BBQ Chicken Salad

Name: BBQ Chicken Salad
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American,Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 1 pound boneless chicken breasts; 1 small onion, quartered; 3 medium garlic cloves, crushed; 1 large bay leaf; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon oregano; 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite, plus more for serving); 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1/2 cup milk (or as needed to thin); 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 3 tablespoons lime juice; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 3/4 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste; 6 to 8 cups torn lettuce; 1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved; 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (canned or frozen and cooked); 1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons; 3/4 cup diced red onion; 1 1/2 cups corn chips (or tortilla strips); 4 ounces diced pepper jack cheese (or cheddar or Monterey Jack); 1 medium avocado, sliced or diced; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

A flavorful BBQ ranch chicken salad features tender chicken tossed in barbecue sauce, fresh vegetables, and a vibrant cilantro lime ranch dressing.

⭐ 4.8 (19 reviews) Prep: 20 minCook: 12 minTotal: 32 minYields: 12 servings

Category Tags:

Dinner Lunch Salad

Cuisine Tags:

American Tex-Mex

This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

1 pound boneless chicken breasts
1 small onion, quartered
3 medium garlic cloves, crushed
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 cup barbecue sauce (your favorite, plus more for serving)

For the Cilantro-Lime Ranch Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk (or as needed to thin)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

For the Salad:

6 to 8 cups torn lettuce
1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (canned or frozen and cooked)
1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
3/4 cup diced red onion
1 1/2 cups corn chips (or tortilla strips)
4 ounces diced pepper jack cheese (or cheddar or Monterey Jack)
1 medium avocado, sliced or diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Instructions

Combine chicken, quartered onion, crushed garlic, a bay leaf, chili powder, kosher salt, and oregano in a saucepan with enough water to cover; bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F.
Remove chicken to cool, then shred or chop it and toss with barbecue sauce; refrigerate.
Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, chopped cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper for the dressing; season with salt to taste and refrigerate.
Arrange lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, corn, cucumber, onion, avocado, cheese, tortilla strips, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.
Top with the BBQ chicken, drizzle with dressing, and optionally add more barbecue sauce, then serve.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories: 489 kcal

Carbohydrate: 41 g

Cholesterol: 51 mg

Fiber: 7 g

Protein: 21 g

Saturated Fat: 6 g

Sodium: 595 mg

Sugar: 10 g

Fat: 28 g

Unsaturated Fat: 0 g