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Home » Main Dish Recipes

Southern BBQ Chicken Salad with Barbecue Ranch Dressing

Published: Aug 8, 2022 by Mindee · This post contains affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Take your taste buds to the southwest with this loaded salad topped with a creamy barbecue salad dressing! Packed with chopped, shredded or last night's leftover grilled chicken and tossed with fresh lettuce, black beans, olives, and more this easy summer dinner comes together in a snap!

Bowlful of lettuce topped with chicken, black beans, red onions, barbecue ranch dressing and more!
Bowlful of lettuce topped with chicken, black beans, red onions, barbecue ranch dressing and more!
Jump to:
  • Why Choose This Recipe
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Step by Step Instructions
  • Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
  • Related Recipes
  • Southern BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

Why Choose This Recipe

  • Quick and easy dinner recipe!
  • Full of healthy ingredients like chicken, black beans, hard boiled eggs, lettuces and avocados!
  • Can be prepped ahead of time so all you have to do is add the dressing later!

Ingredient Notes

  • Barbecue Sauce - I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue because it's a little sweeter but any brand with work.
  • Ranch Dressing - I only use Hidden Valley Ranch made from the mix that calls for milk. Pre-bottled or the kind made with buttermilk has a bitter tang to it that I don't care for.
  • Chicken- You can use any kind of cooked chicken you would like. Rotisserie chicken, baked chicken, or leftover chicken all work great!
  • Lettuces - You can add chopped Spinach to the chopped iceberg and chopped romaine lettuces if you would like.
  • Hard Boiled Eggs - these are easiest to prepare in an Instant Pot.
  • Avocados - here's some instruction on how to cut and peel an avocado.
  • Cheese - you can grate your own or just pick up a bag of shredded cheese from the store. I like the fiesta blend.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe.

Step by Step Instructions

  • You can either make this in one big bowl or prepare in individual salad or low bowls.
  • Chop and clean the iceberg and romaine lettuces
  • Add the lettuces to the bowls.
  • Grate the cheese if you're not using pre-shredded and sprinkle over the lettuces.
  • Drain and rinse the black beans and sprinkle them on the salad.
  • Halve, peel, and slice or chop up the avocados. and add them over the black beans. I usually chop mine up but reserve some slices of avocado for garnish.
Iceberg and romaine lettuces topped with shredded cheese, black beans and avocado chunks.
Iceberg and romaine lettuces topped with shredded cheese, black beans and avocado chunks.
  • Slice up the olives if necessary and add them to the salad.
  • Remove the shells from the hard boiled eggs and either slices or chop up the eggs and add them to the top.
  • Add the cooked chopped chicken and the chopped red onions.
  • Whisk together the ranch dressing and the barbecue sauce.
  • If you are preparing this salad for later don't add the dressing yet. Cover the salad and the dressing separately with saran wrap, put them in the fridge until you're ready to serve the salad.
Sliced olives, sliced hard boiled eggs, and chopped red onions add to the lettuces.
Sliced olives, sliced hard boiled eggs, and chopped red onions add to the lettuces. Dressing whisked together.
  • Add the barbecue ranch dressing to the salad.
  • Top with chili lime tortilla strips!
Add the barbecue ranch to the salad and top with crunchy tortilla strips.
Add the barbecue ranch to the salad and top with crunchy tortilla strips.

Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips

What goes best with barbecue chicken salad?

I would go with some 90 Minute Dinner Rolls or some hot Breadsticks!

Can I use canned chicken?

Yes but be sure to drain it well.

How can I make the barbecue ranch more spicy?

Click on over to my recipe for Spicy BBQ Ranch Dressing for a version with a kick!

Related Recipes

  • Caribbean Chicken Salad
  • Ham and Cheese Roll Ups
  • Roast Beef Salad
  • Dill Pickle Potato Salad

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

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A southern bbq chicken salad with barbecue ranch dressing.

Southern BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Mindee
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Dinner Salads 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Chopping
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Take your taste buds to the southwest with this loaded salad topped with a creamy barbecue salad dressing! Packed with chopped, shredded or last night's leftover grilled chicken and tossed with fresh lettuce, black beans, olives, and more this easy summer dinner comes together in a snap!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • One head lettuce
  • One Head Romaine Lettuce
  • 3-4 cups Cooked Chopped Chicken
  • 2 Avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped up
  • 1 Can Olives, thinly sliced
  • 1 Can Seasoned Black Beans, drained
  • 4 Hard Boiled Eggs, shelled and chopped
  • 2 cup Fiesta Blend Cheese
  • ½ of a Large Red Onion Chopped up
  • 4.5 oz Bag of Chili Lime Flavored Tortilla Strips (Trust me, you've got to add these)
  • 1 cup Ranch Dressing (Made from the Hidden Valley Ranch Mix)
  • 1 cup BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

Instructions

  1. Chop up and wash the iceberg and romaine lettuces.
  2. Drain and rinse the black beans.
  3. Peel, chop or slice up the avocados.
  4. Shell, slice or chop up the hard boiled eggs.
  5. Chop up the red onions.
  6. Chop up the cooked chicken.
  7. Divide the lettuces into 4 dinner salads or into one large bowl.
  8. Top the lettuce layer with shredded cheese, black beans, avocados, hard boiled eggs, chicken and red onions.
  9. In a separate bowl, whisk the ranch dressing and barbecue sauce together.  Drizzle over the salads.
  10. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • For a kicky version the dressing try this Spicy BBQ Ranch!
  • Barbecue Sauce - I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue because it's a little sweeter but any brand with work.
  • Ranch Dressing - I only use Hidden Valley Ranch made from the mix that calls for milk. Pre-bottled or the kind made with buttermilk has a bitter tang to it that I don't care for.
  • I personally love to serve these in Low Bowls!

Keywords: BBQ chicken salad, southwest chicken salad, panera bbq chicken salad

Did you make this recipe?

Tag me on Instagram @mindeescooking and hashtag it #mindeescookingobsession

Any nutritional analysis on this Site is based on an estimate, calculated by Nurtifox plugin (or other third-party source) from the individual ingredients in each recipe. Variations may occur for various reasons, including product availability and food preparation. We make no representation or warranty of the accuracy of this information.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kelly | Foodtasia

    May 09, 2019 at 8:14 am

    Mindee, this salad is just fabulous! A big dinner salad has got to be one of my favorite foods. My tummy is rumbling just looking at it! I can't wait to try the bbq ranch dressing! YUM!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Vicki

    March 20, 2019 at 12:18 am

    This looks so delicious, I've been waiting a salad for so long. But I just haven't found the right recipe until now. I can't wait to try this.

    Reply
  3. Baxter

    June 21, 2018 at 10:07 pm

    Wow! I guess, this salad is going to be super delicious. Healthy, filling and refreshing……

    Reply
    • mindeescookingobsession

      June 22, 2018 at 7:19 am

      Sure is. Even my 8 year old loved it!

      Reply

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