This BBQ chicken salad is restaurant-quality with the best flavors and textures from the BBQ chicken, black beans, crunchy veggies, tortilla strips and creamy cilantro lime dressing!
Other main dish salad recipes we love include balsamic Mediterranean salad and htis cobb salad!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Flavorful: This BBQ chicken salad is my family’s favorite salad recipe. I have been told it reminds people of Panera’s BBQ chicken salad.
- Full of texture and color: It’s made with crunchy lettuce, sweet BBQ chicken, fresh black bean salsa and topped with a creamy cilantro lime dressing. It will turn any into into a salad lover!
Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken: I love making this crockpot BBQ chicken. It’s super easy and we always have leftovers. You can also make baked BBQ chicken or grill chicken. I have even shredded a rotisserie chicken and mixed BBQ sauce.
- Grilled corn: For another layer of flavor, use grilled corn in the salsa.
- Extra toppings: Fresh homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, homemade salsa, cheese or chopped jalapeno would all be delicious additions.
- Homemade tortilla strips. Easily make your own homemade tortilla strips if you don’t have any on hand. All you need is flour tortillas and oil!
- Rice: Sometimes we love to add cilantro lime rice, too!
- Dressing: You could also swap this dressing for a homemade ranch dressing, salsa ranch dressing, cilantro lime crema or an avocado lime dressing.
How to Make BBQ Chicken Salad
Combine chicken and BBQ sauce in a crockpot. Cook 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high. Shred the chicken.
Make the dressing by blending ranch dressing, cilantro, lime and a tomatillo in a blender or food processor. Chill at least 30 minutes.
Place lettuce on a plate and top with chicken and black bean salsa. Drizzle with dressing and top with tortilla strips.
Love BBQ recipes? BBQ chicken tacos or a BBQ chicken pizza are favorites, too!
More Easy Salad Recipes
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BBQ Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1 ½ cups ranch dressing
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 lime , juiced
- 1 tomatillo , small
- ½ jalapeno , optional
- 5 cups chopped iceberg or romaine lettuce , or spinach
- 2 cups black bean salsa , see link below for recipe
- Tortilla strips , for topping
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a crockpot. Pour BBQ sauce over the chicken. If I have onions on hand, I will put a few slices on top of the chicken. Cook 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high, or until the chicken shreds easily. Shred chicken and drain any fat.
- In the base of a blender or food processor, blend ranch dressing, cilantro, lime juice, and tomatillo. If you like it spicy, add jalapeno. Chill at least 30 minutes.
- Place desired amount of lettuce on your plate. Add a few spoonfuls of chicken and black bean salsa. Drizzle with dressing and top with tortilla strips.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Loved this recipe – made with your black bean salsa recipe. Delicious. This one is a keeper!
Super delicious and wonderfully easy! This may be a bbq recipe, but I’m putting it on my Taco Tuesday rotation!
This salad is one of our favorites and so delicious! This is definitely be made again very soon! Such a hit and full of so much flavor.
This salad saved my lunchtime this week! So easy to make and my family loves it!