This fresh and easy cobb salad is a staple in our home for a quick lunch or a satisfying dinner. It’s an easy classic salad packed with protein, crisp vegetables, and avocado.

Easy cobb salad loaded with chicken, bacon, egg, veggies and crisp lettuce with dressing on top.

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The Best Cobb Salad Recipe

I love making easy salads for lunch or dinner, and this Cobb salad is always a favorite. It’s fresh, filling, and a great way to use up leftover chicken. I make it in rotation with my Mediterranean salad, mandarin orange salad, and BBQ chicken salad, they are all simple, flavorful meals.

It’s also one of my go-to recipes for our neighborhood salad swaps. Everyone always asks for it, and it’s easy to scale up for a crowd.

Along with the protein, crisp veggies, and creamy avocado, I like to add grilled corn for a little extra crunch, but feel free to skip it!

XO - Jamielyn

Cobb Salad Ingredients

Cobb salad ingredient including lettuce, bacon, hard boiled eggs, chicken and tomatoes.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Mixed greens: Any mixed greens will work, like romaine, spinach, or a spring mix. Iceberg lettuce will work too! Clean your mixed greens in cold water, pat dry with paper towels, and chop them up if needed.
  • Chicken: I often use leftover shredded, grilled, or rotisserie chicken, but for this recipe, I quickly seared chicken in a skillet with olive oil and Italian seasoning.
  • Bacon: I love to my my oven baked bacon to use in this salad. You can substitute turkey bacon for a lighter option if desired.
  • Tomatoes: I used sliced cherry tomatoes, but any kind would work. Grape tomatoes work great too!
  • Corn: Corn adds a great crunch. I like to grill my corn for added flavor, but you can also microwave it as well.
  • Avocados: My favorite way to cut an avocado is into slices. You can also dice it as well.
  • Egg: Not only are hard-boiled eggs yummy, but I also like the addition of the added protein. Boil your eggs ahead of time, peel, and slice them into thin sections.
  • Dressing: I love using homemade buttermilk ranch with this salad, but your favorite store-bought ranch, blue cheese, or red wine vinaigrette will work too.
  • Additional add-ins: You can also add in watercress, a chopped red onion, baby corn, or bell peppers for more crunch.
  • Garnishes: Cheddar, feta, blue or roquefort cheese, homemade croutons.

How to Make Cobb Salad

Cobb salad in a white bowl with dressing on the side.
  1. Cook the chicken: Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sear in olive oil for 5–6 minutes per side, until cooked through.
  2. Slice: Let rest, then slice into strips.
  3. Assemble: Layer greens in a bowl, then top with chicken, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, bacon, onion, and corn. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently.
Cobb salad in a white bowl drizzled with dressing.

More salads I love to make for lunch include this Jennifer Aniston salad recipe, my bacon broccoli salad and this chicken salad.

cobb salad

Easy Cobb Salad

5 from 19 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
This easy cobb salad is made with chicken, hard boiled egg, crisp vegetables, and creamy avocado. It's a classic, protein packed lunch or dinner idea!

Video

Ingredients 

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in half horizontally)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 8 cups romaine lettuce (spinach or spring mix)
  • 1 cup corn
  • 2 tomatoes (sliced or diced)
  • 1 avocado (sliced or diced)
  • 2 hard boiled eggs (sliced or diced)
  • 4 bacon (cooked and crumbled)
  • ¼ cup green onion (sliced thin)

For serving: Ranch dressing (or your favorite dressing)

Instructions

  • Season chicken. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. 
  • Cook chicken. Place the chicken into the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, or until cooked through the center. 
  • Slice chicken. Once cooked, remove from the heat and slice into thin strips once slightly cooled.
  • Assemble salad. Layer the lettuce in one large bowl, or 4 individual bowls. Top with chicken, tomatoes, avocado, eggs, bacon, corn and onion. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad and toss until combined. S&P, to taste. 

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

For homemade ranch dressing: Whisk together 1 cup mayo, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.
Storage: Store each ingredient separately in airtight containers in the fridge to keep everything fresh and crisp.
Meal prep: You can also layer the salad in a mason jar, start with the dressing on the bottom, followed by sturdy toppings like chicken and tomatoes, and end with lettuce on top. It’s a great make-ahead meal that lasts up to 3–4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 129mg, Sodium: 112mg, Potassium: 975mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 9100IU, Vitamin C: 21.2mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 2.5mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.