This is the BEST honey mustard chicken cobb salad! Loaded with diced marinated chicken tenders, crispy bacon, creamy avocado & hard boiled eggs all tossed in a delicious honey mustard dressing that’s so easy to make! It’s full of flavor & perfect for a healthy spring dinner!
Ever since making my Fall Harvest Cobb Salad (which is amazing by the way😉), I knew I had to create a version for spring. And holy moly I’m so glad I did! This honey mustard chicken cobb salad is my hyper fixation meal right now and I couldn’t be happier! Slightly sweet, tangy, crunchy, creamy, salty – it’s got it all! Plus it’s such an easy cobb salad recipe that makes for a healthy spring dinner!
The hardest part about creating this recipe was the dressing. I kept going back and forth on what to pair it with, but once I made this honey mustard dressing I knew it was a keeper! It’s the BEST cobb salad dressing! It compliments your ingredints without being overly sweet AND even doubles as the marinade for your chicken!
Ingredients For Your Cobb Salad
- Chicken tenders: You’ll need about 1 pound of chicken tenders for this recipe. (See the “Let’s Talk Chicken” section if you’re interested in using a different cut of chicken instead.)
- Lettuce: We use a mix of romaine and green leaf lettuce for ours. (You’ll want use a sturdy lettuce that holds up to the rest of your ingredients.)
- Hard boiled eggs: You’ll need at least 4 hard boiled eggs for this salad. (If I’m making individual salads, I’ll usually use one hard boiled egg per salad.)
- Bacon: Use real bacon for maximum flavor! (Store bought bacon bits can be used instead.)
- Tomatoes: We love using cherry tomatoes or tomatoes on the vine for this salad. (They have such good flavor!)
- Avocado: Use as little or as much as you want!
- Feta cheese: Always buy a block of feta and crumble it yourself! (It has much better than flavor store bought crumbled feta.)
- Olive oil: We use Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil for all of our salad dressings! (It’s lighter and more mild in flavor than extra virgin or regular olive oil.)
- Honey: You’ll need a ¼ cup of your favorite honey for the honey mustard dressing!
- Dijon mustard: We use smooth dijon mustard for our dressing!
- Apple cider vinegar: Gives your dressing a slight tang! You’ll need 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
- Spices: Salt and black pepper are all you need to seaosn your dressing!
How To Make A Honey Mustard Chicken Cobb Salad
1. Make your dressing/marinade. Whisk your olive oil, honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and salt together until smooth. Then add your cracked black pepper to taste and set it aside.
2. Marinate & cook your chicken. Place your chicken tenders in a bag or bowl and toss it in a ¼ cup of your dressing. Let your chicken marinate for 30 minutes – 2 hours. Then bake the tenders at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes and let them cool completely one donce. Dice your chicken and set it aside.
3. Prepare the rest of your ingredients. Cook your bacon, hard boil your eggs, chop your lettuce and dice your tomatoes and avocado. Then add them to a large bowl.
4. Toss. Add your diced chicken to the bowl and toss in your desired amount of dressing.
5. Serve! Sprinkle your feta cheese over the top and serve immediately.
Let’s Talk Chicken!
I personally love baking chicken tenders for this salad! They’re easy to cook, take less time and are very forgiving so there’s no worry about over cooking them! BUT a variety of chicken cuts can be used instead. See below for your favorite cut of chicken!
- Pan Seared chicken tenders: Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add a splash of olive oil once it’s hot. Place your chicken tenders in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until they’re cooked through (with an internal temperature of 165 degrees).
- Chicken thighs (boneless & skinless): Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes (or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees).
- Chicken breasts: Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minute (or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees).
Tips For Making The Best Honey Mustard Cobb Salad
- Before cooking the chicken, I’ll usually season the tenders with salt and paprika after removing them from the marinade. (The salt helps give them a little more flavor/brings out the marinate flavors more and the paprika gives them some color.)
- We always use extra light tasting olive oil for our dressings! It’s more mild in flavor and really lets the other flavors in your dressing shine. I wouldn’t suggest using extra virgin olive oil for for this!
- Sometimes I’ll use a combo of smooth dijon mustard + whole grain mustard for the dressing. (The whole grain mustard adds a fun pop of texture to your salad.) Here are 2 ways you can make this combo!
- 2 Tbsp smooth dijon mustard + 2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
- 3 Tbsp smooth dijon mustard + 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard (*My personal favorite!)
FAQ’s
- Do I have to marinate my chicken in the dressing? No. I personally love the extra flavor it gives your chicken but you can use any type of cooked chicken or rostisserie chicken instead.
Why you’ll love this cobb salad recipe!
- A healthy cobb salad! Lots of veggies + lean protein + healthy fats AND it tastes delicious! What more could you ask for?!
- So much flavor! By marinating the chicken in your dressing, we’re infusing so much honey mustard flavor into this salad! It’s a honey mustard lover’s dream!
- Perfect for a crowd! This salad is so easy to double or triple! Turn it into a fun salad bar for your guests & let them build their own!
- The BEST spring salad! Loaded with simple ingredients, refreshing enough for those warm spring days & hearty enough for a full meal!
More salad recipes you might like:
- Fall Harvest Cobb Salad with Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette
- Spinach Salad with Bacon & Hard Boiled Eggs
- BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Loaded Italian Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
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Honey Mustard Chicken Cobb Salad
Ingredients
For the honey mustard dressing/marinade:
- ¼ cup olive oil*
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup smooth dijon mustard**
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- Cracked black pepepr, to taste
For the cobb salad:
- 1 lb. chicken tenders
- 6-8 cups romaine or green leaf lettuce, chopped
- 6-8 slices of bacon, cooked & chopped or cumbled
- 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled & sliced
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1-2 avocados, diced
- ¼-½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
To make the dressing/marinade:
- Whisk your olive oil, honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and salt together until smooth. Then add your cracked black pepper to taste, cover and set it aside.
To make the salad:
- Marinate your chicken. Place your chicken tenders in a plastic bag or bowl and toss them in a ¼ cup of your dressing. Then let your chicken marinate for 30 minutes – 2 hours.
- Bake. When your chicken is done marinating, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.Add your chicken tenders to the dish and season them with salt, black pepper and paprika (if desired). Place the dish in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees). Let them cool completely before cutting them into bite sized pieces.
- Assemble your salad. Add your lettuce, diced chicken, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado and bacon to a large bowl and toss in your desired amount of dressing.
- Serve! Sprinkle your feta cheese over the top and serve immediately.
Notes
- 2 Tbsp smooth dijon mustard + 2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
- 3 Tbsp smooth dijon mustard + 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard (*My favorite!)
