This is very similar to a salad at a popular restaurant near my house. I loved it there and decided to make it at home. It's one of my favorite salads to make now!
Very tasty, a whole family pleaser. I will do a few things differently next time though. 1. Salt and pepper the chicken before grilling. 2. Use less lettuce. Unless they're very small, two heads are too much. 3. Add another tomato. My wife suggested using less barbeque sauce in the dressing, so you might try adding the bbq sauce to the dressing to taste.
Read Morethis salad is mediocre at best why would you put barbecue sauce and a salad I didn't like it at all the ingredients do not go well together with barbecue sauce and ranch.
Read More Very tasty, a whole family pleaser. I will do a few things differently next time though. 1. Salt and pepper the chicken before grilling. 2. Use less lettuce. Unless they're very small, two heads are too much. 3. Add another tomato. My wife suggested using less barbeque sauce in the dressing, so you might try adding the bbq sauce to the dressing to taste.
Excellent! I used a bag of lettuce to make things easier. I also left off the Fried Onions to make it a little bit healthier. Next time I will add some crunched up tortilla chips for some "crunch". I also added some red onion and cheese. I used fat free ranch dressing and I couldn't tell once it was mixed with the barbeque sauce. This makes a great and easy lunch!
I got all thumbs up on this recipe from my family!!! It was incredibly easy to throw together...I did add some garlic powder blend to the chicken prior to grilling to spice it up a bit. I also crumbled up some tortilla chips and put them on the salad instead of using the fried canned onions...I served it with the Waikiki cornbread and everybody couldn't stop raving!!!
Great salad with a nice Southwestern flair - perfect for a weeknight meal! I rubbed my chicken breasts with a little "Taco Seasoning II" from this site and grilled them brushing them with a bit of KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce right before they were done. I used a mix of romaine and iceberg lettuce and added some shredded Mexican blend cheese. Instead of bottled ranch dressing I used "Ranch-Style Buttermilk" Dressing from this site and didn't mix and barbeque sauce in it. Overall, very tasty!
Even though the fried onions would have been tasty & added a nice texture, I left them out to reduce the calories. I also omitted the cilantro due to family preference. The 2nd time I made this, I used 2/3 cup of ranch dressing & 1/3 cup barbeque sauce because my husband likes a milder taste. It was still good but I also thought it was fine the 1st time I made it, with the dressing proportions as written.
I also added some avocado and it was a very easy, and great recipe. One thing is if you want to save extras for the next day keep the dressing on the side.
I used Kraft Light 3 Cheese Ranch Salad Dressing along with KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce. This is a great salad!
I had been looking for a recipe to replicate the BBQ Chicken Salad at Mimi's Cafe (a great chain restaurant) and this was pretty close. I made it exactly as directed. Next time I'll add jicama, like Mimi's does. Thanks for the recipe, Amy!
I loved this salad. It was a nice change from the usual. I omitted the beans due to personal preference but made everything else the same. I used a bag of salad instead of 2 heads of lettuce. The fried onions are a great addition. Note - the salad dressing mixture makes a large portion! Thanks Amy! Will definitely make again!
What a yummy salad! I just used one bunch of green leaf lettuce and that was plenty. I will probably add another tomato next time. Half a bunch of cilantro was enough also, but definately don't leave it out - it adds great flavor! I also used crushed tortilla chips on top. It was excellent!
Just an update, avocado is very tasty. Also, to save time you cab buy a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own.
This was a really awesome recipe. I served the salad in a sourdough bread bowl--salad and bread in one! We don't like tomatoes, so I omitted those, and used crushed tortilla chips instead of french fried onions. I had some leftover rotisserie chicken, which made this meal even easier. Thanks for a great summer recipe!
Great Salad! I served this at a work lunch party and a co-worker said she couldn't quit thinking about it and had to make it for dinner that night she loved it so much! I marinated the chicken breast in grill mates barbeque flavor marinade. Then cooked them under the broiler for about 7 min. each side. I didn't use the French fried onion rings, and I added another tomato. I took others advice and used 2/3 c. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce and 1/3 c. homemade Ranch dressing. This is one of those recipes that you will love forever! Thanks Amy!!
This was very good. I seasoned the chicken with fajita seasoning, used Mexicorn and used salsa instead of BBQ sauce for the dressing. Excellent!
