BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad is fresh, healthy, and full of protein, flavor, and texture! Perfect for lunch or dinner.
Have you ever come up with a fabulous idea for a recipe and thought to yourself, I’m a genius! — only to realize after Googling said idea that you’re the millionth person to the party?
Yeah, me too.
Always looking for a new way to use quinoa in my cooking, as it’s an ingredient my husband and I can both agree on (unlike onions, cream cheese, eel, squash, cool whip, chevre, peanut noodles, or mushrooms) and can’t be beat in the nutritional department, I thought —
What if I paired quinoa with summer staples like grilled chicken and corn then drizzled it with a cool dressing of sweet BBQ sauce and creamy Greek yogurt, and called it thebestthingeverrrr?!
Well, I can tell you why it’s a popular idea — BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad is unreal!
Full of over-the-top flavors like smoky grilled corn and sweet BBQ sauce, plus protein-packed ingredients like grilled chicken, creamy black beans, and fluffy quinoa, BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad is a healthy and delicious party on a plate.
Use leftover grilled chicken and corn from your last BBQ, or even rotisserie chicken and frozen corn to get BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad to your table even faster.
No matter the method, the fresh and satisfying flavors will still shine through.
Start by adding pre-rinsed quinoa and chicken broth to a small saucepan then bring it to a boil. Place a lid on top then turn the heat to low and simmer the quinoa for 15 minutes or until tender.
Fluff the quinoa with a fork then set it aside.
Meanwhile, grill chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper, plus a couple ears of sweet corn over medium-high heat. The chicken should take about 4-5 minutes a side, and the corn will take just as long. A match made in grilling heaven!
Let the chicken cool for a few minutes then shred or chop it up. Toss with enough of your favorite BBQ sauce to coat then set aside.
Next, slice the charred kernels off the cob.
To make the BBQ sauce drizzle that goes on top of the dish, simply stir together equal amounts of BBQ sauce and plain Greek yogurt.
Top the cooked quinoa with the shredded BBQ chicken and grilled corn then add black beans and shredded cheddar cheese. Pop the dish in the microwave for 20 seconds to melt the cheese (if you want) then drizzle with the BBQ sauce dressing and top with chopped cilantro.
Finally, devour!
I don’t know what I love best — how filling or how flavorful this dish is!
Each bite is more interesting than the last. This is a fantastic summer lunch or dinner recipe – enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, pre-rinsed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, pounded to an even thickness
- salt and pepper
- 2 ears sweet corn, 1 cup frozen sweet corn kernels
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, plus more for chicken
- chopped fresh cilantro, for topping
Directions
- Add quinoa and chicken broth to a small saucepan then bring to a boil over high heat. Place a lid on top, turn heat to low, then cook until quinoa is tender, 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork then set aside to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then grill over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes a side, or until no longer pink in the center. (Alternatively you could saute or poach the chicken, or use leftover or rotisserie chicken.) Add corn cobs to the grill at the same time then rotate every couple of minutes to evenly char on all sides. Remove chicken and corn to a plate then let cool slightly. Shred or cut chicken into cubes, then mix with enough BBQ sauce to coat. Slice kernels off the cob then set aside.
- Mix together Greek yogurt and BBQ sauce in a bowl. Evenly divide the cooked quinoa, BBQ chicken, grilled corn, black beans, and shredded cheese between four plates. Drizzle with yogurt and BBQ sauce mixture, then garnish with chopped cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I “stretched” the dressing by adding juice from 1/4 lime. Also, I forgot to pick up cilantro at the grocery store and added fresh oregano from the garden instead. Will definitely make this again.
Had this for lunch today and it was amazing….I’m so full! It would be great for breakfast too. I would sub the chicken and sauce for a fried egg and salsa, maybe even throw on some crumbled chorizo or bacon…..breakfast of champions!
Thank you for sharing this delicious BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad recipe. We featured it on our blog this week! http://www.thehappygal.com/20-quinoa-recipes-love/
Thanks for this great recipe! This is one of the best quinoa recipes I have ever used, eating it now and it’s so delish.
Smashing pictures, i got to say this dish looks amazing, i’ve got to try out this mouth-watering dish right away :)
This is a nice easy introduction to making quinoa (not that it was complicated … I’m just kitchen-challenged), and I’m loving it as a cold work lunch. Looking forward to trying more of Kristin’s quinoa dishes!
Made this for dinner tonight and just wanted to tell you that my husband and I LOVED it!! So simple and delicious, it may be a new favorite. Thanks for the great idea, as always! Your recipes are always fantastic!
Just discovered this recipe & can’t even wait to try it! I’m thinking that making it with shrimp will be just as good!!!! YUMM-OH!
Yum! This sounds amazing and I am trying it ASAP!
Oh lord, I’m so full. I just made this for dinner – (I’m on a low GI diet until my weight is managed) and it was delicious! I didn’t add yogurt to the sauce and I just added more corn and left out beans, but it was still awesome! Thanks so much!
Tried quinoa for the first time tonight, using this recipe! This recipe was great, but I’m not 100% sold on the quinoa. I used vegetable bouillon and will make sure to use chicken broth next time, which I think will make the quinoa taste better. I’m also thinking of replacing the quinoa altogether with lettuce!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!! I followed the recipe, didn’t and wouldn’t change a thing…Thank you again for providing my family with another delicious, nutritious recipe…I love your blog!!!!
Made this tonight for the boyfriend and I, so good!! Loving how flavorful and healthy this is. We skipped the black beans, but added avocado per the other reviewer and some diced tomatoes. He went back for extra of the yogurt/bbq drizzle and practically licked the cup clean :) Thank you for this awesome recipe. Definitely a keeper!