BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe – My absolute favorite salad! A hearty chopped salad tossed with fresh greens, BBQ chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, tortilla strips and a delicious cilantro lime dressing.
This BBQ Chicken Salad is so easy to make and is topped with our favorite shredded chicken and black bean and corn salsa to make the ultimate salad recipe. Add a scoop of the best homemade guacamole to really put this barbecue chicken salad over the top!
Barbecue Chicken Salad
This BBQ chicken salad is my family’s ALL time favorite salad recipe. We could eat it every single day! It’s so easy to put together and tastes GREAT as leftovers too. Sometimes I’ll make a large batch of BBQ chicken and then freeze half of it. Then the next time I’m craving this barbecue chicken salad…all I have to do is pull the shredded chicken out of the freezer and let it thaw. You can also make the black bean and corn salsa the day before. This is the perfect meal for summer nights and is a definite must try!
How to make BBQ chicken salad
This BBQ chicken salad is super easy to make and will become a fast favorite! Just follow the simple steps below to get started. Scroll down for the printable bbq chicken salad recipe.
- Place chicken breast in crock pot over low heat. Pour BBQ sauce over the chicken. If I have onions on hand, I will put a few slices on top of the chicken. Cook chicken for 6 hours or until it shreds easily. Can also cook on high for 3-4 hours. Shred chicken and remove any fat.
- For the dressing: Combine ranch dressing, cilantro, lime and tomatillo in a blender. If you like it spicy, you could throw half a jalapeno in there. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Place desired amount of lettuce on your plate. Then add a few spoonfuls of chicken and black bean salsa. Pour on dressing and top with tortilla strips.
Quick tips about this BBQ chicken salad recipe
- Try using this EASY shredded chicken recipe that can be made in both the slow cooker and instant pot. Just add the BBQ sauce and adjust the spices to your preference.
- You can even bake the chicken in the oven if you’d rather cook it that way.
- Want to have leftovers? Make a large batch of the BBQ chicken and freeze half. This way you can pop it out of the freezer anytime you’re craving this delicious barbecue chicken salad!
- If you want to make this salad without the black bean salsa, add your favorite toppings such as tomatoes, avocado, black beans, corn, red bell peppers, cheese, etc.
- In the mood for something heartier? Try turning this into a BBQ chicken burrito bowl by adding some white or brown rice.
- Want to make your own homemade tortilla strips? Try this easy recipe.
- I love to make my own cilantro lime dressing, however store bought is fine. Ranch would taste delicious on this BBQ chicken salad too.
Love this BBQ chicken salad? You’ll like these other delicious salad recipes too:
- Mexican salad with chipotle dressing
- Strawberry burrata salad with a poppyseed dressing
- Buffalo chicken cobb salad
- Easy fajita salad recipe
BBQ Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 2 cups black bean salsa (see link below for recipe)
- 5 cups lettuce (or spinach)
- 1 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1 lime (juiced)
- 1 tomatillo (small)
- tortilla strips for topping
Instructions
- Place chicken breast in crock pot over low heat. Pour BBQ sauce over the chicken. If I have onions on hand, I will put a few slices on top of the chicken. Cook chicken for 6 hours or until it shreds easily. Can also cook on high for 3-4 hours. Shred chicken and remove any fat.
- For the dressing: Combine ranch dressing, cilantro, lime and tomatillo in a blender. If you like it spicy, you could throw half a jalapeno in there. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Place desired amount of lettuce on your plate. Then add a few spoonfuls of chicken and black bean salsa. Pour on dressing and top with tortilla strips.
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy!
I had been craving bbq chicken and saw this recipe and it totally hit the spot!
Yummy looks so good!! I can’t wait to try!
This looks incredible! We have been buying a couple rotisserie chickens each week and making easy meals with them. This will be perfect!