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bbq chicken salad on a white platter with cilantro lime ranch
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5 from 2 votes

BBQ Chicken Salad

This healthy BBQ chicken salad is better than the restaurant! It includes classic southwest toppings and a creamy (dairy free) cilantro lime ranch that takes 5 minutes to make.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bbq chicken, chicken salad, cilantro lime ranch, dairy free, paleo, shredded chicken, southwest
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 1 2 and 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 (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
  • Additional optional toppings: shredded mexican cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

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.
  • If you are using rotisserie chicken, add it to a medium bowl and toss with BBQ sauce. Set aside.
  • 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.

Notes

For the dressing:
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.
*Nutrition information does not include dressing

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.2g | Protein: 40.9g | Fat: 11.3g | Fiber: 9.2g | Sugar: 11.9g