This recipe was so wonderfully delicious!!! I agree with the suggestion to decrease bbq sauce, I used appx 2 parts ranch to 1 part bbq. Also omitted cilantro and ff onions. Will definitely be making this again (and again and again...) might try crushed tortilla chips on top. I'm passing this recipe on to other people. It's so easy and yummy! Thanks!
Yummy! A great way to use up leftover BBQ chicken! I used tortillas chips instead of fried onions and it was delicious :) Next time I'll add only 1/4-1/3 cup of bbq sauce to the ranch as the bbq taste was a bit strong. Overall, a great light summer recipe! Thanks!
this salad is mediocre at best why would you put barbecue sauce and a salad I didn't like it at all the ingredients do not go well together with barbecue sauce and ranch.
Wonderful! I actually forgot to add the fried onions - though - and I added dry bbq seasoning to the chicken when I cooked it.
Excellent! It seems like a weird combination of things but is really good. I made as per the recipe except for minor changes, using turkey tenderloin instead of chicken and adding some leftover bacon. I will make this again!
This is my all time favorite salad, at home and in the restaurant. I do a few things a little different, but it doesn't change the recipe. I don't mix the barbeque sauce and ranch, instead I just drizzle them over the salad. I go easy on the cilantro, because the rest of the family isn't too fond of it. Two heads of lettuce is usually too much, so I just use one head of romaine. And the only big difference would be to use crushed tortilla chips, like the restaurant does. This is one of my go to recipes in the summer!
This was great. I dont care for cilantro so i didnt use it. I added a sliced avacado to the salad as well. This was delicious and great salad for left over grilled chicken. This will be a staple.
I like this version of chicken salad, but I added some iceberg lettuce (for crunch), and instead of just plain chopped tomato, I used pico de gallo.
I REALLY changed this recipe, but it was such a great concept I couldn't pass it up. I wanted a BBQ Chicken salad for wraps, so I omitted the lettuce, tomato, and cilantro. I cut the chicken (3 breasts) into chunks, added an extra can of corn (huge corn fan) and mixed everything together in a bowl. WONDERFUL on a wrap. Thanks for the recipe!
Very easy and very tasty. Replaced onions with pine nuts. The family loved it. Took it to a pot luck and it was a hit. Also used tyson frozen chicken breast rather than grilling myself. Call me lazy...
OMG, I love this salad! When I make a salad for a meal it is usually more on the greek side..feta, balsamic, bread, etc. So this was a WONDERFUL change. My husband LOVED it too! I also added some red onion, chopped cucumber, red bell pepper, shredded cheese, and topped with crumbled tortilla chips instead of the onions. I too, as mentioned by other reviewers, tweaked the dressing. I used 1/4 c. ranch and 1/8 c. BBQ Sauce, as well as a Tbsp or two of Frank's Red Hot Sauce. We like a bit of heat. The dressing was fabulous and it made enough for 4 salads and I don't go very light with my dressing. Needless to say, this is going into my recipe box and will be made again and again. Thank you!
My sexy, hot wife made this tonight for me and the kids and we loved it!!! Thanks CLove!
SO GOOD and easy! Very tasty! My husband loved it the most. I marinated the chicken in the bbq sauce for 30 mins before putting it on the grill. I also reduced the number of beans and used chopped raw onions instead of french fried onions. I used grape tomatoes (and lots of them) instead of a chopped regular tomato. And I mixed 1/3 blue cheese dressing that I had in the fridge with 2/3 bbq sauce for the dressing. Fantastic! Will do it again soon!
I used a tablespoon of dry taco seasoning (low salt version) mixed in with the Ranch dressing instead of the barbecue sauce. The whole family loved this dish. I will make it again.
Great recipe! So simple to make. Very filling and different salad. The french fried onions add the perfect flavor and texture to this salad.
So good!! Unless your lettuce heads are unusually microscopic, then one head of lettuce is more than enough. I use two cups of the best beans in the world (refried beans without the refry from this site, left unmashed) in place of canned beans (pulled from the freezer), frozen corn in place of canned (we just thaw it first), and bake my chicken when grilling isn't convenient.
This was actually pretty good! Did 2/3 ranch, 1/3 bbq sauce. Left out the fried onions and didn't miss them!
