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+ servings
Loaded BBQ chicken salad recipe in a bowl.
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5 from 19 votes

BBQ Chicken Salad

Large, fresh and totally an entree type dish, our delicious BBQ Chicken Salad is full of flavor and texture! We paired our salad with a bbq ranch dressing that's made a little healthier by using yogurt instead of mayo and/or sour cream! It can feed a bunch of people and takes only 30 minutes to throw together!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Amercian
Servings: 6
Calories: 371kcal
Author: Teri & Jenny

Ingredients

bbq chicken

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 cup prepared bbq sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste

bbq ranch yogurt dressing

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp thinly sliced chives
  • 2 tbsp minced parsley
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup prepared bbq sauce

salad

  • 1 romaine heart, shredded
  • 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
  • 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2 fresh corn on cobb, charred under broiler and kernels removed (cobbs discarded)
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 1/2 jicama, peeled and diced
  • 2 green onions, sliced on bias

Instructions

bbq chicken

  • Place large skillet over medium-high heat. Once skillet is hot add oil.
  • Generously season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Sear thighs for 3 to 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium and flip thighs. Continue to cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes or until thighs have just cooked through.
  • Transfer thighs to a cutting board and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes. Chop chicken into bite sized pieces and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add bbq sauce andtoss together until well coated. Set aside.

dressing

  • Place all dressing ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.

assemble salad

  • Combine romaine and cabbage together in a large bowl and toss together. Transfer mixture to a platter.  
  • Top greens with black beans, tomatoes, corn, red onion, jicama, and bbq chicken.
  • Sprinkle salad with sliced green onion. Serve with dressing.

Video

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions for our BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe
Dressing
The dressing can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
Chicken
The chicken can be cooked, chopped and tossed in bbq sauce up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
Salad Assembly
The salad itself can be built on a platter or in a large bowl 1 day ahead of time, tightly covered in plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator. When building the salad ahead of time the bbq chicken and dressing should be added right before serving to avoid the greens getting soggy.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1369mg | Potassium: 872mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 2333IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 3mg