BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad is a party on a plate! This filling entree salad is full of texture and bold, BBQ flavors.
I’ve got a must-try sizzling chicken salad recipe for you: BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad!
This filling entree salad combines crisp romaine lettuce with grilled chicken and corn, black beans, fresh tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips (my favorite part) and red onions, drizzled with the can’t-miss combo of Ranch dressing and smoky BBQ sauce.
It is bold, zesty, fresh, quick, and easy. A party on a plate!
Sometimes eating salads can get boring and repetitive, but this is one chicken salad you’ll be dreaming about making over and over and over again.
It’s the fresh and summery toppings, for me.
Make/chop everything once, then toss together for salads all week long. Again, do not forget the crushed tortilla chips!
Start by grilling chicken breasts that have been pounded thin and seasoned with salt and pepper for 3-4 minutes per side over medium-high heat.
Brush the grilled side with BBQ sauce after flipping once, keeping the lid closed to let the BBQ sauce sizzle and caramelize as the second side cooks.
Pop a couple ears sweet corn on the grill next door then rotate occasionally until all sides are evenly charred.
Pull the chicken and corn off the grill then let then let them cool slightly before chopping the chicken and slicing the kernels off the cobs. Set both aside for a sec!
Next get the rest of the chopped salad ingredients ready, starting with the salad base – romaine lettuce. For 4 people you’ll want 2-10oz bags of chopped romaine lettuce.
Place the lettuce into a huge bowl (might want to do this in a few batches,) then use a pizza cutter to chop it up into small, bite-sized pieces.
To the chopped lettuce add chopped vine-ripened tomatoes, minced red onion,
black beans, and the kernels from the grilled corn.
Finally, add a big handful of crushed tortilla chips (however many you want) and shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses.
These two ingredients are my secret salad weapons. The chips add an awesome, unexpected crunch, and the mixture of cheeses is just right.
Add the chopped chicken then, using a pair of tongs, toss the salad ingredients together.
I like to dress my salad with a mixture of Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce, which really drives the flavor of the smokey-sweet BBQ chicken home, but use whatever your heart desires. Dress then toss again to combine, plate, and serve!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, pounded to an even thickness
- salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup BBQ sauce, plus more for topping
- 2 ears sweet corn
- 2 10oz bags chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded then chopped
- 1 cup black beans
- 1/2 small red onion, minced
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- crushed tortilla chips
- Ranch dressing
Directions
- Spray chicken breasts with nonstick spray then season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, brushing the grilled side with BBQ sauce after flipping once. Grill the corn cobs, rotating occasionally, until evenly charred. Remove chicken and corn, let cool slightly, then chop chicken and slice corn kernels off cob and set aside.
- In a very large bowl add lettuce (may need to do this in a couple batches). Use a pizza cutter to evenly chop lettuce into small pieces then toss with tomatoes, black beans, red onion, cheeses, desired amount of crushed tortilla chips, grilled chicken, and grilled corn. Drizzle with ranch dressing and extra bbq sauce (or your favorite dressing) then toss and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce, whether it's sweet or spicy.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I want that for dinner tonight! Looks amazing
The corn looks great and in my opinion, this time of year, BBQ sauce makes everything better!
This looks super yummy! What brand of light ranch do you prefer?
I like Hidden Valley!
I’m in a salad rut, but only because I’m feeling sooooo lazy! This is exactly the salad I want. Like for lunch. Today. Looks amazing!
I will preface this with saying I do NOT sell Pampered Chef, just a happy customer. I have their gadget for chopping salad and it’s one of my favorite purchases. I use it all the time. It sort of looks like a scissors but has one side that is more scooped for picking up a bunch of greens with every chop-right in the bowl.
oh…and I am in love with this salad!
This looks really similar to one that I make all the time – only I add avocado and bacon :-) I am sure that could be easily added for your eating pleasure! One question I have – I am having a hard time pinning the image. I get an error saying that it isn’t a valid image. I couldn’t do it with the s’mores krispie treats yesterday either…oh the HUMANITY! I just wasn’t sure if you were aware of the issue and if it was something that could be fixed so I can make sure I stuff my face with these recipes ASAP :-)
So sad, some other people were telling me the same thing on Facebook just now! I’m having my developer look into it right now so hopefully we can have a fix in place soon!
Ok we *may* have fixed the problem. Would you be able to clear your browser’s cache then try again? Thanks again for letting me know!
The pinning issues is fixed!! Thank you!!
Wohoo!!
this looks refreshing somehow, even though it’s got the grilled chicken and BBQ sauce on it. i think this might be friday’s dinner for me…too bad the hubs will be out of town.
Caesar salad is the only kind of salad my husband will eat…but, I bet he’d try this one! Can’t wait to give it a try!
I think I just decided what’s for dinner tonight! I might even guild the lily by tossing some crumbled bacon on top!
I am just like Ben! Yogurt is disgusting. Sour cream makes me gag. Anything thick and creamy is strictly forbidden in my house. The only exception is Caesar dressing! Good to know there are others that share my foibles. The salad looks delicious.
Silly question. .. is the Corn cooked ir soaked at all before it’s grilled?
No just shucked and thrown right on the grill!
Looks delicious! Any excuse to eat corn in the summer :)
Chopped salad is my favorite! I’ve never tried using a pizza cutter though. I’ll have to try it out next time I make a chopped salad.