This recipe was fantastic! First I used 2 packages of grilled chicken that you can get in the deli area. Also I did not use cilantro (personal preference) as well I did not mix the ranch and BBQ sauce I drizzled them both on top of each salad. The second time I made this I mixed the the ranch &bbq sauce into the salad and nliked it better that way. Tasted like a salad that they used to serve at Mimi's Cafe.
Very good, but the next day it's a little soggy and you can't taste the dressing very well.
Great recipe! Wonderful summer salad!! I dont use the ff onion rings but instead buy flour tortillas from the store and spray them with pam and salt them and then stick them on a pan under the broiler for 5 minutes. Once lightly brown and crunchy looking I cut them with a pizza cutter into strips and place them on top of the salad. Very "professional" looking! Tastes great w/ out too much onion.
The chicken would have been boring and flavorless if I didn't use another recipe for just the chicken. I loved the barbecue and ranch combo dressing which tasted great with the corn and black beans. Overall, it was a flavored chicken breast away from being a 5 star recipe.
Totally awesome. I too love these salads from popular restaurants, but never attempted them at home. As other reviewers mentioned, I cut the dressing, 2/3 cup ranch 1/3 cup BBQ. I left out the french fried onions and added red onion. Delicious!
This was delicious! I used a frozen southwest blend of corn, black beans, peppers, and onion. I left out the french fried onions because we don't care for them. I only used half a bunch of cilantro and next time I will only use a quarter, it was a little too overpowering.
My husband and I absolutely loved this! Reason for only 4 stars -- Like other reviewers, I adjusted the dressing to 3/4 c. of Ranch and 1/4 of BBQ. This made the dressing super delicious. Also, I felt the french's fried onions didn't sound like they would go with this dish well, so we crumpled tortilla chips over the salad instead. We will definitely make this again!
yum yum yum! i use half a head of red lettuce and half a head of green, and also add an avocado. instead of fried onions, i crush up tortilla chips. i usually let each person add his/her own dressing so that the salad keeps longer. i love it!
We have made this salad several times and love it! Easy and delicious.
Very good. I used Wishbone Just 2 good ranch dressing to cut down on fat & calories. I cooked the chicken breasts on the grill with garlic salt & pepper. It came out great. I used pita bread to make sandwiches out of the leftovers. I kep the dressing on the side so it wou;dn't make the salad soggy. I also didn't use the french fried onions becuase I don't like them and I didn't want the extra calories anyway.
So good! I followed the recipe exactly except I left off the fried onions. My husband said he didn't care for the beans, but I thought they were fantastic. Next time, I will just leave them off of his salad and put them on mine. I will definitely make this again! Thank you!
AMAZING!!! THIS IS, BY FAR, THE BEST HOME-MADE SALAD EVER! THIS EVEN RANKS BETTER THAN MOST SUPER-FATTENING RESTAURANT SALADS. DELICIOUS!
YUMMY! This is delish!! The perfect addition to a barbeque or party, also nice for a healthy, light dinner. Two heads of lettuce is way too much though- I use a bag or two of bagged lettuce- whatever kind will do. Much easier too! This has so much flavor! Do make sure to grill the chicken though, it really adds a nice flavor. I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic before grilling. The BBQ sauce/ ranch dressing is yummy too. This recipe is a keeper!
Loved this salad so delicious. I think it was even better than the one they serve at Panera Bread. The only difference I made was I added green onions too.
Quik, easy, and tastes amazing! I was out of chicken so went with frozen Chicken Pops.
Excellent salad! It definitely tasted like resturant quality! I added purple onion and shredded cheddar cheese. I also used leftover grilled BBQ chicken. I mixed one part BBQ sauce to 2 parts ranch as another reviewer suggested. It was perfect! Thanks for a nice summer salad. This is a keeper in my book!
I made this salad for myself and two other people and we all gobbled up an entire plate of it! Soooo good. I used the recipe for Absolutely Awesome Bbq Sauce from this site and it made a fabulous dressing. I also basted the chicken in the bbq sauce before grilling for some extra flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
I didn't have barbeque OR ranch dressing (I live in Belgium and they have never heard of either)... So I replaced the two with STEAK SAUCE and BERNAISE SAUCE... It was perfect! My husband had seconds!
