Chicken Cobb Salad

This smoked Chicken Cobb Salad is loaded with crisp romaine lettuce, smoky chicken, crispy bacon, creamy avocado, and plenty of fresh toppings for a hearty, satisfying meal. Finished with a sweet and tangy homemade vinaigrette, it’s a fresh salad that’s packed with flavour in every bite.

Whether I’m smoking a whole chicken, chicken thighs or chicken breasts, I always make a double batch of any chicken recipe to help with meal prep. The tasty chicken is delicious in Smoked Chicken Salad in pasta or homemade soup recipes.

Chicken Cobb Salad

Salad for dinner is the ultimate summer meal. A large bowl of crisp, fresh veggies topped with protein and crumbled or diced cheese is the perfect way to ensure you eat your daily veggies!

Sure, you could just chop everything and throw it into a bowl but as the saying goes, “we eat with our eyes”. I always find that eating a composed salad is much more enjoyable than a simple chopped salad. Besides, this salad still takes only minutes to make and is entirely gluten free.

However, FLAVOUR is always top priority whether I’m making dinner or developing a recipe. I’ve felt the disappointment of making an attractive looking recipe that doesn’t taste as good as it looks. If you don’t like to waste food or time, be sure to save this incredible salad recipe!

It’s hard to go wrong with this Chicken Cobb Salad recipe. It’s great as is, or whichever way you prefer to modify it. The smoked chicken adds an incredible amount of flavour over the usual cooked chicken or turkey, and bacon always makes everything better.

Cherry tomatoes add sweet acidity while crunchy cucumbers and creamy avocados add contrasting textures. Boiled eggs are standard in any cobb salad recipe because they add even more protein to an already satisfying main dish salad.

The honey Dijon mustard salad dressing couldn’t be simpler… but it still hits all the right notes. It’s tangy and sweet with grounding garlic and bright red wine vinegar. Drizzle it on the salad right before serving for best flavour and presentation!

What is a Cobb Salad?

A Cobb Salad is a classic American main-dish garden salad, best known for its hearty toppings and signature presentation where ingredients are finely chopped and laid out in neat, colourful rows over a bed of crisp greens.

A traditional Cobb salad is built over a base of mixed salad greens (typically iceberg, romaine, watercress, and endive) and topped with seven core ingredients. A common kitchen mnemonic to remember them is EAT COBB (Eggs, Avocado, Tomatoes, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, Blue Cheese).

Chicken Cobb Salad Ingredients

For this recipe you’ll need a serving platter and utensils, a knife and cutting board, and a jar for mixing the salad dressing.

• Red Wine Vinegar
• Honey
• Dijon Mustard
• Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Smoked Chicken Breasts
• Romaine Lettuce
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Eggs
• Red Onion
• Feta Cheese
• Avocadoes
• Bacon

The salad dressing ingredients are a delicious combination of red wine vinegar, garlic powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper sweetened with a touch of honey and emulsified with Dijon Mustard.

Add classic blue cheese crumbles or substitute feta cheese if you don’t love blue cheese. Likewise, use grilled chicken or turkey instead of smoked chicken and diced tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. Try crisped pancetta instead of bacon for an Italian spin.

How to Make Chicken Cobb Salad

To begin, make the salad dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, screw the lid on and shake to combine. Make sure to shake again just before pouring and serving the salad.

To make the salad, arrange the romaine lettuce on the bottom of a large serving platter or salad bowl. Next, arrange the rest of the toppings in neat rows.

Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Recipe Substitutions

• You can use spinach or other greens instead of romaine.
• Add whatever extra toppings you’d like- corn, cucumber, bell peppers, garden peas, green onions, etc. This is a great recipe to use up any veggies in your fridge.
• Replace the smoked chicken with grilled chicken, shrimp, turkey, or haloumi cheese.
• If you use normal table or sea salt, use half the amount in the dressing.

Make Ahead and Leftover Storage

This is best eaten fresh but also makes a great make ahead lunch box option if you leave the dressing on the side. Top and dress individual salads to avoid any leftovers being wasted.

Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the heart and soul behind Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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