An easy salad made with chopped bbq chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes & onion all tossed in a creamy cilantro lime dressing! This bbq chicken salad is full of flavor & perfect for a quick summer dinner!
Story time – the first time I ever had bbq chicken salad was at California Pizza Kitchen and I was hooked! At first I thought it was weird they paired a cilantro lime dressing with barbecue but OMG…it just worked! The sweet and spiciness of the bbq sauce + the freshness and tang from the dressing – SO GOOD! So this is my take on their bbq chicken salad!
We love this salad for it’s fresh ingredients like corn, tomatoes, black beans and avocado and it’s a great way to use up leftover chicken too! It’s perfect for an easy summer dinner and can easily be meal prepped for lunches!
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Salad
Chicken: Chicken tenders, thighs or breasts can be used for this recipe. Feel free to cook them using your favorite method! (Or use leftover bbq chicken instead!)
BBQ sauce: Use your favorite! We prefer a sweeter bbq sauce to cut some of the tang from the dressing. (Our favorite is Stubb’s Sweet Heat!)
Lettuce: Use romaine or green leaf lettuce for the best results. (They’re a little more sturdy and hold up to the rest of your ingredients.)
Canned black beans: A necessity for bbq chicken salad! (We use low sodium beans!)
Corn: Fresh corn tastes the best (in my opinion😉) but canned or frozen corn can be used instead. If using fresh corn, you can cook the corn using your favorite method or cut the kernels off raw.
Tomatoes: Any type of tomatoes work for this recipe!
Onion: We love red onion in this salad! (It’s a little sweeter than white or yellow onion and doesn’t have as harsh of an “onion” flavor.)
Avocado: Avocado and salads just go together.😉 Feel free to add as little or as much as you want!
Spices: You’ll need salt, black pepper and paprika to season the chicken.
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Dressing
Plain Greek yogurt: Used as the base of your dressing. (We use 0% Greek yogurt for ours!)
Olive oil: Helps to balance the flavors in your dressing. Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil works the best here! It’s much more mild in flavor and won’t overpower the rest of your ingredients.
Lime juice: Use fresh limes for the best result! You’ll about 2-3 limes (depending on their size) to make a ¼ cup of juice for the dressing.
Cilantro: Use the leaves and stems for maximum flavor! Don’t worry about chopping them either – the food processor will do all the work for you!
Garlic: 2 garlic cloves are needed for the dressing!
Spices: Salt, black pepper and cumin are needed for the dressing!
How To Make BBQ Chicken Salad
1. Cook the chicken. Season your chicken with salt, pepper and paprika and brush them with bbq sauce on both sides. Then bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Once done, allow them to cool completely and cut them into bite-sized pieces. (Sometimes we’ll toss them in a little extra bbq sauce before adding them to the salad.)
2. Make the dressing. Place your dressing ingredients in a food processor and blend them together until smooth. Keep your dressing stored in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of your salad.
3. Prepare the rest of your salad ingredients. Chop your lettuce and add it to a large bowl. Then cut the kernels off your corn (if using fresh), chop your tomatoes & onions and drain & rinse your black beans.
4. Mix & serve! Add your prepared ingredients to the bowl with your lettuce and pour your desired amount of dressing over the top. Toss the salad until it’s fully coated then top with your chopped bbq chicken.
Let’s Talk Chicken!
Best thing about this salad – you can use any cut of chicken and cook it any way you want! The possibilities are endless! Chicken tenders, thighs, breasts…even shredded rotisserie chicken can be used to cut down on time! (Plus it’s a great way to use up leftover bbq chicken too!) Below you’ll find baking times and temps for each cut along with grilling instructions too!
- Shredded rotisserie chicken: No cooking time! Just toss it in your bbq sauce and top it over your salad!
- Chicken tenders: Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
- Boneless & skinless chicken thighs: Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes depending on their size.
- Chicken breasts: Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes depending their size.
- Grilling instructions (for chicken thighs): Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and oil the grill grates to prevent sticking. Once hot, place the seasoned thighs directly on the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes per side. During the few minutes, baste each side with your bbq sauce and remove them from the grill once done.
Your chicken should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees when it’s done. Then let your chicken cool and cut it into bite sized pieces before serving! (We’ll usually toss ours in a little extra bbq sauce before adding it to our salad.)
Variations
There’s so many ingredients you can add to this salad to really make it your own! Here are a few of our favorite ideas to get you started:
- Add shredded cheese! (Cheddar or white cheddar cheese is so good with this!)
- Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips on top!
- Add chopped red bell pepper for extra crunch!
- Mix chopped fresh cilantro into your salad! (We love adding fresh herbs to salads – it’s such a simple way to elevate them!)
- Grill your corn for extra smoky flavor!
Why you’ll love this bbq chicken salad recipe!
- Great way to use up leftovers! Hosting a family barbecue? This salad makes an easy summer dinner the next day!
- Nutritious & satisfying! Loaded with lean protein, veggies & full of flavor!
- So versatile! Switch up the ingredients according to your preference or use what you have on hand!
[Made one of my recipes? Tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments – I love seeing what you create!]
BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 lb. chicken tenders (see notes for other cuts of chicken)
- Salt, black pepper & paprika (to season the chicken)
- ½ cup bbq sauce
- 6 cups lettuce, chopped
- ¾ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned)*
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ of a red onion, sliced thin
- 1 large avocado, diced
- Tortilla chips (optional)
For the cilantro dressing:
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped & packed (leaves & stems)
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Add your dressing ingredients to a food processor and blend them together until smooth. Cover and keep it stored in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the salad.
- Cook the chicken. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Then season the chicken tenders with salt, pepper and paprika and place them in the dish. Brush both sides of your tenders with bbq sauce and bake for 15-18 minutes. Let them cool completely then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the salad. Add your lettuce, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion and avocado to a large bowl and toss with your desired amount of dressing. Top the salad with your chopped chicken and tortilla chips (if using) and serve immediately.
Notes
- Chicken thighs (boneless & skinless): Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending on their size.
- Chicken breasts: Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes depending on their size.
- Shredded rotisserie chicken: Shred your chicken and mix it with your favorite bbq sauce.
- Grilling instructions (for chicken thighs): Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and oil the grill grates to prevent sticking. Once hot, place the seasoned thighs directly on the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes per side. During the few minutes, baste each side with your bbq sauce and remove them from the grill once done.
- Fresh corn: Cook the corn using your preferred method then cut the kernels off the cob.
- Canned corn: Drain & rinse the kernels before adding the to your salad
- Frozen corn: Cook the kernels according to the package and let cool before adding to your salad.
