Easy Summer BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad with Cornbread Croutons
This Easy Summer BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad is loaded with smoky BBQ chicken, black beans, crispy bacon, cheese, homemade BBQ ranch, and crunchy cornbread croutons. It’s fresh enough for summer but hearty enough to actually count as dinner.
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Ingredients
For the Cornbread Croutons
- 4 cups day-old cornbread cut into ½-inch cubes
- neutral oil to spray
- kosher salt
For the BBQ Ranch
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup mayo
- 1 restaurant-style ranch packet
- BBQ sauce to taste
For the Salad
- Chargrilled BBQ chicken breast cooked and rested
- BBQ sauce for tossing the chopped chicken
- Rinsed black beans
- Crispy bacon
- Colby jack cheese shredded
- 1-2 Heads of Romaine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- Add the cubed day-old cornbread to a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil and gently flip/toss. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and gently toss again.
- Sprinkle salt over the cornbread, and gently toss.
- Spread the cornbread cubes out so they are in one even layer. Bake for 15–20 minutes, gently flipping once halfway through, until the croutons are crisp and lightly golden. Let cool slightly.
- In a bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayo, and ranch packet. Drizzle in BBQ sauce a little at a time until it reaches the flavor you like. Set aside.
- Once the BBQ chicken has rested, chop it into small pieces and toss with BBQ sauce.
- Assemble the salad with your chopped salad base, BBQ chicken, rinsed black beans, crispy bacon, cheese, and cornbread croutons.
- Drizzle with BBQ ranch, toss if desired, and serve right away.
Notes
Use cornbread that isn’t overly sweet. A sweeter cornbread can make the salad taste more dessert-like and throw off the BBQ ranch flavor.
Add the cornbread croutons right before serving so they stay crisp.
Servings: 4