Layers of flavor are what make this Chicken Cobb Salad a timeless classic!
Although not identical to the original Cobb salad from Hollywood’s Brown Derby Restaurant, this version will surely bring a smile to your face and joy to your taste buds. The nice thing about a Cobb salad is that you can use whatever leftover ingredients you have in the fridge—after all, that’s allegedly how Robert Howard Cobb came up with the recipe in the first place. This chicken Cobb salad brings many of the same ingredients that made the original version a classic.
You can customize this salad in many ways, including substituting spinach or spring mix for the romaine. You could also add in chopped zucchini, mushrooms, and either goat, feta, or cheddar cheese. Other tasty additions are chopped bell peppers, radishes, beans (black, kidney, navy, or garbanzo), and corn.
If you want a lighter take on this classic salad, check out our Healthy Chicken Cobb Salad recipe. It features a dressing made with non-fat Greek yogurt.
Is Chicken Cobb Salad Healthy?
This recipe provides a healthy salad but the ranch dressing does add a little saturated fat. You can easily control this by choosing your salad dressing based on your dietary needs. Thanks to the many vegetables and other toppings, this dish provides abundant protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It also provides an excellent fiber boost. You can make a healthier version by switching to low-sodium turkey bacon, omitting added salt, and decreasing the amount of cheese.
How To Make A Beautiful Cobb Salad
The magic of the Cobb salad is its appearance. You know how lovely the presentation is when you see the plate or bowl laid in front of you at a restaurant. Unlike salads that feature combined ingredients, the chicken Cobb salad has rows or sections devoted to each topping.
I like to dice my toppings roughly the same size for a more cohesive look. Some people like to use quartered eggs (as in the recipe) because they make such a beautiful contrasting appearance with their white and yellow colors. There is no right or wrong way to put your salad together. I’ve had Cobb salads that featured the toppings in straight lines across the lettuce and others with sections, as shown below. No matter how you create it, the result will be delicious.
How to make ahead and store
While salad is best served fresh, you can prepare the many different components of a Cobb salad up to 3 days ahead by cooking the eggs, dicing the veggies and protein, and preparing the dressing (if homemade). Assemble your salad up to 2 hours before serving, and add dressing right before serving. Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers and eat within 24 hours, as the greens will wilt the longer they sit.
Serving Suggestions
This grilled chicken Cobb salad is the perfect lunchtime main course, although you can enjoy it any time (I’ve been known to eat leftover salad for breakfast). Add a side of Watermelon Fruit Salad or this mixed Fruit Salad for a delightful and refreshing meal. I find that muffins are the perfect ending to a meal featuring salad, and two I recommend are Low-Carb Sugar-Free Blueberry Muffins With Almond Flour and Oatmeal Raisin Muffins.
Ingredients
- 1 head chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 cups grilled chicken breasts chopped
- 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled and quartered
- 2 small Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 large avocado diced
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 small cucumber sliced
- 1/3 cup red onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste optional
- Ranch dressing for serving
- Sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- On a large platter, arrange the chopped lettuce. Top with rows of chicken, boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado, bacon, cucumber and red onion.
- Sprinkle with blue cheese, optional salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Drizzle ranch dressing and sprinkle green onions over the salad before serving.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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