If you’re craving a buffalo chicken salad, this vegetarian version will slash the calories without slashing the flavor. Are you sold yet?

The secret is using these vegetarian chicken patties from Morning Star. They are only 6 grams of fat and only 160 calories. Regular chicken patties or chicken nuggets are closer to 12 grams of fat and almost to 200 calories. And the chicken they use in the salad you are trying to be healthy ordering at the bar is FRIED!

These Chik’n patties are located in the freezer section of your grocery store.

Another way to cut fat is by using BBQ sauce and hot sauce together. Mixing these will give a thick wing sauce like consistency without adding butter, like most places do. Not only are you saving the calories from a restaurant salad from the fried chicken, but also from the butter I always forget is on my salad. What’s the point of ordering a salad when there is butter in it? Wouldn’t you rather get the nachos?

Ingredients for the Buffalo Chik Salad: 

1 tbsp. BBQ Sauce – I like Sweet Baby Ray’s

1 tbsp. hot sauce – like Frank’s Red Hot Original

1 Chik Patty from Morning Star or other vegetarian chicken patty

2 cups of lettuce, I used mixed greens but whatever you want, this is your lunch!

5 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

3 baby carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

Optional: 

2 tbsp. blue cheese crumbles or shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp. baked croutons

Dressings that would work: Light Blue cheese, Light Ranch or Honey Mustard 

HH Tip* I’m loving the dressings that are made with yogurt now- they are usually in the fancy cold dressing section of the produce section of your grocery store near the lettuce.

Directions: 

Cook your frozen vegetarian Chik’n patty in the microwave for 2.5 minutes. While that is cooking, mix together the BBQ sauce and Frank’s in a bowl. Take the sauce and spread it evenly on both sides of the cooked patty and chop it up into bite size pieces.

Layer the tomatoes, baby carrots and celery on the bottom of your salad container, next layer the lettuce. Top with the wing sauce covered patty, cheese and croutons.

I poured a little light ranch dressing down the side of the container so I didn’t have to lug a bottle with me to work today and it won’t wilt the lettuce.

Enjoy!