Finding an alternative to the buffalo wing while on Weight Watchers was a challenge. Not any more! This slow cooker shredded buffalo chicken salad is a perfect substitute for those chicken wing cravings (we all have them…don’t think you are alone)!
I admit it. I miss chicken wings. Specifically, I miss honey BBQ chicken wings (boneless or on the bone). A chicken wing on Weight Watchers is 6 SmartPoints. ONE CHICKEN WING IS 6 POINTS! Yea…I haven’t even gone down that rabbit hole yet because I know if I have one, I will want 10. And a side of fries. And my beloved Angry Orchard cider (9 SmartPoints).
So, I had to come up with a solution because the cravings got bad. Like really bad. Like I could have blown it one night when we went to our local pizza joint. This solution came in the form of a buffalo chicken salad. What I love about this buffalo chicken recipe is that you can use it for anything. We made tacos with it, the salad (of course) and so many other things. I’ll be sharing more in later posts, so be prepared for this becoming a staple around here.
While I don’t think these cravings will ever go away, I know that making this slow cooker shredded buffalo chicken salad is a smarter move than those 6-point-a-piece buffalo chicken wings. This salad is only 2 SmartPoints, and tastes almost like the chicken wings. Yes, it’s a little different since you eat this with a fork and the wings with your hands, but it’s much smarter when it comes to my daily SmartPoint allowance.
To make this slow cooker shredded buffalo chicken salad recipe:
Cook the Chicken
In a slow cooker, add the chicken breasts, chicken broth, onion and celery stick. Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8 hours.
Assemble the Salad
Once the chicken is cooked, take the breasts out and shred it with 2 forks. This should be easy since the chicken has been cooking for hours. After it is shredded, place it in a medium bowl and add the buffalo sauce. Stir to completely coat the chicken.
In a serving bowl, mix together the lettuce, tomato, carrots and cucumbers. Sprinkle the cheese on top and place the buffalo chicken on top of the cheese. Serve immediately.
Slow Cooker Shredded Buffalo Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 onion quartered
- salt and pepper
- 1 celery stick roughly chopped
- 2 cups buffalo sauce
- 3 Tablespoons light ranch dressing
- 1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- romaine lettuce
- cucumber chopped
- tomato chopped
- carrots chopped or shredded
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- In a slow cooker, add the chicken breasts, chicken broth, onion and celery stick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8 hours.
Assemble the Salad
- Once the chicken is cooked, take the breasts out and shred them with 2 forks. This should be easy since the chicken has been cooking for hours.
- After it is shredded, place it in a medium bowl. Add the buffalo sauce and stir to completely coat the chicken.
- In a serving bowl, mix together the lettuce, tomato, carrots and cucumbers. Sprinkle the cheese on top and place the buffalo chicken on top of the cheese. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Oh Zaxby’s. I love LOVE LOVE Zaxby’s and all the bad things they offer. I love their BBQ Boneless wings so much. I do think that this salad would be comparable to your Zaxby’s salad (just add blue cheese crumbles). I loved this salad so much – and we could use the chicken in so many different things. Yum!
One of my major weaknesses is a Zaxby’s Buffalo Blue Zalad, and this looks like a pretty amazing approximation of that! I’ll have to try making this.
Thank you Meagan – it’s so good and perfect for multiple meals. I love it.
Yum, pinning this now! I love recipes like this where you can make multiple meals out of one cook time!
Ummm, with two forks…hahaha
Thanks Rachael – it’s so good. And can be used for so many different things – yummo.
Haha. I love shredded chicken and using 2 forks to shred it is so much easier. I’d hate to find out how you had to shred your chicken. Haha!
It’s so good. I’ll have to check out this ranch dressing. So yummy.
Yum! Totally pinning this!
I made buffalo chicken oven baked tacos last week and the shredding of the chicken was an exercise! Totally doing it this way next time..YUM!