BBQ Chicken Salad

I love salad. I could eat salad every day of the week and be happy, but my husband definitely doesn’t share this sentiment. Though he will eat it, he doesn’t find it to be as delicious and satisfying as I do. Thus, I’ve been trying a few new salad recipes in order to find some varieties that are hearty and have a flavor that he enjoys.

This past week we tried this BBQ Chicken Salad. It combines common ingredients in a way that yields a very flavorful and filling dish.

Ingredients

(Inspired by several recipes, including this one and this one.)

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Several dashes salt and pepper
• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1 small cucumber, diced
• 1 small red onion, minced
• ½ cup crispy tortilla strips
• ½ cup ranch dressing
• 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Allow to cool.

Place the lettuce on individual plates. Top with the chicken, tomatoes, cheese, corn, cucumber, and red onion. Sprinkle with the tortilla strips.

In a small bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and BBQ sauce. Drizzle over the salad on each plate. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

Click here to view the nutrition facts and a printable version of the recipe.

Notes

Our go-to salads are taco salad and chef’s salad, so we really enjoyed this change! The BBQ sauce in the dressing really gives some pizazz to the flavor of the salad. It complements the flavors of the chicken and veggies well. This, plus the various textures in the salad, make it fun and exciting to eat. I’ll definitely make this one again!

One of the great things about salads is that they are super easy to customize. If you don’t like tomato, then don’t include it. If you want a little more meat, then toss in some crumbled bacon. There are dozens of different ways you can customize this to fit your preferences!

Have you tried any tasty salads recently? I’d love to hear about them!

Shared at the following:

Encouraging Hearts and Home, What’s for Dinner?, and Weekend Potluck.