Sometimes you just need something quick and delicious for dinner!  One of our go-to options is this BBQ chicken salad inspired by the one on the menu at the Cheesecake Factory.

In case you live under a rock, The Cheesecake Factory is a chain restaurant in the US with over 200 locations and a menu the size of War and Peace.  It is named for its famous selection of cheesecakes, but by the time you eat your way through the giant entree portions, you’ll probably need to take dessert to go!

Anyway, one of my favorite entrees is the BBQ chicken salad and it is the perfect thing to throw together at home for a quick summer supper.  Add some crusty bread and a bottle of wine, and you’ve got a company-worthy dinner option!

BBQ Chicken Salad

Serves 6

Here’s our list of ingredients - you can adjust, add, and subtract to your liking.

• 4-6 chicken breasts, grilled with bottled BBQ sauce - our favorite is Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ sauce

• Salad greens, torn into bite sized pieces and seasoned with a sprinkle of coarse salt and maybe a grind or two of the pepper mill. Seasoning is the key to salad greens that taste like something, BTW)

• Sliced cucumber, I’m lazy so I buy English cukes because they don’t have to be peeled

• Cherry tomatoes, you can halve these if you are worried about your guests spurting tomato juice across the room, or just leave them whole and encourage the use of knives!

• Scallions, sliced

• A couple ribs of celery, chopped (totally optional from a flavor standpoint, but I like the added crunch contrast of texture)

• 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed.  When we were working our way through our misguided pandemic purchase of 25 lbs of black beans, we cooked our own in the Instant Pot and just kept containers of them in the freezer for recipes.  Here is our recipe if you want really stellar black beans.

• Around 3 ears of corn, husked and grilled, then sliced off the cob  - this takes just a few minutes and has terrific roasted flavor, and my backyard squirrels and chipmunks totally appreciate the discarded cobs!  But you can use canned or frozen corn just as easily. PRO TIP: if you do bother to grill your own, grill extra - cut it off the cob and store in the freezer for the next time you want to add corn to a recipe!

• Ranch dressing - I always make my own vinaigrette dressings and you can make Ranch too, but that generally involves a lot of perishables like buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt, and mayo, so I just keep a bottle of Kens Ranch dressing in the fridge for this very salad. 

• 2 avocados, (terrific if you happen to win the avocado lottery and get them at the right degree of ripeness, but not absolutely essential if this unicorn is elusive) peeled, pitted, and sliced

• 2 to 3 oz cotija cheese, crumbled - you can use whatever cheese you like - a shredded Mexican blend works too.

• Onion strings  These are critical for some salty crunch on top.  I generally default to Durkee.  I’ve tried making my own and it is not worth the trouble, at least not without frying them…this is the best part of the restaurant version of this dish, though theirs are the real deal of skinny greasy crispy onion strings…yummmm. NOTE: if you want to make a gluten free version, I have also sliced corn tortillas into thin strips, coated with cooking spray, sprinkled with salt, and baked @ 375º until golden and crunchy for a substitute.  

• A garnish of chopped cilantro if you are so inclined.  I, personally, am NEVER inclined to cilantro, but I have family members that live for it.  

That’s all you need! (though a sprinkle of crispy bacon is ALWAYS an appropriate addition if you are feeling extra decadent…pretty much everything is better with bacon)

Directions

• Toss the greens, tomatos, cukes, scallions, and celery with a drizzle of Ranch dressing. 

• Plate the mixture onto serving plates (or a giant serving platter if you want guests to serve themselves).  

• Sprinkle with the cheese, corn, and beans.  

• Slice the chicken into strips and arrange on top along with the avocado slices.  

• Drizzle some BBQ sauce over the top, garnish with onion strings.  

• Ruin the whole masterpiece with some cilantro if you must…LOL.

Voila!  The very best salad with a combination of sweet and salty flavors, some protein, and the right to pretend this is healthy because, hey, it’s a salad and there are green things in it!

Enjoy {mostly} guilt free!

Some other recipes you might enjoy:

Quick and Delicious Frittata

Sweet Potato and Bean Tacos

Focaccia with Roasted Vegetables