A crunchy, filling, summery salad is a necessity in these early days of summer. This one has all my favorites combined. I am obsessed with buffalo chicken, it’s my favorite guilty pleasure. And since my life motto is all about moderation, this crunchy salad is healthy-ish enough that you don’t have to feel bad for downing that spicy chicken. In fact, there’s lots to feel good about in this salad. Avocado is SO good for you and I love giving my kids healthy fats. And speaking of my kids, they helped make this salad by picking the tomatoes off our tomato plant outside. So helpful! Just a tip, if you are serving this salad to little kids, I omitted the hot sauce from their chicken and just gave them the crispy chicken tenders. (They’re super delish without the hot sauce, anyway!) I hope you have a chance to make this soon. Enjoy! 😉
Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad With Avocado & Cilantro Dressing
Course: MainDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes35
minutesIngredients
1 lb chicken tenderloins
olive oil
1 large egg, whisked
1/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup Franks original hot sauce
3 cups washed and chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup carrots, diced
1/2 english cucumber, chopped
1 large avocado, sliced
For dressing:
1/2 cup mayonaisse
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 Tablespoons minced cilantro
1/2 tsp dried dill
1 lime, squeezed
pinch of salt
additional fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and generously grease a large sheet pan with olive oil. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the egg and buttermilk. Soak the chicken tenders in the egg mixture for about 20 minutes, making sure they are completely soaked.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and pepper. Mix well.
- One by one, douse each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture, flipping to coat both sides before placing on the sheet pan. Repeat until all the chicken is well coated. Place pan in oven and bake for approx 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until chicken is cooked through and crispy golden brown. Set chicken on paper towel or on cooling rack to drain any excess oil.
- To prepare salad, mix the lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers in a large salad bowl and top with slices avocado. For dressing, use a small mixing bowl to combine the mayo, spices, cilantro and lime juice. Mix well and set aside.
- Use a small dish to coat the chicken tenders in hot sauce, flip each in the sauce and then place on top of the chopped salad. Then, spoon the dressing over everything and garnish with additional fresh cilantro. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper over salad and serve! Enjoy.