This BBQ chicken salad combines juicy, tender chicken with a burst of fresh, vibrant ingredients, and it is the perfect light dinner or a satisfying lunch.
This hearty salad blends the savory taste of barbecue with the crisp freshness of garden vegetables, making it a favorite for family gatherings or simply indulging in a fresh, yummy meal.
Note: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. See my full affiliate disclosure policy here.
This BBQ chicken salad not only provides a fulfilling and healthy option but also impresses with its layers of flavors—from the smoky BBQ chicken to the fresh crunch of lettuce and beans, all dressed in a homemade creamy dressing.
Whether it’s for a quick family dinner or prepped ahead for meal planning, this salad proves to be a versatile and delicious choice. Enjoy the freshness and wholesome goodness in every bite!
How to Make BBQ Chicken Salad
First, gather your ingredients.
Ingredients
For the best taste, always use the highest quality ingredients you have access to.
To make this delicious BBQ Chicken Salad recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- BBQ sauce
- Avocado oil
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Mayonnaise
- Greek yogurt (dairy-free if needed)
- Dried dill
- Chopped chives
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Black beans
- sweet corn
- Haas avocado
- Red onion
- Cilantro leaves
This salad is wonderfully adaptable to different tastes; try adding crunchy tortilla strips or adding in cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or your favorite cheese for an extra layer of flavor.
Add any other veggies that you fancy. Bell peppers, for example, would be yummy on this.
Also, swapping out the red onion for green onions would give a milder taste, if you prefer that.
Cooking BBQ Chicken Salad
BBQ Chicken Salad is a delightful dish that comes together with minimal effort but delivers maximum flavor. Here is how you can make it!
Prepare your chicken first by marinating it in a mix of barbecue sauce, avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
Then bake until perfectly cooked. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray or oil. Place marinated chicken onto the pan and bake in the center rack of the oven for 20 minutes.
The chicken should read between 165°F-175°F on an instant-read thermometer once cooked through.
While the chicken bakes, you can prepare a homemade dressing that blends mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and spices with a touch of BBQ sauce for a creamy, tangy flavor. See recipe card below for all the ingedients.
For the salad, you can lightly char the corn in a skillet to enhance its sweetness. Optional step, but this adds extra flavor.
Allow the corn to cool, and then combine it with fresh romaine, juicy cherry tomatoes, protein-rich black beans, and creamy avocado.
Once the chicken is done and has cooled slightly, cube it and toss it with a little more BBQ sauce. Add the chicken on top of the salad with the other ingredients.
Toss the salad in a large bowl with most of the dressing, reserving some to drizzle on top. Or you can leave it in separate piles, as pictured, if you prefer.
Garnish your barbecue chicken salad with red onion and cilantro. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top for an extra taste. Serve and enjoy!
Leftovers
This recipe is best served fresh, and I recommend enjoying it that way for best taste. However, you can make it for meal prep. I would recommend keeping the dressing separate until you are ready to serve/ eat.
I would also suggest storing the prepped/ leftover chicken separately so that you can heat it up, if you prefer, before adding it on top.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Always use common sense and good judgment when it comes to leftovers, though! If something looks or smells funky, don’t eat it.
Share this recipe
Did you try this recipe? Give it a star rating. Pin it and share it if it looks good to you. And be sure and stay connected on social media!
Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok
Be sure and check out all my favorite kitchen tools in my Amazon store (affiliate).
BBQ Chicken Salad
This BBQ chicken salad combines juicy, tender chicken with a burst of fresh, vibrant ingredients, and it is the perfect light dinner or a satisfying lunch.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 large chicken breast about 1 pound
- 3/4 cup BBQ sauce divided
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 3 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 2 Tablespoons water
For the Salad:
- 1 cup corn (I used frozen)
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 3 hearts of romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 14- ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 Haas avocado large, cubed
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
Instructions
Make the Chicken:
-
Place both chicken breasts in a gallon ziplock side by side. Close the ziplock and pound the chicken until they’re roughly 1⁄2” thick. Open the bag, and add 1⁄2 cup BBQ sauce, oil, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and massage everything together. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes as the oven preheats.
-
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray or oil. Place marinated chicken onto the pan and bake in the center rack of the oven for 20 minutes. The chicken should read between 165°F-175°F on an instant-read thermometer once cooked through.
- **Prepare the dressing and salad (directions below) while the chicken is baking.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing.
- Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes & mix with remaining 1⁄4 cup BBQ sauce in a bowl.
Make the Dressing:
- Mix all dressing ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon until well combined.
Prepare the Salad:
-
Saute the corn (optional but recommended): Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and the corn. Spread corn into an even layer and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until charred. Turn off the heat and transfer to a small bowl to cool.
-
In a large serving bowl, mix together the chopped lettuce, cooled corn, tomato, black beans, avocado and red onion. Optionally, leave some extra of each ingredient on the side to use as garnish for the top of the salad.
- Drizzle 3⁄4 of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
-
Garnish the salad with remaining salad ingredients, cilantro, cubed chicken and drizzle remaining dressing on top.
Recipe Notes
-
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
-
If you have extra time and prefer milder onion, pre chop the red onion and place in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes to remove the sharpness of the onion.
- If you want to use thawed or raw corn (not frozen), reduce the sauteing time to 3-5
minutes. - Optionally add 1 cup of crushed tortilla chips right before serving into the salad for added delicious crunch! (Many recipes online do this but not all)
Leave a Reply