Description
Perfect for a delicious lunch or dinner, this Low FODMAP* Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Salad features crispy chicken tenders dipped in a homemade, buffalo-style hot sauce, placed on a crisp salad and topped with a cool and creamy low FODMAP homemade ranch dressing. Low FODMAP (at 1 serving), Paleo and Whole30 compliant. Spicy food warning: this recipe contains spicy ingredients, which may cause adverse symptoms in some people with IBS. *Please note: since its original posting, some of the ingredients in this recipe have been retested for FODMAPs by Monash University. See notes below for further details.
Ingredients
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Low FODMAP Chicken Tenders:
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
- Avocado oil cooking spray (or your preferred cooking spray)
Low FODMAP Salad:
- 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, coarsely-shredded
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved*
- 1 bunch scallions, green tops only, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced*
- Your other favorite low FODMAP salad ingredients
Low FODMAP Ranch Dressing:
- 1/2 batch of my Low FODMAP Ranch Dressing*
Low FODMAP Buffalo Sauce:
- 1/3 cup low FODMAP hot sauce*
- 3 tablespoons ghee (or butter if not needing Paleo/Whole30), melted
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut aminos, or if not needing Paleo/Whole30, tamari sauce (if needing gluten-free) or soy sauce (not gluten-free)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F for 10 minutes. While your air fryer preheats, combine almond flour, sea salt, paprika, and pepper in a large bowl, whisk to combine, and set aside. Place chicken strips in another large bowl. Add tapioca flour to the bowl and toss with your hands to coat the strips evenly. Add the garlic-infused oil and toss again to coat. Dredge each strip in the almond flour mixture, shaking off the excess, and set on a plate.
- Once your air fryer has preheated, spray the pan with cooking spray. Using tongs, place half of the breaded chicken strips in the pan in one layer, ideally not touching one another. Spray the strips lightly with cooking spray. Air fry for 10 minutes, flipping half way through. Once the first batch has cooked, place on a clean plate using a clean set of tongs and set aside. Using tongs, take one of the thickest strips out of the air fryer and check its temperature using an instant read thermometer. The temperature of cooked chicken should be at least 165° F (75° C) to be safely consumed. Once the first batch is the proper temperature, repeat these steps for the second half of the strips.
- While the chicken strips are frying, prepare a half-batch of my homemade low FODMAP ranch dressing recipe, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Chop the ingredients under "low FODMAP salad," place in a large serving bowl, and refrigerate.
- A minute or two before the chicken strips are done, in a large bowl, add the ingredients under "low FODMAP buffalo sauce," whisk to combine and set aside until all the chicken strips are cooked. If the sauce solidifies, microwave it (covered) for about 20 seconds and whisk again.
- Once the second batch of strips has finished cooking, if desired, place the first batch back in the air fryer on top of the second batch and air fry at 400° F for a minute or so until heated (I typically skip this step as they're going on a cold salad anyway). Using tongs, take each strip out of the air fryer, dip in the buffalo sauce until fully-coated and place on a plate. Chop strips horizontally into small pieces if desired and serve on top of the salad with the ranch dressing.
Equipment
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Instant Pot Vortex Plus 10-quart Air Fryer
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Buy Now → Notes
- Monash FODMAP Retesting: This recipe was posted prior to Monash University retesting red bell pepper for FODMAPs. While their previous tests reported them to be FODMAP-free, their more recent tests show they contain the FODMAP fructose and are low FODMAP in quantities of up to 1/3 cup per serving. Eaten in combination with cherry tomatoes, which also contain fructose, has the potential for FODMAP stacking. If you are able to tolerate fructose or had no problems with red bell peppers and/or cherry tomatoes in the past, this may not be an issue for you. Consult your doctor or dietitian with concerns regarding these changes.
- Spicy food warning: Some people react poorly to food that's spicy regardless of whether or not it is low FODMAP. Be mindful of how your body reacts to spicy food and consult your doctor or dietitian before making this recipe if you have concerns about how your body might react.
- Low FODMAP Ranch Dressing: ...or make a full batch to use with other things, like my Low FODMAP Air Fryer French Fries, Low FODMAP Taco Salad, or my Low FODMAP Summer Detox Salad. Make things easier by making the ranch the night before - it also gives it time for the flavors to meld.
- Low FODMAP Hot Sauce: I like a little heat but not a lot, so I typically use Louisiana Hot Sauce, which is mildly spicy. If you like lots of heat, you could use Tabasco Original Hot Sauce. If you're not concerned with FODMAPs, you can use Frank's RedHot Original Hot Sauce and skip the garlic-infused olive oil.
- Recipe adapted from The Paleo Running Mama
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salads & Bowls
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
