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Can we all just agree that meal salads are the best kinds of salads?!
Lettuce loaded with all the coordinated ingredients to bring together a meal in one bowl! Honestly, if you’re not into salads you will be after eating this BBQ chicken salad and also my chicken taco salad I shared recently. Both of those salads are so perfectly coordinated with ingredients, textures, taste, and topped with the perfect dressing that you will never want eat anything else for dinner all summer long.
Okay maybe not, but in the very least a good meal salad will make you excited to eat salads more often. Which means you’ll be eating more veggies without feeling like you’re trying to force them down the hatch. And that my friends is what I’m here for. To inspire you to eat healthier in a way that’s fun, satisfying, and best of all, delicious!
Who’s on board?!
BBQ chicken salad ingredients:
- crunchy romaine lettuce
- bacon (optional, but highly recommended)
- grilled chicken breast that’s slathered in BBQ sauce
- red onion
- fresh corn kernals cut straight from the cob
- fresh pineapple chunks – surprisingly good with BBQ sauce
- Smoked cheddar cheese
- 2 dressings: homemade Greek yogurt ranch & an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce
Now, look me straight in the eyes and tell me you don’t want all that for dinner.
Because we all know you do! I’m just Sayin’!
And what better way to enjoy all the summer vibes with a BBQ chicken salad? You can even grill the chicken outside!
Huge summer bonus points awarded for BBQ chicken salad!!!
Yes, yes, and yes!
One of the best parts about cooking your own food is that you can control all of the ingredients. If you wanna keep this salad lighter you can skip the bacon and or cheese.
BBQ sauce can be quite sugar-y and you never know what kind of BBQ sauce you’ll get at a restaurant. My go-to-not-overflowing-with-sugar BBQ sauce is Stubb’s, not a ton of sugar yet still tastes really good. Also, no high fructose corn syrup, TYVM!
Ingredients we can control and we’re still getting a restaurant worthy dinner salad that only takes 40 minutes to make + filling up on a ton of veggies = winners all around!
I have visions of this BBQ chicken salad on your dinner table repeatedly this summer. And I bet no one is mad about it, amiright?!
Hey did you make this recipe?! Be sure to leave me a comment below along with a star rating – this helps others to find my recipes easier. Also, don’t forget to snap a photo of your food on Instagram tag it with #RobustRecipes so that I can see what you came up with. Thanks, friends!
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BBQ Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 3 to 4 1x
- Category: Entree, Chicken, Salad
- Cuisine: Gluten Free
Description
BBQ chicken salad is loaded with grilled BBQ chicken, corn, pineapple, smoked cheddar cheese, BACON, and topped with a homemade Greek yogurt ranch dressing and more BBQ sauce. The perfect dinner salad for summer!
Ingredients
- Bacon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 to 5 slices of bacon
- Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (if not using bacon grease)
- salt and pepper
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons store bought BBQ sauce (I like Stubb’s)
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt (or use full fat for a richer taste)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons filtered water
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried dill (or sub 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, roughly chopped)
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chives (or sub 1/4 teaspoon fresh chives, roughly chopped)
- Salad
- 2 to 3 heads romaine, chopped (about 1 head of romaine per person)
- pineapple, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 to 2 ears fresh corn kernels, sliced from the cob (or sub frozen or canned)
- 1/3 red onion, sliced
- Optional: 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I like to use a smoked cheddar)
- A good drizzle of BBQ sauce (as part of the dressing)
Instructions
- Cook the bacon (if making): Heat a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil, add the bacon. Cook the bacon about 5 minutes per side, or until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain it on a paper towel lined plate. Remove some of the grease from the pan, leaving behind 1 to 2 tablespoons for the chicken. Allow the bacon to cool enough to handle and then crumble it or chop it.
- Cook the chicken: In a skillet: Using the same pan that the bacon was cooked in heat it to medium heat. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan. Cook 6 to 8 minute per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken and brush the with the BBQ sauce. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Indoor/outdoor grill: Use a brush to grease the grill with the reserved bacon grease (be careful when using an outside grill) – heat the grill to medium high heat. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until the internal temp reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the chicken,, brush with BBQ sauce and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing,
- Make the ranch:While the bacon and chicken is cooking make the ranch. Add the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and to a food processor. Blend until smooth – add 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency (it should be thick, but pour-able). If you accidentally add too much liquid than add 1 to 2 tablespoons of yogurt to thicken it up again. Next add all of the spices and pulse or blend on low just until they are incorporated and broken down a little, specks of the green herbs should still be visible. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Transfer to an air tight container or mason jar and pop in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
- Chop veggies: While the bacocn and chicken continue to coook chop all teh veggies as instructed above.
- Assemble: Add the romaine lettuce to a large serving bowl or divide into smaller bowls. Top with the corn, red onion, pineapple, and shredded cheese. Add the slices of BBQ chicken and crumbled bacon. Drizzle the yogurt ranch over top of the salad and some more BBQ sauce. Serve immediately.
- Leftovers: Assemble as mucha salad as you plan to eat at a time. Store any other ingredients in seperate containers.
Notes
Ranch dressing: You can make the ranch dressing up to several days in advance.
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