Forget everything you know about chicken salad. This recipe brings some pretty big flavors and lots of crunch! Juicy grilled chicken in a sweet, tangy, creamy, spicy dressing with fresh carrots and green onions. Add this to your weekly meal prep for a healthy, satisfying lunch you can keep in the fridge for days and prepare lots of different ways!
Here’s what you need for the dressing:
This dressing is a star on its own! It’s the most perfect balance of sweetness and heat, with tangy buttermilk to cool it down. I love enjoying it as a dip for crisp veggies as well as a spread for sandwiches. It does the hard work in this salad by injecting lots of big flavors in plain grilled chicken breasts.
Feel free to make adjustments to the heat if necessary. If you aren’t a huge fan of spicy food, start with a bit less sriracha and continue to add until the flavor is right for you. I do think you will find that even with these spicy ingredients, the finished dressing isn’t overly hot. The heat is balanced by the sweetness in the honey and the sweet chili sauce. And the mayo and buttermilk really does calm everything down.
Here’s what you need for the chicken salad:
This recipe is a great way to use up leftover chicken. I prefer grilled because I like the caramelization and the crust makes for a nice meaty texture in the salad. You could use any type of prepared chicken breasts such as baked, pan seared or even rotisserie. Just make sure it is seasoned simply with salt and not a lot of other flavors, because they can interfere with the bang bang sauce.
Once you have your sauce and all of your ingredients prepped, just toss everything in a big bowl.
Pour over the bang bang sauce and mix well, coating all of the diced chicken.
Technically, you can enjoy this right away, but I think it’s best after an hour or so in the fridge. That way the chicken has time to absorb all of the flavors of the dressing, making it extra juicy and extra delicious!
What to eat with bang bang chicken salad:
There are so many possibilities! It’s delicious on its own, straight out of a bowl with a fork! It also makes a great filling for sandwiches and wraps. For some low carb options, spoon it into crisp romaine lettuce or cucumber boats or just enjoy it as a salad by piling it over fresh veggies with an extra drizzle of sweet chili sauce!
Other recipes to try:
Bang Bang Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the Bang Bang dressing:
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp sriracha chili paste
- 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the chicken salad:
- 1 1/2 lbs cooked chicken breast such as grilled, baked or rotisserie
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 cup diced green onion
Instructions
Make the Bang Bang dressing.
- Whisk everything together and set aside. Taste adjust ingredients based on your personal preferences.
Make the chicken salad.
- Toss the diced chicken with the carrots and green onion. Add the dressing and fold everything together. Keep refrigerated until needed. Top with sesame seeds (optional.) Use in sandwiches, wraps or as a stand alone salad.