Prepare yourself the ultimate summer salad that is this BBQ Chicken Salad, featuring saucy BBQ chicken nestled in fresh greens and tossed with corn kernels, juicy tomatoes, sweet mangoes, shredded carrots and cheddar cheese.
Drizzled with both tangy BBQ sauce and creamy ranch, you’ll get a burst sweet, tangy, savory flavors in every bite. BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad is the perfect light and satisfying salad meal for spring and summer.
BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad
I’ve had a lot of not so good salads in my life, so trust me when I say this is my favorite salad I’ve had this summer. I’ve had it many, many times and I still cannot get enough of it!
I love me a good barbecue chicken, anything from BBQ Chicken Tacos, BBQ Chicken Baked Potato, the classic Baked BBQ Chicken Wings…
It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I discovered that saucy BBQ chicken also pairs like a dream on top of a bed of lettuce with all my favorite veggies…and that’s how this BBQ chicken salad came about!
It is so deliciously I call it the salad that doesn’t even taste like a salad!
I bring that flavorful, warm chicken coated in BBQ sauce and spices together with crunchy lettuce, sweet juicy mangoes, corn kernels, carrots, and toss everything in a combination of bbq sauce and buttermilk ranch dressing.
That bbq sauce and ranch combo is just out of this world amazing – it brings together the tangy, sweet, smoky flavors from the bbq sauce with the creamy flavors from the ranch. Together it is pure magic!
This barbecue chicken chopped salad is seriously flavor-bursting and just out-of-this-world delicious, while being fresh, delicious, and light, making it the perfect summer lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Gather a few straight-forward ingredients to piece together an easy BBQ chicken salad that is bursting with flavor and textures. Fresh, good quality produce is key to success here!
- Chicken tenders – boneless, skinless chicken breast and chicken thighs can be used as well.
- Paprika – we use this in our marinade for the chicken; it adds a nice smoky flavor to our BBQ chicken
- Salt – primarily used on the chicken to give it a lot of good flavors.
- Black pepper – used to seasoning the chicken tenders.
- Green leaf lettuce – feel free to use romaine lettuce, ice burg lettuce, spring mix, spinach leaves or your favorite greens
- Cheddar cheese – shred it into small shreds before using. Other soft cheeses such as Monterey jack, mozzarella, smoked gouda etc can be used as well.
- Cherry tomatoes – you can use other types of tomatoes as well.
- Mango – substitute with apple, peach, or grapes if mango is not available. The idea is to bring in a component of sweetness from fruits. It’s a game changer, I assure you!
- Corn – use canned corn (drain excess liquid) or frozen corn for the ease of it.
- Shredded carrots – this will bring some crunch, and can be substitute with red bell peppers or cucumbers.
- BBQ sauce – use your favorite! Since you’re depending on the flavor of this sauce for maximum deliciousness, pick one you truly like, and stay away from the cheap options!
- Ranch dressing – you’ll want a high quality dressing for this for best taste, whether store bought or homemade. This recipe is a great one if you are looking for a really good homemade ranch dressing!
How to make BBQ Chicken Salad
Next, let’s make this delicious bbq chicken salad!
BBQ Chicken
Let’s start with BBQ chicken! It is after all the superstar of this salad. Regardless of the other ingredients, if this doesn’t turn out well, the entire salad will be meh.
So let’s fold up those sleeves and make some incredible chicken!
The chicken is marinated in a few simple spices and BBQ sauce to impart that lovely smoky taste. It’s then pan seared or grilled.
In this post, I will cover the less laborious pan-searing method that still produces fantastically juicy chicken for your BBQ Chicken Salad.
Start by tossing chicken tenders in a blend paprika, salt, and pepper, then coat them in bbq sauce. I always do this first so that I can let chicken rest in this marinade while I prepare and chop up the vegges.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, bring skillet to medium heat and add cooking oil. Once it’s hot, cook your bbq chicken tenders, flipping them halfway through to ensure even cooking.
Cook until their internal temperature reaches 165℉ using a meat thermometer.
When it is done, transfer your bbq chicken to a cutting board and slice them into bite-sized pieces. They should be tender, juicy, and oozing with those delectable barbecue flavors.
