Video Big Bad Buffalo Chicken Salad

A Zaxby’s copycat Buffalo Blue Zalad but BETTER. This Big Bad Buffalo Chicken Salad is loaded with crisp greens, crumbly blue cheese, grilled chicken doused in buffalo wing sauce, and these crispy onion tangles that totally blow my mind.

I had this Big Bad Buffalo Chicken Salad for dinner again last night. It’s my weakness. I am pretty much in love with it.

Also I need Christmas food to just STOP for a few days before we have a little get-together here over the weekend. I can’t look at another cookie until then. Brownies are out, too. I’ve vowed to buffalo everything for 3 days.

The obsession started, once again, with the lack of decent places to eat over here. I’m sure some of you think I am being bratty or exaggerating, but to give you an idea of what we are dealing with, we tried a new Mexican place a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t stomach the chips and salsa, let alone the food we ordered. They served us something I thought was queso dip but turned out to be spoiled mayonnaise with specks of color (ranch seasoning?!!!) and I DIDN’T EVEN DRINK MY MARGARITA!!!! It was all sour mix. It’s bad when I can’t even eat cheese or drink a margarita at a Mexican restaurant you guys.

So anyways, we determined awhile back that Zaxby’s seems to be on the safe list. And at least I can order a salad (zalad. whatever.)

EXCEPT.

Whenever I order a buffalo chicken salad with grilled chicken instead of fried, which is every. single. time., I am met with a blank stare by whoever is manning the cash register.

Sometimes they have to call a supervisor which is like the restaurant equivalent of getting the little light flipped on you in line at the grocery store. You know what I’m talking about. When all the people behind you let out that collective sigh like as if you just whipped out 1768655 coupons.

And then sometimes they have to tell the kitchen through the window since grilled chicken is unheard of in a chicken joint. I’m sure that conversation goes something like, “Yeah. This Basic over here wants grilled chicken on that salad.“

I’m good with the Basic status though, so my only option here was to just say ef it, and do it myself.

My salad’s better anyway.

Because it has two crucial things: pan grilled chicken and homemade onion tangles.

I first made these onion tangles for my Paunch Burger recipe. Piled high on a burger they are so ooooooooooooooooooooo oooo amazing. Sprinkled all over my salad with all their crunchy perfection they are even better.

Pan grilled chicken is not technically grilled chicken. But if you go to a diner and order grilled chicken this is normally what you get. I did not feel like standing on the back deck in the cold to light the grill. But you are welcome to if you are really hung up on the technicality.

I used almost a whole 12 ounce bottle of buffalo wing sauce with this recipe because I marinated the chicken in it AND then drizzled it over the top. It is so spicy good, you guys. I mean like I’d have it again today good.