BBQ Chicken Salad

 

This BBQ chicken salad is perfect for quick dinners, picnics, and potlucks! With smoky, juicy BBQ chicken, corn, tomatoes, and creamy Ranch!

Hello, summertime bliss. We have picnics, blue skies, ice cream cones, trips to the beach, and of course, a classic BBQ chicken salad here. This is what summer dreams are made of, and one of the best summer recipes hands down.

Why you’ll love this bbq chicken salad recipe

• Smoky, saucy BBQ chicken. First, this salad is wonderfully packed with charred, smoky, juicy BBQ chicken bites throughout. And you can cook the chicken on the stovetop or grill (weather permitting)!
• Double whammy barbecue goodness. Next, this recipe uses both BBQ seasoning and a velvety, sweet and tangy BBQ sauce for an extra flavor punch.
• Includes the creamiest Ranch. Of course this recipe includes a homemade Ranch dressing that will knock your socks off, one that you will want on anything and everyhting.
• Perfect for any occasion. Finally, this salad is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, picnics, potlucks, or any get-together. It’s truly a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for everyone!

How to make bbq chicken salad

1. Season the chicken. Coat the chicken with vegetable oil, BBQ seasoning, salt, and pepper.
2. Cook the chicken. Cook the chicken in a cast iron grill pan until golden brown and cooked through (165°F). Toss with the BBQ sauce until combined.
3. Cook the corn. Add the corn to the grill pan and cook until charred and tender, letting it cool before cutting off the kernels. This is my favorite tool to remove the kernels easily and quickly.
4. Assemble the salad. Spread the shredded romaine on a large platter. Top with the BBQ chicken, corn, tomatoes, black beans, avocado, red onion, and cheese, drizzling the Ranch dressing on top.

BBQ Chicken Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 30 minutes minutes

This BBQ chicken salad is perfect for quick dinners, picnics, and potlucks! With smoky, juicy BBQ chicken, corn, tomatoes, and creamy Ranch!

5 stars (27 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons BBQ seasoning
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• ½ cup BBQ sauce
• 2 ears corn, husks and silk removed
• 1 head romaine, shredded
• 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Homemade ranch dressing

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine chicken, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, BBQ seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the grill pan in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 6-8 minutes. Set aside and stir in BBQ sauce until well combined.
• Add corn to the grill pan, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, about 5-10 minutes; let cool before cutting the corn kernels off the cobs.
• To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, corn, tomatoes, black beans, avocado, red onion and cheese. Pour the ranch dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
• Serve immediately.

Equipment

Cast Iron Grill Pan

Cast Iron Skillet

Instant Read Thermometer

Notes

• Prep ahead of time. Save time by making the homemade ranch dressing up to 1 week in advance, and prepping and dicing the vegetables (except the avocado) 1-2 days prior and storing them in airtight containers in the fridge.
• Fresh, canned or frozen corn all works. In-season fresh corn is always an excellent option when available but canned corn or frozen corn can also be used.
• Use your favorite beans. Canned beans is such a convenient pantry staple. Black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans or any other beans on hand will work well here.
• Homemade dressing makes all the difference. Store-bought Ranch can certainly be used here in a pinch, but this homemade Ranch dressing is oh-so-creamy and perfectly drizzly. It’s one you’ll want to use for all your salads (and everything else) this summer.
• Grill outdoors. When the weather permits, use an outdoor grill for even more smoky, charred flavors, grilling the chicken whole, then dicing into bite-sized pieces. Ensure that the grill is properly cleaned (to prevent sticking) and preheated prior to grilling. This will allow for a better sear for those grill marks and evenly cooked chicken.
• Rotisserie chicken will be the ultimate shortcut. Use leftover rotisserie chicken for a lightning fast dinner.
• Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F.
• Toss the dressing just before serving. This will avoid a soggy salad and allow for maximum, crisp freshness, keeping the vegetables and BBQ chicken in separate airtight containers if meal prepping ahead of time.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

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