Grilling Method
If you’re planning on grilling your BBQ chicken instead of pan-searing it, you pretty much follow the same recipe and marinade, but instead of placing them on an oiled pan on the stove, place chicken that is marinated in BBQ sauce on the grill.
Feel free to brush more marinade on the chicken after flipping. Again, make sure internal temperature of chicken is at least 165℉ when measured using a meat thermometer before removing chicken from the grill.
Assemble the Salad
Now, let’s piece together this glorious bbq chicken salad.
I typically use a large mixing bowl and pile on the following salad ingredients: chopped leaf lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, diced sweet mango, shredded carrots and shredded cheddar cheese,
Give everything a toss!
Transfer greens to a large platter, and top it with the star of our show—the sliced BBQ chicken tenders you just made.
Last but never the least, drizzle the salad with some ranch dressing and a dash of BBQ sauce.
Whether you toss the salad together or leave it layered, grab a fork, and dig into the fresh, vibrant flavors your bbq chicken salad offers!
And that’s it!! All this should take no longer than 25 minutes! Enjoy!
Variation and Substitution
To customize this barbecue chicken salad recipe, here are a few things you can do:
- Bbq chicken: Cook bbq chicken on the stovetop using a skillet, a grill pan, or on a grill. For an even easier version, you can toss pre-cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken in spices and barbecue sauce.
- Different greens: Instead of leaf lettuce, try romaine, cabbage etc instead.
- Add grains: Add cooked quinoa or brown rice for more complex carbs.
- Additional veggie: bell peppers, red onions, avocados, cucumbers, or anything else that you would love in your bbq chicken salad! It is a great way to clear out your fridge as well.
- Additional fruits: other fruits such as peaches, apples, grapes, pears can be used in place of mangoes. Use any fruit that can contribute some sweetness to the barbecue chicken salad. It really gives it a whole new dimension of flavor (and not to mention, yumminess).
- Other add-ons: black beans, cilantro, green onions, jicamas are great add-ons as well!
Tips and Tricks
- Using Quality Sauces: Choose high-quality BBQ sauce and ranch dressing for the best taste.
- Pat Dry Veggies: Make sure lettuce, carrots and other vegetables are not wet by pat drying with a paper towel or using a salad spinner. There’s really no worse than a salad with wet veggies!
- Don’t Skimp on the Cheese: Use good quality cheese, and avoid buying pre-shredded. This ensures you get the full creaminess aspect in the salad.
- Try Different BBQ Sauces: Experiment with different flavors of BBQ sauce, such as honey BBQ or chipotle BBQ, for an added dimension of taste.
- Customize Ingredients: Tailor your salad to your liking by adding beans, avocado, nuts, seeds, or any fruit or vegetable that you enjoy.
- Add Dressing Only When Ready to Eat: Avoid letting your salad sit in the barbecue sauce and ranch dressing until you are ready to serve. Serve dressing on the side if that works better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use pre-cooked chicken or even leftover chicken to save time. Just toss it in spices and BBQ sauce to get the flavor.
Aside from ranch and bbq sauce, blue cheese, honey mustard dressing, or avocado ranch dressing can also complement the flavors in this salad.
Absolutely, any leafy green such as romaine, spinach, or a spring mix will work beautifully.
Store the salad, dressing, and chicken separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.
ENJOYED THIS RECIPE? Tell us what you think by leaving a rating and review below! 🤍
More Salad Recipes
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Crispy Chicken Salad
- Asian Peanut Chicken Salad
- Strawberry Bacon Spinach Salad
- Carrot Raisin Salad
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
BBQ Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
BBQ Chicken
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- ½ cup bbq sauce use your favorite!
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Salad
- 8 cups green leaf lettuce rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2 cups mango cubed
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing more if needed
- 1/4 cup bbq sauce more if needed
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss chicken tenders in a bbq sauce, paprika, salt, and black pepper mixture. Make sure the tenders are well coated.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add cooking oil. Once hot, add the chicken tenders. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165℉, flipping half way through cooking.
- Remove from heat. Let cool slightly. Chop chicken into pieces.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, add lettuce, tomatoes, corn, mango, cheddar cheese, carrots, and chicken. Drizzle with ranch dressing and more bbq sauce.
- Serve and enjoy!
