Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad
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Have we got one hearty, healthy summer salad for you! Succulent, charred chicken, crisp baby greens, juicy tomatoes, smoky bacon, jammy eggs, and creamy avocado all meld together for a mix of textures and flavors in this delicious grilled chicken cobb salad! Finish it with a drizzle of a luscious, warm, smoky bacon vinaigrette for the ultimate satisfying summer meal or side dish!
Grilled chicken salads taste like summer! Make this grilled buffalo chicken salad next!
This grilled chicken cobb salad is ideal for those times when you're after a dish that's both wholesome and satisfying, delivering a bunch of nutrients and protein to keep you feeling healthy and fueled ā but still tastes like a treat! It's healthy, hearty, low-carb, and super delicious. With all the juicy, crispy, crunchy, salty, loveable flavors, it's sure to be a summer entertaining family favorite!
What makes this grilled chicken cobb salad so special
There are two things that make this cobb salad stand out. First of all, the grilled chicken! Making cobb salad with grilled chicken that's been sizzled on the BBQ imparts a delicious smoky char into the whole dish! It's the epitome of what summer grilling is about: easy to make, delicious to eat, with a mouthwatering smoky char!
The other special element is the warm bacon vinaigrette! The rich smokiness from the rendered bacon fat layers with the tang from the vinegar, with subtle heat from the adobo sauce. Dijon mustard and lime juice bring some brightness and zing, and the olive oil makes it luscious. It takes your grilled chicken cobb salad to the next level!
Ingredients notes
With such a variety of vegetables, protein, and ingredients, this grilled chicken cobb salad is packed with nutrients, flavor complexity, and texture contrast! Plus, it's healthy! Round up these simple, familiar ingredients:
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work great!
- Warm bacon vinaigrette: Rendered bacon fat, sherry vinegar (or apple cider vinegar), chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, dijon mustard, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- Other ingredients: Paprika, chili powder, sea salt, eggs, bacon, baby greens, tomatoes, and avocado.
How to make grilled chicken cobb salad
The hardest part of this whole deal is peeling the hard-boiled eggs! It's super simple to throw together, and the rest of the cobb salad is usually ready to eat as soon as the chicken finishes on the BBQ. This is how it's done:
- Prep: Season your chicken with the spices and salt, then put it on the BBQ. Boil the eggs and water in a pot and crisp up your bacon (and try not to eat it all before dinner!)
- Vinaigrette: Use the delicious, smoky fat from the pan you cooked the bacon in to make your dressing. Whisk the sherry vinegar, adobo sauce, dijon, and lime juice, and then slowly pour in the bacon fat and olive oil while whisking away so it gets creamy!
- Assemble: Cut your chicken into slices once it's cool enough to handle. Place the greens, tomatoes, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, and grilled chicken in a salad bowl or large platter and pour the bacon vinaigrette over the top. Enjoy!
Making chicken cobb salad without the grill
Whether you don't have a grill or if you're craving this in the colder months, you can still enjoy this chicken cobb salad year-round! One option is to use a grill pan on the stovetop ā it mimics an outdoor grill, but you can cook from the comfort of your stovetop when it's cold outside. No grill, no problem!
While we LOVE the irresistible smoky flavor the BBQ imparts when you cook it on the grill, if you want to save time or use up what's in the fridge, you can use leftover chicken or even grab a rotisserie chicken! Just shred it up into bite-sized pieces and throw it in.
Grilled chicken cobb salad dressing
We love this warm bacon vinaigrette as it infuses the salad with an irresistible smokiness! If you want to mix it up or if you have a craving for another dressing, this grilled chicken cobb salad will meld with other flavors, too. Here are some of our other faves:
What to serve with grilled chicken cobb salad
Grilled chicken cobb salad has a variety of protein, vegetables, and fats, so it's a great low-carb, healthy, all in one meal! Throw on some bacon croutons for some added crunch.
While it works as a standalone meal, you can also serve it up as a side dish to other mains, or add some sides with this as your main dish salad! While the grill is hot, make some spicy buffalo grilled corn on the cobb or grilled mini peppers! Or, enjoy it beside some sweet potato wedges or cajun potatoes.
Also, try this grilled chicken parm recipe!
Recipe FAQs
How do I store leftover grilled chicken cobb salad?
For the best taste experience, enjoy your grilled chicken cobb salad fresh! Once the greens are dressed, they lose a bit of their crispness if stored.
If you can store the components separately before assembling, pop them in airtight containers for up to five days. Alternatively, pre-dressed salads will still hold up well for a few days if kept in an airtight container in the fridge. When you're ready to enjoy, feel free to pick out the chicken to reheat it or enjoy it cold straight from the fridge.
Can I add anything else to the salad?
Of course! Feel free to customize your grilled chicken cobb salad with additional toppings such as crumbled feta or blue cheese, red onion, romaine lettuce, grated carrot, sliced cucumbers, or roasted nuts or seeds for extra flavor and texture.
Can I make this cobb salad with other proteins?
Certainly! Cooking times will vary, but you could make it with cubes of crispy tofu, steak slices, turkey, or another protein of your choice!
Do you have any other dinner salads?
We sure do! Try our steak salad next!
Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Ā½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 10 ounces baby greens
- 3 tomatoes (quartered)
- 1 avocado (sliced)
Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (can sub apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- juice from 1 lime
- Ā¼ cup rendered bacon fat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with the paprika, chili powder, and sea salt. Grill for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Slice into strips.3 chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, Ā½ teaspoon sea salt
- Fill a pot half full with water and bring it to a boil then reduce the temperature so the water simmers. Add the eggs and let them cook for 7 minutes (no more!) then remove them and put them in a bowl of ice water. When they're cool, peel and cut them in half.3 large eggs
- While the water is heating up, cook the bacon until crispy then remove it from the pan and break it into big chunks. Remove Ā¼ cup of the rendered bacon fat from the pan.4 slices thick-cut bacon
- In a medium bowl, whisk in the sherry vinegar, adobo sauce, dijon, and lime juice. SlowlyĀ pour in the rendered bacon oil and olive oil while whisking briskly. Season with salt and pepper.2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, juice from 1 lime, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper, Ā¼ cup rendered bacon fat
- Place the greens, tomatoes, avocado, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, and grilled chicken on a platter or in a salad bowl and pour the bacon vinaigrette over the top.10 ounces baby greens, 3 tomatoes, 1 avocado
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our summer recipes!
This is the best Cobb salad recipe Iāve ever made. Thank you!
We think so too!!
Such an amazingly healthy dish! I have to say that the baby greens are so good for every types of salad! I did try the bacon vinaigrette the very first time and luckily it turned great xD Yummy~
– Natalie Ellis
I’m so happy to hear you like the recipe!!
This is my new favorite salad! I made it as soon as you sent the email about it and am so happy I did. It did not dissapoint. So many flavors and they all complimented each other. Better than any cobb salad I’ve had before!
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit!