Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad (best chopped salad!)

At a glance

What stands out: This southwestern-style BBQ chicken salad boasts a straightforward from-scratch barbecue sauce dressing, along with fresh corn kernels and shredded kohlrabi. Similar to restaurant salads, this hearty chopped salad is so crisp, satisfying, and rich.

How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: a couple of mixing bowls
Servings: 6

The other day, after coming home from the farmers’ market loaded up with fresh everything, our mom and we put together this salad (without the chicken) for a family dinner. Dad grilled pork chops, Mom made cornmeal muffins, and we had blueberry streusel cake for dessert. It was a rich summer feast.

We all love barbecue anything, so needless to say, the salad disappeared pretty quickly. We decided the only thing that would make it better would be to add shredded chicken doused with BBQ sauce to the salad. And we were right, it’s so good!

BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Isn’t this a beautiful chopped salad? Crisp green lettuce, saucy BBQ chicken, freshly cut sweet corn, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, and crunchy tortilla strips make a mighty fine summer entrée. This salad’s a real crowd pleaser. It has all the flavors of an outdoor barbecue piled onto one fantastic salad!

So get out a nice big bowl, combine all the ingredients and top the salad with the sweet and tangy barbecue sauce dressing. It’s straightforward!

P.S. Even if the weather is cold and blustery, eating BBQ chicken salad will make it feel like it’s summer, and that’s always a good thing, wouldn’t you agree?

What goes in

From-scratch BBQ dressing. One of the highlights of this salad is the sweet barbecue salad dressing. The recipe is straightforward. Start with a few tablespoons of your favorite barbecue sauce, add lime juice, yogurt, brown sugar, and olive oil, and shake it up. We're thinking you’ll want to make a double batch because it’s so good. You can use it on another salad tomorrow. We also enjoy this salad with from-scratch Catalina dressing.

Crisp green lettuce. Leaf lettuce, romaine, or iceberg lettuce are good choices for this salad. A mixture of lettuces is good, or add a handful or two of shredded cabbage to your salad for even more nutrition.

Sweet corn. Since we’re currently at the height of sweet corn season, freshly cut corn kernels are a standby. There’s no need to cook the corn, it’s so rich and sweet just the way it is. If fresh corn is unavailable, use thawed frozen corn or canned corn.

A "Corny" Tip

Wondering how to get the kernels off the cob? After husking the corn, set a large shallow bowl in the sink, and, holding the corn vertically in the bowl, just slice down the sides with a good sharp knife. The kernels will fall into the bowl.

Kohlrabi. For additional flavor and crunch, add shredded kohlrabi. If you’re not familiar with this bulbous pale green vegetable, give it a try. It tastes somewhat like cabbage or broccoli stems, and is so nutritious. Can’t find kohlrabi in the grocery store? Jicama, broccoli slaw, or shredded cabbage are rich, too.

Precooked chicken. Use already cooked chicken if you have it, cold or warm. We like to make a big batch of shredded chicken or poached chicken and freeze it for later use. Roasted bone-in chicken breasts are another option. Or you could grill up extra chicken the night before and use that. Rotisserie chicken works fine, too. Try straightforward chicken thighs in your air fryer, they turn out reliable every time. Crunchy fried chicken would be good or even chicken nuggets.

Ways to change it

• Make it vegetarian. Substitute black beans and shredded cheese for the chicken.Crispy tofu cubes doused in BBQ sauce are a great addition, too.
• Try a different meat. You could also try a different meat, such as shrimp, pulled pork, or Instant Pot carnitas.
• Add or substitute vegetables. Chopped bell peppers, radishes, celery, cucumber, zucchini, edamame, pretty much anything you like would go in this salad.
• Level it up. We love to cut up chili rubbed dried mango (we buy it from Trader Joe’s) and put it on this salad!
• Make it a salad bar. Having guests? There are enough components to this salad that you could easily set up a mini salad bar and guests could choose what they would like to put on their own salad. Include vegetarian options, like black beans and cheese. Make sure you have plenty of dressing and extra barbecue sauce, too! Include a few sides like cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice, refried beans, baked tortilla chips and from-scratch restaurant style salsa. Serve strawberry margarita punch or spicy Palomas.

Make-Ahead Ideas

You can prepare most of the salad ahead of time and mix everything together when you’re ready to serve it. Mix up the dressing one or two days in advance. Shake well before using. Use leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. Prepare the kohlrabi, corn, and onions ahead of time. Buy bagged lettuce mixes.

Keeping leftovers

Southwestern salad is best served right away. If you have leftovers, store in the fridge in a tightly covered container. The lettuce will get a little soggy but the salad will still taste great.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #37. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!

Browse Meal Plans

• Yield: 6
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Dressing (makes ½ cup)

• 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce (choose your favorite brand)
• 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (or mayonnaise, if you prefer)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad

• 4 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
• ⅓ cup BBQ sauce
• 4 cups torn leaf lettuce
• 2 cups shredded kohlrabi ( 2 medium)
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 ears)
• ¾ cup sliced red onion (about ¼ onion)
• 2 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• ½ cup loosely packed cilantro, roughly chopped
• crispy tortilla strips, for garnish

Method

1. Make dressing: In a small bowl or jar, combine 3 tablespoons BBQ sauce, yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well. The dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated.
2. In medium sized bowl, combine chicken with ⅓ cup BBQ sauce. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, kohlrabi, corn, onion, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Add dressing, and mix lightly until coated.
4. Arrange salad on serving plates, mound chicken on top and sprinkle with crispy tortilla strips. Serve immediately.

Notes

Kohlrabi alternatives: Shredded jicama, cabbage, or chopped broccoli can be substituted for the kohlrabi.

Vegetarian: Substitute black beans and shredded cheese for the chicken. Crispy tofu cubes doused in BBQ sauce are great, too.

Meat choices: Instead of chicken, shrimp or pulled pork can be used.

Add or substitute vegetables : Chopped bell peppers, radishes, celery, cucumber, zucchini, edamame, pretty much anything you like can be substituted or added.