BBQ Chicken Salad

Perfect for your next BBQ, Potluck, or Picnic, this BBQ Salad recipe with hearty black beans, corn, and creamy avocado paired with BBQ chicken is a perfect side to all your summer favorites. 

Loaded with the best flavors, this next-level side dish salad is a 15-minute meal packed with tastes you may enjoy as a quick weeknight dinner. 

Why you will love making a BBQ Salad Recipe

Classic salad with a twist – The creamy ranch dressing combined with BBQ creates one of the most hearty salads ever. Serve as a complete meal or a side dish salad, the smoky flavor, and Barbecue chicken is one of those summer recipes you can’t get enough of. 

Entree Salads for the Win – Many salad recipes, including pasta salad and potato salad recipes, are meant to be side dishes. This salad, however, makes a perfect dinner! 

Salad Ingredients:

• Chicken – We recommend rotisserie chicken, cooked and shredded or cubed (about one chicken breast).
• BBQ Sauce – Any sweet, favorite barbecue sauce will do. We like Sweet Baby Ray’s. 
• Vegetables – Canned whole corn kernels (drained), black beans, juicy tomatoes (halved cherry tomatoes also work fine), ripe avocados, and romaine lettuce hearts (any leafy greens, but romaine has a nice bite to it).
• Homemade Dressing Ingredients – Chopped fresh cilantro, buttermilk, ranch dressing (liquid, not dry), fresh dill, kosher salt, and black pepper.

How to make BBQ Chicken Salad

1. Mix pre-cooked and shredded chicken and 1/4 cup sweet barbecue sauce. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocados, romaine hearts, and cilantro. Mix well.

3. In a separate small bowl, combine buttermilk, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, and dill. Whisk well until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour dressing into the salad bowl and mix well. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Easy Salad Variations

There are an unlimited amount of varying ingredients to mix up simple salad recipes based on your tastes.

This flavorful salad can be enhanced with fresh corn (like sweet corn), hard-boiled egg, chunks of cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack), or sliced green onions. 

Are you looking for crunch? Add a layer of tortilla chips or strips for a more crunchy salad. 

Mixing up the creamy dressing is just as easy! Try a little lemon juice or lime juice, a common ingredient in summer salads. 

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