsp chives,minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together the brown sugar, hot sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, salt and paprika; add the chicken tenders and toss to coat.
- In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the blue cheese and chives and set bowl aside.
- Preheat the broiler and arrange chicken tenders on a sheet tray lined with nonstick foil.
- Broil the chicken tenders, 3-4 minutes, flip and broil an additional 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.
- In a large serving bowl toss together the lettuce, carrots, celery, chives and blue cheese dressing. Layer chicken tenders on top and serve.
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