BBQ Chicken Salad (Restaurant Copycat

This BBQ Chicken Salad has tender, slow cooked BBQ chicken, topped with an array of fresh vegetables and a sweet component, mango! This recipe is better than any store-bought or restaurant salad you'll have!

Looking for more hearty and delicious salads? Try this Bacon Cheeseburger Salad, Grinder Salad or Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad!

Jump to:

• WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BBQ Chicken Salad
• INGREDIENTS
• HOW TO MAKE BBQ CHICKEN SALAD
• RECIPE VARIATIONS
• HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS
• FAQ
• I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS BBW CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE!
• BBQ Chicken Salad

I am an eclectic salad connoisseur. With that said, I prefer salads that have an array of toppings and texture. Having a delicious dressing is also an absolute must.

This restaurant quality BBQ Chicken Salad is going to be in your repertoire for years to come. Similar to the BBQ Chicken Salad at Cheesecake Factory, now you can save time and money and prepare this delicious salad at home.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS BBQ Chicken Salad

Made with all fresh ingredients and from scratch, you can taste the difference. Crisp romaine hearts and a leafy green salad mix is used as the base.

Then, juicy, succulent slow cooked BBQ infused chicken breasts are added for protein. Lastly, an assortment of vegetables (keep reading to find out more), cheese and for added texture, sliced almonds and fried onions to really make this salad fall into the category of a hearty lunch or dinner.

• Better than store-bought or restaurant quality. As mentioned, this salad is similar to the major restaurant chains that offer BBQ Chicken Salads. The difference is that you can now recreate this at home!
• Budget friendly recipe. No guessing here that's it's always cheaper to eat at home. Spend the same amount out at a restaurant on this salad but make triple the amount of servings. Hello, leftovers!
• Easy prep. Once you prepare the slow cooked BBQ chicken, the rest of this recipe is a breeze.
• Easy recipe and extremely customizable. Since we are preparing this at home, get festive and add your favorite toppings. These are simply my favorite and what I had on hand!

INGREDIENTS

Here's a detailed breakdown of the ingredients I used to prepare this BBQ Chicken Salad recipe. You can certainly use what you want, and omit what you feel isn't necessary.

It is important to be able to enjoy fresh vegetables, this salad not only has the perfect pairings with toppings, there's plenty of texture if that's your thing.

SLOW COOKER BBQ CHICKEN

This slow cooker BBQ chicken recipe is a staple in my home. I use this recipe at least every other week to have shredded BBQ flavored chicken on hand. Believe it or not, I use this same recipe for my BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe, this Soul Food in a Bowl recipe and these loaded Deviled Eggs with BBQ Chicken!

Here's what you'll need:

1. Paprika. Since we are not grilling the chicken traditional BBQ style, these seasonings like Paprika will mimic a smokey and sweet flavor that we need.
2. Chili Powder. Just the amount of spice needed!
3. Garlic Powder. In any BBQ flavor, expect the note or hint of garlic.
4. Onion Powder. Anything onion flavored goes hand-in-hand with BBQ notes, right?
5. Lemon + Pepper Seasoning. This is probably one of the two unique additions to a BBQ rub. I prefer to have a bit of a 'tang' flavor with my BBQ.
6. Red Chili Flakes. This seasoning is optional but if you prefer or don't mind spice, absolutely add this in.  
7. Dried Parsley. Dried herbs pair perfectly in slow cooked dishes.
8. Brown Sugar. The sweet component you know you need. 🙂
9. BBQ Sauce. My favorite is the original flavor from Sweet Baby Rays.
10. Sriracha. I've recently started pairing BBQ sauce with Sriracha, trust me, it's the combo sauce you didn't know you needed.
11. Red Onion. Perfect level of sweetness needed.
12. Chicken Breast. I used chicken tenderloins in this recipe, you can use large or thin breasts, be sure to adjust cooking time based on that.
13. Worcestershire. Whenever I prepare anything that has BBQ flavor, this famous staple is a must. How do you pronounce this fancy word?
14. Liquid Smoke. My secret weapon to produce that smokey flavor we need to make this real BBQ Chicken.

