This is the ultimate bbq chicken salad made with all the summer ingredients – romaine, cherry tomatoes, corn, garbanzo beans, bbq chicken, and an avocado ranch dressing.
Whether you have leftover grilled bbq chicken or are just craving a bbq chicken salad, this is the perfect summer salad!
My husband and I love making this bbq chicken salad because it’s protein-packed and seasonal. I love the combo of saucy bbq chicken, feta cheese, and avocado ranch. It’s also a great make-ahead salad option if you’re looking to pack in the veg and protein at lunch.
What is in this bbq chicken salad recipe?
- BBQ Chicken: this recipe uses our simple grilled bbq chicken breast recipe that’s made with a marinade + bbq sauce.
- Romaine: we love a crunchy green and that’s why we chose romaine.
- Veggies: you need corn, garbanzo beans, and tomatoes.
- Avocado Ranch Dressing: this is a simple, semi-homemade dressing made with ranch, avocado, lemon juice, and chives.
- Cheese: a salad isn’t a salad without the cheese. We’re using feta.
Variations
This salad works with pretty much any green. Try spinach or arugula. You can use a variety of veggies that you have on hand. Some recommendations are cucumber, onion, zucchini, and fresh herbs. For even more protein, try adding cooked bacon. Last, switch up your bbq protein! Try bbq chicken thighs or even shrimp.
Make Ahead Instructions
This is such a great make-ahead salad. We recommend storing the veggies and chicken separate from the dressing and lettuce.
Cook the chicken and then dice it into chunks. Store it in a glass container with the chopped veggies and cheese.
When you’re ready to serve, toss everything together with the dressing.
We don’t recommend storing already dressed lettuce because it will go bad quickly.
Serving Suggestions
This bbq chicken salad is perfect on its own, but it also makes a great side salad. Eat it next to a grilled steak or grilled veggies. For dessert try a blueberry crisp or coconut cream pie bars.
Ingredients
BBQ Chicken Salad
- 15 oz. garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt separated
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper separated
- 1.5 tablespoons avocado oil
- 10 oz. sweet corn
- 4-6 cups chopped romaine lettuce washed and dried
- 10 oz. cherry tomatoes halved
- ⅓ cup feta crumbles
- 1.5 lbs. BBQ chicken breast we used THIS recipe
Instructions
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Add the garbanzo beans to a bowl and toss with lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
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Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the corn kernels. Season the corn with the remaining salt and saute for 8-10 minutes, tossing until the corn is golden brown. Remove the corn from the heat and set aside.
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Add the romaine lettuce to a large salad bowl. Toss the cherry tomatoes, corn, garbanzo beans, and feta with the romaine lettuce.
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Prepare the dressing. Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a mason jar. Cover and shake the ingredients together until combined. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
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Top with sliced BBQ chicken and enjoy.
Tips & Notes
- You can make BBQ chicken for this recipe or use leftover BBQ chicken.
- Feel free to replace the romaine lettuce with wherever lettuce you prefer.
- If you are running short on time, skip the semi-homemade dressing and use plain ranch dressing.
- This recipe was slightly updated on August 13, 2023.
Nutrition facts
Calories: 446kcal Carbohydrates: 36g Protein: 35g Fat: 19g Fiber: 9g Sugar: 8g
