BBQ Chicken Salad

Ranch dressing being poured over a salad with corn, black beans, chicken, cilantro, and tortilla strips on it.

5 from 6 votes

BBQ Chicken Salad is a better-than-the-original riff of the discontinued Panera fan favorite. Loaded with Tex-Mex flavor and toppings.

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Total Time23

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: dinner salads

Calories: 547kcal

Author: Rachel

Cost: $15-20

Ingredients

Chicken

2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
salt & pepper
BBQ Sauce

Salad Mix

1 cup Shredded Cheddar & Jack Cheese
1 can Black Beans 14.5 ounces
1 cup Corn Fresh or Frozen
10 ounces Lettuce Romaine or Green Leaf
1 ½ cup Diced Tomatoes
¼ cup Red Onion diced
½ avocado chopped or sliced
2 tablespoon Cilantro Optional
½ cup Ranch Dressing
Tortilla Strips

Instructions

Chop, rinse and spin 10 ounces Lettuce and arrange on a platter or in a large salad bowl. Arrange remaining salad ingredients (1 can Black Beans, 1 cup Corn, 1 ½ cup Diced Tomatoes, ¼ cup Red Onion, ½ avocado sliced). Sprinkle 2 tablespoon Cilantro and 1 cup Shredded Cheddar & Jack Cheese over lettuce.
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. If desired, pound 2 chicken breasts to an even thickness. Brush both sides of the chicken breast with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill on one side for 4 minutes, flip, brush the grilled sides with barbecue sauce, then grill the other side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove to a serving plate and brush the other grilled side with barbecue sauce. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
Top the salad with chicken. Pour ½ cup Ranch Dressing and BBQ Sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine. Serve immediately, topped with Tortilla Strips

Notes

General Tips

You can use a variety of dressings, from blue cheese or French to vinaigrettes. Just be sure to wait to add the dressing just before serving.
Season with salt or pepper. Freshly cracked pepper on a salad makes the flavors pop!
Keep all of the ingredients bite sized. You can finely chop the bacon, but everything else should be about the same size for the perfect bite.

Serve: The beauty of this salad is that is a filling stand-alone dish. I might add a crusty loaf of bread if desired. You can also pair with warm, light soups.

Store: The salad dressing will be good in a sealed container for up to 3 weeks. Refrigerate after opening and shake well before serving. Extra salad can be store together for up to 4 days in a tightly covered container, with the dressing separate.

Make Ahead Tips: If you want to get a head start on your prep for this recipe, make some extra chicken the night before and cook your bacon and hard boiled eggs ahead of time. That way you can grab everything you need from the fridge and whip up this salad!

Nutrition