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Easy Creamy BBQ Chicken Salad

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This BBQ Chicken Salad is one of the very BEST salads I have ever had! It is just brimming with hearty and crunchy romaine lettuce, burst cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, black beans, avocado, crunchy cashews and juicy chicken all covered in the most delicious creamy BBQ dressing!

Round glass bowl filled with creamy bbq chicken salad over torn green lettuce with a black spoon in the bowl and a white pouring container with orange dressing in front of it.

A BBQ Chicken Salad is great for a hearty lunch or dinner since it comes together quickly and is so filling and satisfying. This easy Chicken Salad recipe is a perfect salad for summer or anytime of year when you are craving all of those BBQ flavors and are in need of a fun and healthy meal that your whole family will go crazy for.

There is just something about a crunchy chicken salad that people love for a quick light lunch or to bring to a picnic. This recipe is also a fun spin on classic chicken salad. 

Close up of a round mixing bowl filled with healthy chicken salad covered in an orange dressing over it with a spoon in the bowl.

Also, if you love Panera’s BBQ Chicken Salad then this one is right up your alley, just slightly healthier and lower in calories.

Ingredients you will need

Bowl of green lettuce, bowl of diced chicken, bowl of corn, bowl of sliced tomatoes, bowl of scallions, bowl of black beans. bowl if nuts, bowl of diced red onion, bowl if diced avocado, lime sliced in half, bowl of mayo and a bowl of bbq sauce on a white surface with labels above each bowl.

How to make a BBQ Chicken Salad

  1. Assemble the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Mix up the dressing by combining the mayo, barbecue sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour it over the salad and toss. 
  3. Serve cold and enjoy!
  • Large round glass bowl with lettuce, diced chicken, corn, black beans sliced tomatoes, red onion and diced avocado separated in the bowl.
    Add all salad ingredients to a bowl
  • Pouring a creamy orange dressing over a green veggie bbq chicken salad
    Pour on the dressing
  • Close up of a creamy bbq chicken salad in a glass bowl with a black spoon in the salad
    Toss

Make ahead and storage

  • This BBQ Chicken chicken salad recipe does not store well after you have assembled it (dressed and tossed it) but you can prepare it, store the ingredients separately and assemble and toss it when ready to eat or serve.
  • You can make the creamy barbeque dressing ahead of time and store it in a mason jar fitted with a lid or an airtight container. This dressing actually tastes even better after sitting for a while in the fridge. You can store the dressing for 5-7 days as long as it is in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • If you plan to have leftovers then divide the salad into bowls and dress separately so you can easily store the leftovers separately in the fridge.

More healthy salad recipes to try

Pile of a mixed chicken salad over romaine lettuce with black beans and corn in it on a round white plate with a gold fork in it with a bowl of cashews behind it.

BBQ CHICKEN SALAD Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Slice the lettuce into strips so it is easier to eat. Plus it looks so pretty. To do this, simply roll up a few lettuce leaves like a cigar and slice through them creating nice long strips of lettuce.
  • You can use a few different types of greens for this salad, arugula, kale or romaine lettuce are all great options that work wonderfully in this recipe.
  • For the dressing I used a Kevin’s Paleo BBQ Sauce and Primal Kitchen Mayo to keep it a bit healthier. You can use whatever your favorite varieties are. If you do not have mayo then you can actually sub in an equal amount of ranch dressing in place of the mayo for a fun spin on the dressing.
  • Any kind of cooked chicken will work in this chicken salad recipe. You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Chicken Tenders, any leftover cooked chicken that you have on hand.
  • Mix up the veggies in this salad. You could add shredded carrots, diced cucumber, diced bell peppers, or even chickpeas to this salad.

Did you try this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Glass round mixing bowl filled with green romaine lettuce, corn, sliced tomatoes, black beans and diced cooked chicken topped with a drizzled with a creamy pale orange dressing with a black spoon in the bowl.
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Amazing Creamy BBQ Chicken Salad

  • Author: Amy
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

This amazing creamy BBQ Chicken Salad is one of the very BEST salads I have ever had! It is just brimming with hearty and crunchy romaine lettuce, burst cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, black beans, avocado, crunchy cashews and juicy chicken all covered in the most delicious creamy BBQ dressing!

Ingredients

Scale

For the salad 

  • 6–8 cups of sliced fresh romaine lettuce 
  • 1 cup cooked black beans – I used store-bought canned black beans that I drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup canned, cooked corn
  • 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes 
  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seed removed and diced
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1.5 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken 
  • 1/4 cup chopped scallions
  • 1/4 cup chopped cashews

For the Creamy BBQ Dressing

  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1/4 cup bbq sauce – I used Kevin’s Paleo BBQ Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
  2. Mix up the dressing and pour it over the salad and toss.
  3. Serve cold and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

  • Slice the lettuce into strips so it is easier to eat. Plus it looks so pretty. To do this, simply roll up a few lettuce leaves like a cigar and slice through them creating nice longe strips of lettuce.
  • You can use a few different types of greens for this salad, arugula, kale or romaine lettuce are all great options that work wonderfully in this recipe.
  • For the dressing I used a Kevin’s Paleo BBQ Sauce and Primal Kitchen Mayo to keep it a bit healthier. You can use whatever your favorite varieties are. If you do not have mayo then you can actually sub in an equal amount of ranch dressing in place of the mayo for a fun spin on the dressing.
  • Any kind of cooked chicken will work in this recipe. You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Chicken Tenders, any leftover cooked chicken that you have on hand.
  • Mix up the veggies in this salad. You could add shredded carrots, diced cucumber, diced bell peppers, or even chickpeas to this salad.
  • To make this BBQ Chicken Salad ahead of time, mix up all of the salad ingredients, mix up the dressing and store everything separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble and serve the salad.
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Category: Quick and Easy Salads
  • Method: Tossed
  • Cuisine: American
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