I absolutely love salad for dinner, especially if it’s filling and well-balanced. This BBQ Chicken Salad is very easy to make and so delicious. It’s also a great make-ahead recipe!
This colorful salad is loaded with grilled chicken tossed with sweet BBQ sauce, plus the freshest toppings! It’s finished with an easy avocado ranch dressing and more BBQ sauce.
As the weather gets warmer, I start to crave big salads! And what better way to celebrate the season than with this loaded BBQ chicken salad? It’s an entire meal in a bowl, beautifully presented with colorful seasonal ingredients.
I make it with juicy grilled chicken smothered in my Sweet BBQ Sauce (or your favorite store-bought sauce!), sweet yellow corn, juicy tomatoes, black beans, avocado, and more. I also add crushed tortillas for crunch.
It’s got all of the southwest flavors with plenty of texture and freshness. Plus, the combination of my homemade avocado ranch dressing and BBQ sauce is perfection!
This BBQ chicken salad comes together quickly, and even more so if using leftover chicken. It’s great for dinner and even better for meal prep, just like my Beef Taco Salad.
Looking for more salads for patio season? Try my Mediterranean Chicken Salad and Grilled Shrimp Salad! Or my favorite Salmon Nicoise Salad.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Lots of texture. Juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, tender chicken, and crunchy tortilla chips in every bite.
- Contrasting flavors. The balance of the cool avocado dressing and the sweet BBQ sauce is great.
- Customizable. Use leftover chicken, a different dressing, or swap any veggies.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
Below are a few ingredient notes from recipe testing that I hope you find useful when shopping.
- Boneless chicken breast: You can also use chicken thighs or even leftover chicken.
- BBQ Sauce: Use my homemade Sweet BBQ Sauce recipe or your favorite store-bought brand.
- Romaine lettuce: Or any crisp greens. Use a salad spinner to wash and dry thoroughly so they stay crisp.
- Cherry tomatoes, sweet yellow corn, ripe avocado: My favorite seasonal ingredients!
- Black beans: Canned, drained and rinsed.
- Red onions: Pickled red onions are good too. If you’re not a fan of onions, omit.
- Shredded cheese: I used freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese, but any cheese similar in texture works too.
- Crushed tortilla chips: For that salty crunch!
- For the avocado ranch dressing: Ranch dressing and ripe avocados for creaminess, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and water to thin it out.
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card down below, as always.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Salad
You can make this flavor-packed BBQ chicken salad in just 40 minutes or less. Let’s make it!
Step 1 | Cook chicken
Pound down chicken to about ½ inch thickness for even cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Pan sear or grill for about 6 minutes per side until fully cooked. Then, brush with BBQ sauce and cook for another few seconds until slightly caramelized.
Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before dicing. Toss with a little extra BBQ sauce and set aside.
Step 2 | Make the dressing
In a food processor or blender, add all of the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth and evenly combined. You may need to add a little more water to thin it out to your liking.
Step 3 | Assemble salad
Arrange a bed of greens, then top with all the salad ingredients, including the diced BBQ chicken. Drizzle with the prepared avocado ranch dressing and BBQ sauce you like.
I like to serve this BBQ chicken salad in a large bowl and share it from there, but totally up to you! Either way, it’s a beautiful and delicious salad!
Tips for Success
- For an easy shortcut, use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
- If you have the extra time, one of my favorite upgrades to this salad is to grill the corn first for a smoky flavor.
- I love the crispness of romaine lettuce, but you can swap it out for your favorite leafy greens. Use a salad spinner to wash and dry them thoroughly so they stay crisp.
- Frozen corn can be used. Just be sure to thaw it completely first.
Make Ahead
Almost everything in this salad can be prepped ahead of time. Here’s how:
- Chicken: Cook chicken as directed and toss with BBQ sauce. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Wash, chop and dice all the veggies. Store in containers, either laid out next to each other or in separate containers.
- Shred the cheese from the block, if needed. I use a box grater.
- Avocado: Hold off on cutting until ready to eat since they brown easily.
- The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance.
Meal prep tip: Keep the dressing in a separate container. Drizzle over the BBQ chicken salad when ready to eat. Slice the avocado last.
Recipe FAQs
I love adding crispy bacon bits and sliced green onions. For the dressing, you can use just ranch dressing or your favorite store-bought dressing.
Yes, absolutely! It’s a great way to save time.
I use Monterey Jack cheese. Other great options are pepper jack, colby jack, or cheddar.
More Salads for Dinner
This time of year, when it’s warm but not too hot, I love enjoying a filling salad with a glass of cold Blackberry Iced Tea in my backyard. Here are more protein-packed, satisfying salads perfect for dinner:
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
BBQ Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts - boneless
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil - for pan
- ¾ cup BBQ sauce - your favorite brand
- 1 head romaine lettuce - chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes - halved
- 1 ½ cup canned sweet corn kernels - drained
- 1 cup canned black beans - drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 ripe avocados - sliced
- 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
Avocado Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 clove garlic - crushed
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice - to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro - roughly chopped
- Water - as needed to thin out the dressing
Instructions
- Pound chicken to ½ inch thick evenly. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
- If pan searing, heat some olive oil on a large skillet. If grilling, heat up your grill and brush the grates with oil. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes per side until fully cooked through. Brush both sides with some BBQ sauce. Cook for another few seconds until slightly caramelized.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Then, slice or chop, and brush with some more BBQ sauce to taste. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a food processor, combine all the avocado ranch dressing ingredients. Process until evenly combined. Thin it out with more water until you get the desired consistency.
- Assemble salad: Arrange a bed of lettuce, then top with tomatoes, corn, black beans, sliced onions, shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, and the BBQ diced chicken.
- Drizzle with the prepared avocado ranch dressing and more BBQ sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- For 4 servings, I use two large chicken breasts. You can also use 4 smaller chicken breasts, depending on how hungry everyone is!
- Make ahead: Everything can be prepped up to 2-3 days ahead and assembled later. Keep the dressing separate. Slice the avocado last so it doesn’t turn brown.
- If using fresh corn, sauté or grill for a few minutes.
- Chicken breast: Chicken thighs. Rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.
- Dressing: Substitute with your favorite dressing.
Jack B says
Can you please clarify what “ranch sauce” is? Is it the same as ranch dressing?
Tania says
Yup, ranch dressing!