SALAD TOPPINGS

As mentioned, the toppings are endless, here's what I topped this BBQ Chicken Salad with.

1. Cherry Tomatoes
2. Almonds
3. Avocado
4. Mango
5. Red Onion
6. Shredded Queso or Smoked Gouda Cheese
7. Cucumber
8. Roasted Corn
9. Fried Onions
10. Romaine
11. Spring Mix. Optional ingredient, I like to mix!
12. Honey Ginger Dressing. My absolute favorite dressing right now.

BBQ Ranch Recipe Ingredients

This salad is usually served with BBQ ranch, the honey ginger dressing is my first choice but if you want to stay true to traditional, here's what you need to prepare the ranch dressing.

1. Ranch
2. BBQ Sauce

HOW TO MAKE BBQ CHICKEN SALAD

It's important to note, you will need to allot at least 2-4 hours to prepare the slow cooker BBQ chicken.

SLOW COOKER BBQ CHICKEN

First, combine the bbq seasonings in a bowl and stir with a whisk. Next, place the chicken breasts in a crockpot, pierce with a fork and season generously.

Next, pour in the Worcestershire, liquid smoke and chopped onion. Lastly, top with BBQ sauce and Sriracha. Cover and cook on low for four hours or high for two hours until chicken is cooked through.

Finally, once the chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shred chicken in the crockpot bowl. Set aside until later use.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE SALAD

Now that the slow cooker BBQ chicken is cooked, gather and prep salad toppings.

Begin by roughly chopping the romaine. Slice the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mango, red onion and slice avocado.

In a large bowl, add the romaine lettuce and spring mix (optional) and top with listed ingredients (cherry tomatoes, almonds, avocado, cheese, cucumber, red onion, roasted corn, mango and top with fried onions.

Lastly, drizzle the salad with your desired dressing. In this instance, I added about two tablespoons of the honey ginger dressing and also added about one teaspoon of the BBQ ranch.

Serve and ENJOY!

RECIPE VARIATIONS

• Dairy-Free. Make this recipe vegan by a meat substitute like seared tofu and toss in your favorite BBQ Sauce. Also you can use vegan cheese.
• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap. Take all of this deliciousness and put it in a tortilla wrap for a meal on the go. Thank me later!
• Chicken Thighs. Instead of chicken breast, try boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They are naturally juicy and have a rich flavor. They also cook a little faster than bigger, thicker chicken breasts.
• Grill BBQ Chicken instead of slow cooking. If you prefer to prepare this recipe all together, you can absolutely grill or pan sear the chicken breasts. Follow the same ingredient list for ultimate flavor and enjoy!
• Fresh corn on the cob. If you have fresh corn on the cob, grille or prepare it. I used frozen roasted corn but certain fresh really takes this salad up several notches.
• Save the sauce. I go back and forth with when to add the sauce to the BBQ Chicken. Try adding the sauce after the chicken is cooked for a quick toss. This will absolutely result in sauce-y protein which is a must!

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVERS

As mentioned, this salad is great for meal prep. Simply store the salad without the dressing and enjoy at a later time!

It is best not to prepare this salad with dressing and refrigerate for later use, it will get soggy and wilted unfortunately.

FAQ

IS BBQ CHICKEN SALAD HEALTHY?

Although there are even lighter salad options, BBQ chicken salad is still a healthy meal. Grilled chicken adds protein and romaine hearts are packed with vitamins and nutrients and are high in minerals like calcium and potassium.

WHAT DRESSING FOR BBQ CHICKEN SALAD?

As mentioned, typically a BBQ Ranch is served on this salad but mainly in this recipe, a honey ginger dressing is used that is delectable. You can find it here!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS BBW CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE!

If you try this recipe, I'd love to see it! Share it with me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.