BBQ Chicken Salad is a hearty main dish salad piled high with grilled chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and tortilla strips. Drizzle it with your favorite BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing and you’re all set!
Whenever we go out and I convince myself to order a salad (mostly so I can feel less guilty about ordering dessert), it’s either a Chinese Chicken Salad or a BBQ Chicken Salad. In fact, one of our favorite places to go for lunch is Rumbi Island Grill, a restaurant chain in the western U.S. that has a lot of island-inspired dishes, like teriyaki rice bowls, shrimp, etc. I like to get their BBQ Chicken Salad because it’s loaded with lots of yummy goodies like chicken (go fig), black beans, corn, tortilla strips, cilantro, etc. and it’s one of their lower-calorie options.
So, of course, I had to recreate the salad at home. Because as fond as I am of carbs like pasta and rice, sometimes you just need to load up on good-for-you salads. Especially when you can whip this BBQ Chicken Salad up at home in no time. Start with a bed of romaine, then pile on some grilled chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, and tortilla strips, and then drizzle that deliciousness with your favorite BBQ sauce and Ranch (like this homemade version). Sounds amazing right? Well, if you like the way it sounds, just imagine how much better it tastes. It’s the perfect hearty main dish salad that everyone in your family will love.
- 1 large head romaine
- 2 cups cooked, cubed chicken (I used Tyson frozen grilled precooked strips)
- ½ can corn kernels
- ½ can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 green onions, sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese (or preferred shredded cheese)
- Cilantro for garnishing
- Tortilla strips for garnishing
- Ranch dressing
- BBQ sauce
- Divide romaine equally onto two plates. Top each with chicken.
- Sprinkle with corn, black beans, green onions, and cherry tomatoes.
- Sprinkle each with ⅛ cup cheese, then top with cilantro and tortilla strips.
- Drizzle each salad with Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce. Enjoy!
Supplies needed for this recipe:
Yummy!! I love BBQ chicken salad. This recipe looks like a winner 🙂 Pinning!
Thanks, Natasha! It’s definitely one of my favs. 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
LOVE a good salad that has some substance to it! After all, a girl’s gotta eat! This looks SO good and packed with flavor! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Karly Campbell recently posted…Barbecue Chicken Rice Skillet
Thanks, Karly! It’s one of my absolute favs and I love how easy it is to whip up! Thanks for visiting!