Vegan Buffalo Chicken Salad

Here’s any easy and delicious vegan Buffalo chicken salad with all the lively textures and flavors of the familiar “Buffalo” composition. Vegan butter and hot sauce envelop plant-based chicken, which then nestles on a simple lettuce, carrot, and celery salad.

The Buffalo treatment has gotten to be a familiar formula — wings cooked in a combination of butter and Frank’s® hot sauce, served alongside raw carrots and celery with a creamy dressing, usually ranch. 

In the plant-based world, the wings are made from some sort of plant protein (there are even plant-based wings!). Cauliflower “wings” have gotten to be quite popular, too, though they’re not a protein source. 

For this recipe, we’ll keep things easy with packaged plant-based chick’n. You can now find vegan chicken in most any well-stocked supermarket or natural foods store, as well as online sources. For ideas on brands, see 12 Plant-Based Chicken Alternatives to Look for on Your Next Shopping Trip.

Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.

Explore more …

• Barbecue-Flavored Tempeh Salad
• Vegan Ranch Dressing
• Vegan “chicken”-style recipes
• Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Salad.
• Hearty vegan main dish salads

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Yield: 4

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Salad

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Here’s any easy and delicious vegan Buffalo chicken salad with all the lively textures and flavors of the familiar “Buffalo” composition. 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• Bottled or homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing (find link for recipe in Notes)

• 1 medium head romaine or other dark green lettuce, thinly sliced
• 
1 cup grated carrots

• 2 large or 3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced

• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter

• 1 tablespoon (more or less to taste) Frank’s® or similar hot sauce
• 
8- to 11-ounce package plant-based chick’n, cut into thin slices or bite-sized pieces

Instructions

1. If you’re making your own vegan ranch, do so first and set aside.
2. Combine the lettuce, carrots, celery, and scallion in a large shallow serving bowl and toss together. Add enough dressing to coat generously and toss again.
3. Heat the butter and hot sauce together in a medium skillet. Add the chick’n and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring often, until golden and crisp on most sides, about 8 to 10 minutes
4. Arrange the chick’n over the salad vegetables and serve at once, passing around remaining dressing to drizzle over individual servings.

Notes

Bottled ranch dressing isn’t always easy to find, so here’s a recipe for homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing or Dip.

Here are more ways to veganize classic recipes and more salads & sides.