Why You’ll Love This Barbeque Chicken Salad
- Delicious salad that doesn’t feel boring or “diet-y”
- Has BBQ flavors but is lighter than a sandwich or platter
- Great way to use leftover BBQ chicken
- Easy summer meal idea for lunch or potlucks
- Meal prep-friendly recipe
Better than Takeout Barbeque Chicken Salad
If you’re familiar with Panera’s BBQ chicken salad, then you probably love it as much as me! Same with California Pizza Kitchen. Both of those restaurants make a KILLER barbeque chicken salad.
But, you can make it home—a little healthier and more affordable.
It has all of the toppings, but has healthier BBQ sauce and the dressing is dairy-free. You know exactly what’s going into your salad when you eat it!
Plus, you can make a huge salad for a lot cheaper than spending money one one. You’ll make a batch and have salads for the rest of the week.
If you’re a fan of hearty chicken salads, try this buffalo chicken salad or crispy chicken salad next. For another chicken lunch with southwestern flair, try Mexican street corn chicken salad.
Reader Reviews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of the BEST salads I have ever tasted in my life! So simple, so easy to make, but also SO delicious! It’s a new staple in my meal prep rotation. The dressing is to die for! So yummy! – Kayla
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Needed to try another one of your recipes since the first one I made was delicious! This one is another winner! – Alicia
Ingredients You’ll Need
Salad
- Shredded rotisserie chicken with sugar-free BBQ sauce: Could also make slower cooker bbq chicken
- Romaine lettuce: Or spinach
- Black beans, canned corn, grape tomatoes, avocado, red onion, cilantro
Dressing
- Paleo mayo: I like primal kitchen
- Full fat canned coconut milk, cilantro, lime juice, dried chives, dried dill, smoked paprika, garlic, salt, almond milk
- Honey: Omit for whole30 option
- Jalapeno: Keep the seeds for more spice
- Mild salsa verde: Or 1 can diced green chiles
How to make Barbeque Chicken Salad
- Blend dressing ingredients, except for the almond milk, until smooth. Add the almond milk a little at a time. Refrigerate.
- Toss shredded chicken with BBQ sauce. Set aside.
- Add lettuce to a large bowl and top with BBQ chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, onion and cilantro.
- Add toppings and serve with cilantro lime ranch dressing.
Expert Tips
- Meal prep the shredded chicken ahead of time by either purchasing a rotiserrie chicken and shredding it in the KitchenAid or make slow cooker BBQ chicken.
- For extra smoky flavor, grill your chicken and corn (or add elote seasoning to your corn).
- And for some added southwest flair, use Mexican pickled onions.
- Use a quality BBQ sauce (I like primal kitchen).
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can assemble the salad the night before and refrigerate it. I would wait to chop the avocados and add the dressing until the salad is ready to serve so the ingredients don’t get soggy and the avocado doesn’t brown.
Yes! Some great alternatives are crispy instant pot carnitas, instant pot pulled pork, or grilled pork tenderloin.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with @what_mollymade so I can see it and feature you!
More Delicious Salads
Barbeque Chicken Salad
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Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded with 1/2 cup sugar free BBQ sauce (I like primal kitchen) OR 1 serving bbq chicken in the slower cooker
- 8 cups romaine lettuce (could also use spinach)
- 1 cup black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 cup canned corn kernels (fire roasted if you can find it)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1-2 avocados chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
- Optional toppings: shredded mexican cheese or cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips
Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Dressing
- 3/4 cup paleo mayo (I like primal kitchen)
- 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk shaken first to combine cream and liquid
- 1/2 cup cilantro tightly packed about 1/2 bunch
- 1 tablespoon honey omit for whole30 option
- Juice from 1/2 a lime
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 clove of garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 jalapeno roughly chopped with or without seeds for more spice *see notes
- 1/4 cup mild salsa verde (see notes)
- 3 tablespoon almond milk (more or less depending on your consistency preference)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients, except for the almond milk, to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, scraping sides down as needed. Add the almond milk a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Place in the refrigerator to chill before using.3/4 cup paleo mayo, 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk, 1/2 cup cilantro tightly packed, 1 tablespoon honey, Juice from 1/2 a lime, 2 teaspoons dried chives, 1/2 teaspoon dried dill, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 jalapeno roughly chopped, 1/4 cup mild salsa verde, 3 tablespoon almond milk
- If you are using rotisserie chicken, add it to a medium bowl and toss with BBQ sauce. Set aside.2 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded with 1/2 cup sugar free BBQ sauce (I like primal kitchen)
- Prep all of your ingredients including draining the beans and corn and chopping the onion, avocado and tomato. Add the lettuce to a large bowl and top with BBQ chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, onion and cilantro. Top with any additional ingredients and serve with cilantro lime ranch dressing.8 cups romaine lettuce, 1 cup black beans, 1 cup canned corn kernels, 1 cup grape tomatoes, 1-2 avocados, 1/2 cup red onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, Optional toppings: shredded mexican cheese or cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips
Notes
You can swap a fresh jalapeno for 3/4 cup pickled jalapeno.
You can swap the salsa verde for 1 can of diced green chilis.
Add more almond milk if you want the dressing thinner. Storage: If salad is fully assembled, eat within 1-2 days. If possible, store leftover salad ingredients separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store leftover dressing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. *Nutrition facts do not include dressing
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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One of the BEST salads I have ever tasted in my life! So simple, so easy to make, but also SO delicious! It’s a new staple in my meal prep rotation. The dressing is to die for! So yummy!
Best comment! So glad you think so!! We love this one for meal prep too!
Needed to try another one of your recipes since the first one I made was delicious! This one is another winner! I’m so happy I came across your sight while researching PCOS stuff. Your meals are so tasty and easy to make. I can’t thank you enough for making cooking and eating enjoyable again. Having to follow a PCOS friendly diet is not the easiest task and you are restoring my hope that enjoying meals can be done while watching the ingredients in it. Thanks again for another fabulous meal to add to my list.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this, Alicia! This just made my day!!! This really is my purpose for sharing my story and recipes and I’m so glad you’re feeling hopeful.