Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad
Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad is one of our favorite main dish salads. I love this salad for several reasons. First of all, it’s very hearty and filling, since it has lots of chicken in it. Secondly, the barbecue chicken and homemade Ranch dressing add so much great flavor. And, lastly, I love that this can be prepped ahead of time and then be served later in the day. Also, I like to serve this salad with my homemade cornbread. The recipe is linked below.
The Equipment I Used
- A Grill Pan- I used this to cook my chicken, but you could just cook it in any large skillet.
- A Food Processor- Use this to combine your dressing ingredients, or just stir them together in a bowl.
- An 8 inch square pan- Bake the cornbread in this.
- A Food Scale- For perfect cornbread, weigh your ingredients.
The Ingredients Needed for Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad
- Cornmeal- Be sure and use fine cornmeal for the cornbread. I used Indian Head Stone Ground Cornmeal.
- Sour Cream- Use full fat sour cream. I like Breakstone’s .
- Buttermilk- If possible, use full fat buttermilk.
- Chicken – I used breasts, but you could also use thighs.
- Smoked Gouda- You could also use cheddar.
- Ketchup- I like Heinz organic.
- Mayonnaise- My preference is Hellmann’s, full fat.
- Fresh Herbs- These add so much fresh flavor.
How I Made my Salad and Bread
- First, I made my cornbread. To save time, you could just serve store bought bread. I like to keep bakery French bread in my freezer.
- Next, I made the barbecue sauce. To save time, you could use bottled barbecue sauce.
- Then, I grilled the chicken. To save time use a store baked chicken.
- Next, I made the dressing. Again, you could use purchased dressing.
- Finally, I mixed it all together and served it up.
If you like barbecue chicken, you need to try this fresh and delicious Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad.
Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad
A tossed salad topped with barbecue chicken breast and homemade Ranch dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 cup minced onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ear corn on the cob
- 4 cups chopped romaine
- 1 avocado, cut in half inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped tomato
- ½ cup chopped red onions
- 1 cup smoked Gouda, cut in half inch cubes
For the Ranch Dressing:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup whole milk buttermilk
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp. each minced dill, parsley, and chives
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by making the Barbecue Sauce: In a three quart saucepan, melt the butter and cook the onions and garlic until they soften. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the chicken breast in half horizontally. Put it between two sheets of plastic wrap and flatten it with a meat pounder. Sprinkle both sides with some salt and pepper, and grill on a grill pan until cooked through. Brush with some barbecue sauce as the chicken cooks. When it's completely cooked, remove from the pan and cut half inch pieces.
- Also, steam the corn on a plate in the microwave for 7 minutes. Cut the kernels off.
- Also, make the Ranch Dressing: Simply stir all the ingredients together in a bowl, or process in a food processor.
- In a large bowl, toss together the romaine, avocado, corn, tomato, onions, Gouda, and chicken. Add in as much dressing as you wish. Serve with cornbread.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Quick and Easy Buttermilk Cornbread
Moist and sweet cornbread.
Equipment
- an 8 inch square baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine cornmeal (120g)
- 1 cup all purpose flour (120g)
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (66g)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature, and beaten
- ½ cup sour cream (120g)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an eight inch square baking pan.
- In a large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
- Stir in the eggs, sour cream, and buttermilk. Then, stir in the butter.
- Bake for twenty minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!