3.72 8 Published Jul 22, 2021, Updated Jul 21, 2023 Lucky for you, I finally perfected the recipe and I’m sharing it today. This salad is packed with flavor from the grilled BBQ chicken, a variety of vegetables and not one, but two sauces, BBQ sauce and ranch dressing. And for added crunch, it’s topped with crushed tortilla chips!
Here’s What You Need
grilled bbq chicken breasts – simply follow my recipe for grilled BBQ chicken. You can prep the chicken 1-2 days in advance, if desired! romaine lettuce – I like using romaine lettuce in this salad for the extra crunch, but you could use any greens you have on hand! black beans – I like using canned black beans to save time. Just make sure you drain and rinse them well! sweet corn – frozen or fresh both work. If you have time to grill the corn, it adds so much flavor! cherry tomatoes – any type of tomato works but I’m partial to cherry tomatoes because they’re so sweet. red onion – add a little zest to the salad with chopped red onion! avocados – I love the creaminess and healthy fats avocado adds. To select a ripe avocado, press the skin in gently. If it gives slightly (not too much!) it’s ripe. shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese – feel free to omit the cheese to make this salad dairy-free or use a vegan version. crushed tortilla chips – any tortilla chips work! We’re big fans of Late July tortilla chips, but the Siete brand is great if you are looking for a grain-free option. BBQ sauce – make your own or use a store-bought sauce. I like the Primal Kitchen brand because there is no added sugar! ranch dressing – again, homemade or store-bought works! I love making my vegan ranch dressing, but if I’m short on time I like Primal Kitchen, Tessamae’s or Bolthouse Farm for a healthy store-bought dressing.
Save Some Time!
Want to whip this BBQ chicken salad up in no time at all? Here are some shortcuts you can take:
Grill your chicken ahead of time or use rotisserie chicken. Just toss the shredded rotisserie chicken in BBQ sauce before adding. Use canned black beans. Instead of soaking and cooking beans just crack the can open, drain and rinse! Use store-bought BBQ sauce and ranch. I shared some of my favorite brands above in the ingredient section.
How to Meal Prep This BBQ Chicken Salad
There are a few ways you can meal prep this salad! If you have a large, wide-mouth mason jar, you can create a mason jar salad! If you don’t want to make a mason jar salad, you can also prep this in a standard glass container. Line bottom of container with the romaine lettuce and layer all ingredients in columns/sections on top. Store dressing in a separate container and save the avocado and tortilla chips for serving.
More Meal Sized Salads to Try
Grilled Chicken SaladBlackened Chicken Cobb SaladGreek Yogurt Chicken SaladMandarin Orange Chicken SaladRanch Pasta SaladCheeseburger SaladGrilled Salmon Salad with Peaches and CornKale Caesar Salad with Grilled Lemon Pepper ShrimpSuperfood Salmon SaladBlackened Chicken Cobb SaladGrilled Chicken Caesar SaladGreek Yogurt Chicken SaladRanch Pasta SaladCheeseburger SaladGrilled Salmon Salad with Peaches and CornKale Caesar Salad with Grilled Lemon Pepper ShrimpSuperfood Salmon Salad
