Buffalo Chicken Cottage Cheese Salad (Print)

Protein-packed chicken salad with creamy cottage cheese, buffalo sauce, and crunchy veggies, ready in 35 minutes.

# Ingredients:

→ Chicken

01 - 1 lb chicken tenderloins
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
04 - Kosher salt to taste

→ Dressing

05 - ½ cup 2% cottage cheese
06 - ¼ cup 0% Greek yogurt
07 - 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
08 - 3 tbsp buffalo sauce
09 - 2 tsp ranch seasoning

→ Salad Mix-ins

10 - ⅓ cup sweet onion, finely diced
11 - ⅓ cup celery, finely diced
12 - ⅓ cup sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
13 - Cracked black pepper to taste
14 - Kosher salt for seasoning

# Directions:

01 - In a 3-quart pot, combine 2 cups water and 2 cups chicken broth with a pinch of kosher salt. Add chicken tenderloins and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Drain and cool, then shred using two forks.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, buffalo sauce, ranch seasoning, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
03 - Add shredded chicken, diced celery, diced onion, and grated cheddar cheese to the bowl with dressing. Fold everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with cracked black pepper and kosher salt as needed.
04 - Serve chilled with crackers, fresh vegetable crudités, or use as a sandwich filling. Optional: gently heat and serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in 35 minutes from start to finish, which means lunch doesn't have to be a last-minute scramble.
  • The cottage cheese makes it surprisingly creamy without feeling heavy—no mayo required, and your taste buds will actually appreciate the tang.
  • You can eat it cold, warm it up, or stuff it into a sandwich, making it weirdly adaptable to whatever mood you're in.
  • 31 grams of protein per serving means this actually keeps you satisfied, not just entertained.
02 -
  • Don't use mayonnaise-based dressing—the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt method actually tastes better and keeps the salad from feeling heavy, which I learned after one regrettable attempt to make it "creamier."
  • Shred the chicken while it's still slightly warm because cold chicken is stubborn and fights you; warm chicken practically falls apart.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning at the end, not just once—the flavors settle differently as ingredients meld together.
03 -
  • Don't skip the freshly grated cheese—it melts into the warm salad and tastes nothing like the pre-shredded stuff sitting in your fridge.
  • If you make this warm and want to serve it immediately, fold in the cheese last so it gets slightly melted and creamy without turning into a thick glob.
  • The lemon juice is non-negotiable because it cuts through the buffalo heat and cottage cheese richness in a way that keeps the whole thing from feeling heavy.
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