I love BBQ chicken salads and this was pretty good. I used shredded romaine and iceberg lettuce instead of red and green leaf. I seasoned my chicken with EVOO and grill seasoning before grilling it. I forgot the black beans but I added jicama, green onions, and diced orange bell pepper. I skipped the french fried onions and crumbled up some tortilla chips instead. I also added some shredded pepperjack and sharp cheddar cheese. The cilantro is a must and makes a BBQ chicken salad in my opinion. I will be making this again!
Wonderful ~ EASY ~ recipie as is! Didn't change a thing and it's a crowd pleaser. I did use light ranch and can't taste a difference with the BBQ sauce mixed in. Served with sour cream and salsa ~ YUMMMY!
This is a wonderful salad. I used light dressing, too, and you can't tell the difference at all. Thanks for a keeper!
Loved it!!! Used crumbled tortilla chips instead of the french fried onions, and added a little red onion. Used about half of the dressing, which was perfect for our family. We will definetely do this again!
This salad is the best! Just like one from a restaurant. Thanks for the recipe!
Loved this delicious entree salad, so did my guests. I used a rotisserie chicken, red, orange, and yellow tomatoes, and added diced green & red pepper, avocado, and shredded cheese. I offered the fried onions and colorful tortilla strips on the side. I made the dressing with lite ranch, no one was the wiser! Colorful, festive salad for casual summer entertaining, loved this, Amy.
Yum!I put crumbled tortilla chips on top because that's what I had on hand. I also marinated the chicken in BBQ sauce for two hours before cooking and was very happy with the results. Will definitely make this again, thanks!
For carb conscious cooks, use a good low carb BBQ sauce, and slightly reduce the ranch dressing in the mix. I use Paula Deen's BBQ sauce. It's delish, and very low sugar. Chris and Pitts original is also low carb I think- I can't find it in the stores around me, but I used to use it. For taco salad, use a mix of salsa or taco sauce and ranch dressing, and either grilled or rotisserie chicken, or ground beef cooked with Ortega medium hot taco sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and sprinkle some crumbled tortilla chips in. I've also used Franks hot wing sauce and ranch dressing for a spicy Western dressing, (easy on the Franks!), something like the Blooming Onion dressing. You can add shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack for flavor. Ranch dressing is so versatile, it accommodates so many different flavors!
DELICIOUS!!! Thanks for the great recipe! I made mine with homemade BBQ sauce (see the allrecipes baked BBQ chicken recipe)!
Yum! This was a great salad. I left out the cilantro and French fried onions. I used 1/4 cup of ranch dressing and 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce and kept the same amount of other ingredients to serve 2 people.
This had a great unique flavor. I would recommend doing at least 4 chicken breasts due to the amount of lettuce.
Very good - we don't like *too* strong a BBQ flavor so only added one heaping TBS into homemade Ranch, then tossed in BBQ glazed chicken legs (de-boned - used legs as it was all we had). Added red pepper and sharp cheddar. If you can use fresh corn - makes a huge difference.
Made this tonight without the fried onions. The dressing was out of this world. I mixed 1 part bbq sause to 3 parts ranch. Thanks AMYEH
I would recommend marinating the chicken in additional ranch dressing and brushing with BBQ sauce near the end of grilling--that would give the chicken some flavor. The rest of the recipe sounds great and definitely worth a try! I like the idea of the BBQ-Ranch dressing.
I thought this was really good. I did not have the Cilantro or beans, but still came out great. The mixture of the BBQ sauce ( sweet baby rays) and Ranch was a nice combination. Definetly will make again.
I only used one head of lettuce and added chopped green onions and cheddar cheese. Also marinated the chicken with tequilla lime marinade as I can't stand bland chicken. Very good and filling!
Left off the onions, added black olives and adjusted the dressing to 1/3 Baby Ray's and 2/3 Hidden Valley... Yum, yum, yum.
maybe add some tortilla strips and feel free to add a little extra corn and black beans. the dressing was a nice touch
We have made this a few times and love it. I use whatever lettuce we have on hand, usually romaine. If we do not have cilantro on hand it is just as good. We are making it again for dinner tonight.
pretty good...I just feel like it needs some spice. I initially did 1 part BBQ to 2 parts ranch as others suggested but I think that was the wrong decision. I added more BBQ after so I think its perfect. That being said, if you are concerned that you won't like that much BBQ, cut it down and you can always add later. Think I'll add a little hot sauce to the dressing next time to give it some kick.
