• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Mindee's Cooking Obsession
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Desserts
  • Salads
  • Cookies
  • Breakfast
  • Bread
  • Main Dish
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Recipes
  • Side Dishes
  • Quick Breads and Muffins
  • Appetizer Recipes
  • Cake Recipes
  • Candy Recipes
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Drink Recipes
  • Fish and Seafood Recipes
  • Halloween Recipes
  • Instant Pot
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Pie Recipes
  • Sandwich Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Soup Recipes
  • Trending Recipes
  • Nutritional & Safety Disclaimer
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
search icon
Homepage link
  • Desserts
  • Salads
  • Cookies
  • Breakfast
  • Bread
  • Main Dish
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Recipes
  • Side Dishes
  • Quick Breads and Muffins
  • Appetizer Recipes
  • Cake Recipes
  • Candy Recipes
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Drink Recipes
  • Fish and Seafood Recipes
  • Halloween Recipes
  • Instant Pot
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Pie Recipes
  • Sandwich Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Soup Recipes
  • Trending Recipes
  • Nutritional & Safety Disclaimer
  • About Me
  • Privacy Policy
ร—
Home ยป Recipes ยป Main Dish Recipes

Southern BBQ Chicken Salad with Barbecue Ranch Dressing

Updated: Sep 29, 2023 by Mindee ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 4 Comments

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 it in individual salad or low bowls.
  • Chop and clean the iceberg and romaine lettuce
  • Add the lettuce to the bowls.
  • Grate the cheese if you're not using pre-shredded, and sprinkle over the lettuce.
  • 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 lettuce 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 slice 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, and 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 lettuce. 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!

Southern BBQ Chicken Salad with Barbecue Ranch Dressing

Southern BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe

Mindee
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!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 4 serving
Calories 1196 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 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
  • ยฝ 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
 

  • Chopย up andย washย the iceberg and romaine lettuce.
  • Drain and rinse the black beans.
  • Peel, chop, or slice up the avocados.
  • Shell,ย slice, or chopย up the hard-boiled eggs.
  • Chop up the red onions.
  • Chop up the cooked chicken.
  • Divide the lettuce into 4 dinner salads or into one large bowl.
  • Top the lettuce layer with shredded cheese, black beans, avocados, hard-boiled eggs, chicken, and red onions.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the ranch dressing and barbecue sauce together.ย  Drizzle over the salads.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • For a kicky version of 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!

Nutrition

Calories: 1196kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 40gFat: 86gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 322mgSodium: 1920mgPotassium: 1187mgFiber: 9gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 2565IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 517mgIron: 3mg
Keyword BBQ chicken salad, panera bbq chicken salad, southwest chicken salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Main Dish Recipes

  • Four delicious dishes that go well with sauerkraut.
    27 Recipes That Go Well with Sauerkraut
  • Four images of dill meals.
    27 Dill Recipes That Will Add a Fresh Twist to Your Meals
  • Four images of cilantro dishes.
    27 Cilantro Recipes That Will Add a Burst of Flavor to Your Dishes
  • Four deliciois dishes that go perfectly with ratatouille.
    17 Dishes That Go Perfectly with Ratatouille

Sharing is caring!

440 shares
  • Share54
  • Yummly

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 refreshingโ€ฆโ€ฆ

    Reply
    • mindeescookingobsession

      June 22, 2018 at 7:19 am

      Sure is. Even my 8 year old loved it!

      Reply
5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Mindee! Not only do I love to try and create all kinds of recipes, I LOVE to share them! Teaching others how to be successful in cooking in their own kitchens is one of my favorite things to do!ย Learn more about meย or jump right in andย check out my recipes!

Follow Me On Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

Top 10 Recipes

  • Coconut Pecan Frosting aka German Chocolate Frosting
    Coconut Pecan Frosting aka German Chocolate Frosting
  • Easy Banana Zucchini Bread.
    Easy Banana Zucchini Bread (with Video)
  • Copycat Italian Cheese Bread.
    Copycat Italian Cheese Bread
  • Easy Lemon Bundt Cake.
    Easy Lemon Bundt Cake
  • Peanut butter cheesecake slice
    Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Cheesecake
  • Homemade French Bread
  • Plate of 3 mini german pancakes.
    Mini German Pancakes
  • Soft "Crumbl" Oreo Cookies
    Soft "Crumbl" Oreo Cookies
  • 4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce with Capers
    4 Ingredient Tartar Sauce with Capers
  • Fried Scones aka Utah Scones

Categories

  • Appetizer Recipes (12)
  • Bread Recipes (25)
  • Breakfast Recipes (41)
  • Cake Recipes (21)
  • Candy Recipes (7)
  • Chicken Recipes (16)
  • Christmas Recipes (21)
  • Cookie Recipes (47)
  • Dessert Recipes (68)
  • Drink Recipes (7)
  • Fish and Seafood Recipes (4)
  • Halloween Recipes (10)
  • Instant Pot (4)
  • Main Dish Recipes (32)
  • Pasta Recipes (10)
  • Pie Recipes (15)
  • Quick Breads and Muffins (19)
  • Salad Recipes (32)
  • Sandwich Recipes (8)
  • Side Dish Recipes (36)
  • Soup Recipes (19)
  • Thanksgiving Recipes (23)
  • Trending Recipes (15)

Christmas

  • Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Ritz
  • Candy Cane Cookies aka Peppermint Chocolate Chip
  • Almond Brittle
  • Easy Turtle Pretzels
  • Oatmeal Jam Thumbprint Cookies
    Oatmeal Jam Thumbprint Cookies
  • Peppermint melt away cookies.
    Peppermint Melt Away Cookies

All Christmas Recipes

Footer

โ†‘ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Social

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright ยฉ 2023 Mindee's Cooking Obsession LLC.

 

  • 54Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Yummly
440 shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.