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:
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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.
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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.
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**Prepare the dressing and salad (directions below) while the chicken is baking.
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Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing.
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Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes & mix with remaining 1⁄4 cup BBQ sauce in a bowl.
Make the Dressing:
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Mix all dressing ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon until well combined.
Prepare the Salad:
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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.
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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.
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Drizzle 3⁄4 of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
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Garnish the salad with remaining salad ingredients, cilantro, cubed chicken and drizzle remaining dressing on top.
Recipe Notes
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Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
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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)