Great salad! Didn't change a thing...made it just like the recipe states. Was perfect...a keeper! Thanks!
This is an amazing salad! I added some onion and peppers (red bell, yellow bell, jalapeno, & poblano) for an extra component but it's certainly not necessary. I also tossed the entire salad with the dressing mixture, which I though made the salad!!
Oh my, YUM! I made one teensy alteration to this recipe and that was to use prepackaged salad mixes. Otherwise, I made everything else exactly as instructed and I could not be happier and more satisfied! It was so good! It tasted almost exactly like the BBQ chopped chicken salads you find at Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill or at California Pizza Kitchen. I paired this salad with a slow cooker chicken tortilla soup (also found on this site) and with cornbread. You will not be disappointed! Thank you, AMYEH!
I don't understand the picture of this one, but the salad is delicious. I marinated boneless chicken tenders in bbq sauce, garlic & green onion before grilling. I wll go 2 parts ranch to 1 part bbq for the dressing next time. My husband LOVED it and asked to add it to the rotation.
I just had this last night. It's really yummy. I didn't have any french fried onions on hand so I cooked up some onion rings and put them on top of the salad. It was a perfect combination with a nice crunch.
This is an awesome salad! It was too cold to grill outside, so I just salted and peppered the chicken, pan fried it and shredded it into the salad. I made this for a friend for lunch and we both loved it.
Great salad - but made the following changes per other reviews and my own tastes: Seasoned chicken with fajita seasoning prior to grilling. Added sliced red and yellow peppers. Used 3 parts Ranch dressing to one part BBQ sauce. I fried corn tortilla strips in oil and used them as topper instead of the fried onions.
LOVED IT! I did change things just a little: 1) used leftover shredded chicken from chicken tacos last night 2) subbed a red bell pepper for the tomato 3) warmed the black beans & corn on the stove 4) switched out red onion for the fried onions 5) added some shredded cheddar cheese & avocado. Thanks for sharing such a versatile recipe!!!
Good salad, however I felt the BBQ sauce overpowered the ranch dressing even though I added quite a bit more ranch dressing to the mix. It could have been the sauce I used (Kraft chipotle). Next time I think I will start with 3/4 c. ranch to 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. I will also probably add sliced avocado. Loved the crispy onion strips! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
This is absolutely delicious. My entire family loves it, including my young children. In fact, my 12 year old requested this as her upcoming birthday dinner! With good plate presentation it rivals any restaurant. And super easy! You can't go wrong with this salad!
I used leftover rotisserrie chicken breast,omitted the beans and cilantro as I didnn't have any and used Mexican corn. Delicious and easy! Thanks!
*** Great recipe - loved by even my picky eater. When everyone had finished except my son, I asked him how he liked it. He said, pretty good but it is missing something. And as we tried to figure out what it needed, we hit on the French Fried onions. Ugh - I had forgotten them. He got a few on his last couple of bites and declared it was just right with that bit of crunch. Definitely will be adding to my staples - it was so quick too.
This is a great, quick meal I use when I haven't planned ahead. I love it! I tweak it a bit by adding a small can of corn and I cut the dressing and lettuce down. I also use tortilla chips if I want some crunch but only because I always have them. Overall, super recipe!
Very good salad!! I had my reservations about the dressing, but was pleasantly surprised when we tasted this. This combination really works!
We cooked our chicken on the George Foreman & seasoned it with chili powder to give it the 'blackened' effect. LOVE this salad! Fantastic & will do it again. Great sauce too.
Great salad! I left out the cilantro since we didn't have it, seasoned the chicken w/ salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder before cooking and crumbled tortilla chips instead of the fried onions. Perfect for a light meal, and we will definitely make this again
Delicious! I BBQ'd the chicken with BBQ sause, and I also added cayenne pepper to the dressing. Fabulous recipe. I will definately make it again.
The cilantro is the punch! My husband and I made this as our date dinner/picnic, and our conversation kept coming back to how good this meal was. The sauce is a good balance of creamy and punchy. We used a sweet BBQ sauce, but I think a hickory sauce would be even more killer.
Served it at a birthday party. It was easy and everybody loved it. I made it exactly according to the recipes directions.
