So much of coming up with new ideas for dinner is composed of thinking of two things you love and bringing them together. Enter Buffalo Chicken Wedge Salad! Tangy, spicy (or not too spicy), savory shredded chicken thighs in homemade Buffalo sauce atop a grilled wedge of crisp iceberg lettuce that’s topped with our homemade blue cheese dressing. It’s a magic combination!
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE
- Skin peeled back for seasoning: Lifting the skin lets the rub sit directly on the thigh meat, and wrapping the skin back around the meat protects it as it cooks.
- Crispy chicken skin crumbles: The skins come off after cooking and crisp over direct flame, so they finish the salad like bacon bits.
- Grilled iceberg wedges: A short pass over the GrillGrates adds char marks and a hint of smoke while the lettuce stays crisp.
- Homemade buffalo sauce and smoked blue cheese dressing: A butter-and-hot-sauce glaze coats the shredded thighs, and a creamy dressing with smoked blue cheese adds cool, tangy contrast.
Buffalo Chicken Wedge Salad
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Appetizer
Cuisine
American
Servings
4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
994
Indulge in this exquisite recipe for a Buffalo Chicken Wedge Salad! Enjoy the tantalizing combination of tangy, spicy shredded chicken thighs and your homemade blue cheese dressing atop a crisp wedge of iceberg lettuce.
Ingredients
- 2 lb Chicken thighs
-
Cornhusker Kitchen Spray Duck Fat
-
Code 3 Spices Grunt Rub
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1 heirloom tomato, diced
- 2 tbsp chives, minced
-
2/3 cup Killer Hogs Hot Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
-
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp celery seed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 4 oz smoked blue cheese, crumbled
- 3 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
-
1 tsp Cattleman’s Grill 8 Second Ride Carne Asada Seasoning
-
Noble Saltworks Cherrywood Smoked Finishing Salt, to taste
For the buffalo sauce:
For the blue cheese dressing:
Directions
- To make the blue cheese dressing, combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 350ºF, set up for indirect grilling. Install GrillGrates on the bottom left side of the grill.
Peel the skin back from the thighs, leaving it attached at one end. Coat the meat with a layer of Cornhusker Kitchen Spray Duck Fat to act as a binder. Season the meat with Code 3 Spices Grunt Rub. Wrap the skin back around the thighs and season the skin, as well.
- Cook the chicken thighs on the second shelf until the internal temperature reaches 170ºF, about 1 hour, depending on the size of the thighs. Remove the chicken from the grill.
About 45 minutes into the cook, place a Lodge 8” Cast Iron Skillet on main cooking grate to preheat. When the pan is warm, add all Buffalo Sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the grill.
Remove the door of the two piece diffuser (or the entire diffuser) for direct grilling.
- Remove the chicken skins. Save and set aside. Pull the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and shred the meat by hand.
- Whisk the slightly cooled buffalo sauce again to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Pour the sauce over the shredded chicken, to taste. You may not need all the sauce, depending on the yield of the chicken thighs. Toss to coat. Cover and store in a warm place.
- Quarter the head of iceberg lettuce, leaving the stem attached to keep the quarters intact.
- Grill the chicken skins on the GrillGrates, over direct flame, until crispy. Be careful, as they can quickly burn. At the same time, place the quartered iceberg lettuce on the GrillGrates just long enough to get some grill marks. Leave the door of the grill open during this process.
- To build the salads, place a wedge in a salad bowl, cut side up. Cut off the core at the tip of the root end, that is holding the wedge together. Remove the first few leaf layers from the center of the wedge, creating a divot or cup to hold the chicken. Place a portion of buffalo chicken in that space. Top the chicken with blue cheese dressing, diced tomatoes and minced chives. Crumble the crispy chicken skins over the top of the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Wedge Salad.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why peel the skin back from the thighs before seasoning?
Pulling the skin away, but leaving it attached at one end, lets the rub sit directly on the meat. Wrapping the skin back over the seasoned meat protects it during the cook and gives the skin its own seasoning.
Why spray duck fat on the chicken before the rub?
The thin coat of fat works as a binder, so the Grunt Rub clings to the meat and stays put through the cook.
What internal temperature should the thighs reach?
Poultry is safe at 165°F. Dark meat is more tender when cooked a little higher, so this recipe takes the thighs to 170°F, which takes about an hour at 350°F depending on their size.
Why simmer the buffalo sauce in a skillet and whisk it again before using it?
Simmering the hot sauce, butter, and seasonings for about 5 minutes blends them into a sauce. Butter-based sauces can separate as they cool, so a quick whisk brings it back together before it goes over the chicken.
Why remove the skins and crisp them separately?
After cooking at 350°F, the skin is soft. Grilling it directly over flame turns it into crispy crumbles instead of leaving rubbery skin in the shredded chicken. Watch it closely, since it can burn quickly.
Why leave the stem on when quartering the iceberg lettuce?
The stem keeps each wedge together on the grill. Once grilled, cutting off the core lets the wedge open into a cup that holds the chicken.
Why scoop out the center of each wedge?
Removing the first few leaf layers makes a small hollow, so the shredded chicken sits inside the wedge instead of rolling off the sides.
How long does the blue cheese dressing keep?
Stored in the refrigerator, it keeps for up to one week.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
5 out of 5. A 350°F oven cooks the thighs the same way, a broiler or hot grill pan crisps the skins and chars the lettuce, and the sauce and dressing are stovetop and mixing-bowl work.
Recipe Highlights
Seasoned-under-the-skin thighs: Put flavor directly on the meat.
Crispy skin crumbles: Add crunch like bacon bits.
Grilled iceberg wedges: Give char and crisp contrast.
Buffalo sauce and smoked blue cheese dressing: Pair spicy and cool.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 18.61 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 994
- Carbs
- 22 grams
- Protein
- 76 grams
- Fat
- 69 grams
- Sodium
- 2159 milligrams
