Southwest BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad
This Southwest BBQ Ranch Salad with Chicken is a bold, flavor-packed salad that’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Made with juicy chicken cooked in barbecue sauce, crisp lettuce, fresh vegetables, and crispy shallots, then tossed in a creamy buttermilk ranch dressing, it’s a satisfying, restaurant-style salad you can make at home.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 romaine lettuce heads chopped
- 1 pound chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce divided
- 1 cup frozen fire roasted corn thawed
- 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes
- 1 cup black beans drained
- ½ cup diced green onions
- ½ cup shredded cheese like cheddar or jack
- ¼ cup crispy onions or shallots like French's fried onions
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp dried chives
- 1 tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp sugar
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. For easier cleanup, line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Place ½ cup barbecue sauce in a bowl (reserve the rest for later), and brush it onto both sides of the chicken thighs.0.5 cup barbecue sauce, 1 pound chicken thighs
- Bake the chicken for 20 minutes, then broil for 2-3 to caramelize the sauce, until the the internal temp is 165°F. If you don't have a broiler, just bake the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes total. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest before cutting it into bite sized pieces.
- Add the ranch ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until fully combined.½ cup sour cream, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 tsp dried chives, 1 tsp dried dill, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¾ tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ½ tbsp lemon juice
- Place the lettuce, cooked chicken, corn, tomatoes, black beans, cheese, and green onions in a large salad bowl.2 romaine lettuce heads, 1 cup frozen fire roasted corn, 1 cup diced Roma tomatoes, 1 cup black beans, ½ cup diced green onions, ½ cup shredded cheese
- Toss the salad with your desired amount of ranch dressing and the reserved barbecue sauce.0.25 cup barbecue sauce
- Top the salad with the crispy onions or shallots and enjoy!¼ cup crispy onions or shallots
Notes
Tips:
- Super short on time or energy? Use rotisserie chicken. Toss it with BBQ sauce, then heat in a pan or microwave.
- Use a BBQ sauce you actually like. We think smoky-sweet sauces work best here.
- Dry off washed lettuce in a salad spinner before using. Dressing and sauces stick to dry lettuce better than wet, and wet lettuce will also dilute the sauces.
- Add the crispy onions/shallots right before serving. Otherwise, they’ll get soggy.