BBQ CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD

This BBQ Chicken Salad is one of the BEST salads ever! Grilled BBQ Chicken is tossed with crunchy romaine, sweet corn, sharp red onions, juicy tomatoes, fresh cucumber, shredded cheese, crunchy tortilla chips, and a barbecue ranch dressing.

BBQ Chicken Salad is fresh, filling, creamy, tangy, and just downright delicious. It is the perfect summer meal to enjoy--and this homemade version is much tastier and less expensive than Panera's BBQ Chicken Salad.

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD

Do you love Panera's Barbecue Chicken Salad?

Long before Panera's BBQ Chicken Salad came into existence, there was Bob Evan's Wildfire Chicken Salad.

Wildfire Chicken Salad is made with grilled or fried barbecue chicken and topped with tomatoes, corn, onions, cheese, tortilla strips, and a spicy ranch dressing. And my favorite salad of all time!

Now I make my own version of BBQ Chicken Salad that is a little bit like Panera's, a bit like Bob Evan's, and a WHOLE lot of delicious.

My version of this recipe is fresh, filling, creamy, tangy, and incredibly simple to make. And not only do you save money by making this salad at home, but you can also change it up to suit your family's tastes or dietary preferences.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

The basics of this salad are the dressing, the chicken, and the lettuce--from there you can build your BBQ Chicken Salad HOWEVER your heart desires.

• Chicken: I use my recipe for grilled barbecue chicken. You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs. In fact, you can even make this salad using leftover cooked chicken tossed with BBQ Sauce for a quicker version of this salad.
• Lettuce: I recommend using hearts of romaine, but a head of iceberg or any green leaf lettuce will work as the base.
• Dressing: The dressing is made by combining ranch dressing with BBQ sauce. Use your favorite store-bought variety or my homemade versions.
• Toppings: I add sweet corn, sharp red onions, juicy tomatoes, fresh cucumber, shredded cheese, and crunchy tortilla chips to this BBQ Chicken Salad, but feel free to use what your family likes.

HOW TO MAKE BBQ CHICKEN SALAD

STEP ONE: GRILL CHICKEN

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• Season boneless, skinless chicken breasts with seasoned salt.
• Grill chicken for 5 minutes, flip and grill another 4 minutes.
• Brush with BBQ Sauce and continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
• Flip chicken and brush opposite side with BBQ sauce.
• Cook for 2-4 more minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• Remove chicken from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

STEP TWO: MAKE THE BBQ RANCH SALAD DRESSING

• Mix ½ cup ranch dressing with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce.

STEP THREE: ASSEMBLE THE SALAD

• Toss lettuce with tomatoes, corn, onions, cheese, and cucumbers.
• Top salad with sliced BBQ chicken and tortilla strips.
• Drizzle with BBQ Ranch Dressing and serve.

Ingredients

Chicken

▢1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
▢1 teaspoon seasoned salt
▢½ cup BBQ sauce

BBQ chicken salad

▢3 heads of hearts of romaine chopped
▢1 seedless cucumber diced
▢1 small red onion minced
▢1 pint grape tomatoes sliced
▢1 cup corn kernels
▢½ cup shredded Colby jack cheese
▢½ cup tortilla strips

BBQ Ranch Dressing

2 tablespoons BBQ sauce

½ cup ranch dressing

Instructions

Grill Chicken

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• Season boneless, skinless chicken breasts with seasoned salt.
• Grill chicken for 5 minutes on first side, flip and grill another 4 minutes.
• Brush with BBQ Sauce and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Flip chicken and brush the opposite side with BBQ sauce. Cook for 2-4 more minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
• Remove chicken from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Make the BBQ Ranch Salad Dressing

• Mix ½ cup ranch dressing with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce.

Assemble the Salad

• Toss lettuce with tomatoes, corn, onions, cheese, and cucumbers. Top salad with sliced BBQ chicken and tortilla strips. Drizzle with BBQ Ranch Dressing and serve.

Notes

• If you happen to have fresh corn on the cob, throw your corn on the grill while you grill the chicken for an additional layer of flavor.
• Use your family's favorite barbecue sauce for the dressing and the chicken. I love using one without high fructose corn syrup.
• If you can't find tortilla strips, replace with crushed tortilla chips.
• I love using shredded Colby Cheese, but cheddar or mozzarella work as well. 
• Feel free to leave out the onions, cucumber, corn, or tomatoes based on your family's preferences.