So... I don't know if this really counts as a taco salad.
I mean, it's got corn chips in it, but that's really about it. There's no beef, no taco seasoning... the taco seasoning might be only reason a taco salad is a taco salad. But, if we go by that logic, this is nothing more than a Buffalo Chicken salad, and that gets confusing with what we consider traditional, spread-on-a-sandwich chicken salad.
You can see why my head hurts on this one.
Names aside, I felt like a found a gap in buffalo chicken recipe development. There's just not enough sides with this classic flavor. I mean, there's chicken wings themselves, which pretty much work as a side for any pizza or pub-style meal. But outside of that, chicken wing sauce is reserved for the main dish or an appetizer. We all look for ways to be creative with chicken wing sauce as either a meal or a pre-cursor to the meal, but we never seem to look at ways to serve it as a side dish.
So, I decided to set to work, coming up with something that I could serve at one of my favorite types of events: the summer barbeque.
It could be because I'm just so sick of winter, but filling up on this salad makes me feel a little bit better, knowing that summer will eventually be here, even if it feels decades away right now.
This recipe gives me the buffalo chicken flavor I crave on a daily basis while saving room for all of the other sides that await me at a good ol' fashioned barbeque.
Whatever you want to call it, it's spicy and crunchy and creamy and wonderful all rolled into one delicious side dish!
Buffalo Chicken Taco Salad
1 lb. shredded or canned chicken
1/2 head of lettuce, roughly shredded
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 cups Buffalo-flavored tortilla chips
1 1/2 - 2 cups Ranch or Bleu cheese dressing
1-2 tsp hot sauce, depending on your spice preference
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl.
If you're transporting the salad, wait to add the chips until just prior to serving to keep them crisp.
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