Easy Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese
Make a flavorful Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Salad! This easy recipe features tender shredded Buffalo-ranch chicken over crisp romaine with carrots, avocado, blue cheese, and blue cheese dressing.
Ingredients
(Original recipe yields 6 servings)
Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken:
- ▢ 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- ▢ 3/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce (e.g., Frank’s RedHot)
- ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
- ▢ 1 envelope (approx. 1 oz) ranch salad dressing mix (dry)
- ▢ (Optional: Salt and pepper to taste for chicken initially)
Salad Assembly:
- ▢ 1 package (10 ounces) hearts of romaine salad mix
- ▢ 1 cup julienned carrot
- ▢ 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
- ▢ 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- ▢ 1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing
Garnish (Optional):
- ▢ Extra crumbled blue cheese
- ▢ Chopped celery or green onions
Instructions
1. Prepare and Cook Buffalo Chicken in Slow Cooker:
- Place the boneless, skinless chicken breast halves into a 1.5- or 3-quart slow cooker. (If using a larger slow cooker, the chicken may cook faster).
- Pour the Buffalo wing sauce evenly over the chicken.
- Dot the top of the chicken and sauce with the pieces of butter.
- Sprinkle the entire contents of the ranch salad dressing mix packet over everything.
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid.
- Cook on the LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The chicken is done when it is cooked through, very tender, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C).
2. Shred Chicken and Combine with Juices:
- Once the chicken is cooked and tender, carefully remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and place them on a clean cutting board or plate.
- Let the cooking juices remain in the slow cooker. Skim any excess fat from the surface of the cooking juices if desired (though butter amount is modest).
- Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken.
- Reserve about 1/3 cup of the cooking juices from the slow cooker. Discard the remaining juices (or save for another use if very flavorful and not too fatty).
- Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker along with the reserved 1/3 cup of cooking juices. Stir well to coat the chicken and allow it to heat through on the WARM or LOW setting for a few minutes.
3. Assemble the Salad:
- In a large serving dish or individual salad bowls, place the hearts of romaine salad mix.
- Top the romaine lettuce evenly with the warm shredded Buffalo chicken mixture.
- Sprinkle the julienned carrot and the cubed ripe avocado over the chicken and lettuce.
- Generously sprinkle the crumbled blue cheese over all the salad components.
4. Dress and Serve:
- Drizzle the blue cheese salad dressing evenly over the top of the assembled salad.
- Serve the Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken Salad immediately. Enjoy!