Crunchy BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Here is my favorite BBQ chicken chopped salad recipe, with smoky spiced chicken, charred sweet corn, black beans, fresh veggies, and a tangy honey-lime dressing that brings it all together.

This salad has become our go-to dinner during the summer months when it’s too hot to turn on the oven. I love that it’s hearty enough to keep everyone full, but still feels light and fresh. Plus, the kids actually get excited about eating their vegetables when there’s BBQ sauce involved!

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this BBQ chicken chopped salad, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are your best bet since they’re easy to slice and chop into bite-sized pieces. If you prefer dark meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work just as well and tend to stay a bit more moist during cooking. You can also save time by using a rotisserie chicken from the store – just shred the meat and toss it with the BBQ sauce before adding it to your salad. Whether you go with fresh or pre-cooked chicken, make sure it’s fully cooked through before adding it to the salad, and let it cool slightly so it doesn’t wilt your greens.

Options for Substitutions

This salad is super adaptable, so feel free to make some swaps based on what you have:

• Chicken breasts: Chicken thighs work great here and stay juicier. You can also use rotisserie chicken to save time – just shred it and toss with BBQ sauce before adding to the salad.
• Fresh corn: If fresh corn isn’t in season, use frozen corn (thawed) or even canned corn (drained well). You can also grill or pan-char it for extra flavor.
• Black beans: Pinto beans or kidney beans make good substitutes. You could also use chickpeas for a different texture.
• White cheddar cheese: Regular cheddar, Monterey Jack, or even crumbled feta would work nicely here.
• Romaine lettuce: Swap with iceberg, mixed greens, or chopped kale. If using kale, massage it with a bit of olive oil first to soften the leaves.
• Apple cider vinegar: White wine vinegar or red wine vinegar can step in if you’re out of apple cider vinegar.
• Pickled onions: If you don’t have pickled onions, use thinly sliced red onions or skip them altogether – the salad will still taste great.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Grilling

The biggest mistake when grilling chicken breasts is applying the BBQ sauce too early, which causes it to burn and turn bitter – wait until the last minute or two of cooking to brush it on, giving it just enough time to caramelize without charring.

Another common error is cutting into the chicken immediately after grilling, which lets all the juices run out onto your cutting board instead of staying in the meat, so always let it rest for at least 5 minutes before chopping.

To keep your salad from getting soggy, make sure both the grilled chicken and corn are completely cooled before adding them to the lettuce, and consider serving the dressing on the side if you’re not eating right away.

Finally, don’t overdress the salad – start with half the dressing, toss well, and add more only if needed, since you can always add more but can’t take it away once it’s on there.

What to Serve With BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad?

This salad is pretty hearty on its own, but I love serving it with some warm cornbread or corn muffins on the side since they play off the sweet corn in the salad. If you’re feeding a crowd, tortilla chips with guacamole or a simple queso dip make great appetizers while you’re putting the salad together. For a more filling meal, you could also add some crispy sweet potato fries or regular fries on the side – they’re perfect for when you want something a little more substantial. And if you’re in the mood for something refreshing, a cold glass of iced tea or lemonade pairs really well with all those smoky BBQ flavors.

Storage Instructions

Store: This salad is best enjoyed fresh, but you can prep the components ahead of time. Keep the chopped lettuce, cooked chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, and cheese in separate containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the dressing in a jar and give it a good shake before using.

Make Ahead: I love prepping this for easy weeknight dinners. Cook the chicken and corn a day or two ahead, and chop all your veggies the night before. When you’re ready to eat, just toss everything together with the dressing. Don’t assemble the full salad until serving time or it’ll get soggy.

Leftovers: If you’ve already mixed the salad with dressing, it’s best eaten right away. But if you kept things separate, you can build individual servings throughout the week. The dressed salad will get wilted after a few hours, so only dress what you plan to eat.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1550-1750
• Protein: 100-115 g
• Fat: 80-95 g
• Carbohydrates: 110-130 g

Ingredients

For the chicken and corn:

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 ears fresh sweet corn
• 2/3 cup BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray’s suggested)

For the salad:

• 8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped into 1-inch ribbons
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 3/4 cup sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 cup pickled red onions
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3 tbsp fresh chives, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Make the Dressing

• 8 cups romaine lettuce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 3/4 cup sharp white cheddar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 3 tbsp fresh chives, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

While you’re setting up, prepare all your salad components: chop the romaine lettuce into 1-inch ribbons, halve the cherry tomatoes lengthwise, shred the cheddar cheese, and mince the garlic cloves, chives, and cilantro.

Then make the dressing by whisking together the apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, sea salt, and cracked black pepper in a bowl.

Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify.

Set the dressing aside—it can sit at room temperature while you cook.

I like to make my dressing ahead because it allows the flavors to meld slightly, creating a more cohesive taste.

Step 2: Season and Grill the Chicken and Corn

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 ears fresh sweet corn
• 2/3 cup BBQ sauce

Heat your grill to high heat.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides evenly with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar—this creates a flavorful crust when grilled.

Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side without moving them around; this allows proper browning and develops great flavor.

While the chicken cooks, place the corn ears directly on the grill grates and turn them often (every minute or so) to char them evenly on all sides, which should take about 8 to 10 minutes total.

Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, brush both sides with BBQ sauce and grill for another 30 seconds per side to caramelize the sauce slightly.

Step 3: Cool the Chicken and Prepare the Corn

• grilled chicken from Step 2
• grilled corn from Step 2

Remove the chicken and corn from the grill and let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes—this allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, keeping it moist when you chop it.

While the chicken rests, cut the corn kernels off the cob using a sharp knife, running it down the length of each ear and rotating as you go.

I find it easiest to hold the corn upright on a cutting board and slice downward in vertical strokes to capture all the kernels cleanly.

Step 4: Chop the Chicken and Assemble the Salad

• lettuce mixture from Step 1
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• tomato mixture from Step 1
• cheese from Step 1
• 1/2 cup pickled red onions
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• corn kernels from Step 3
• chopped chicken from Step 3

Once the chicken has cooled slightly, chop it into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce from Step 1 with the rinsed and drained black beans, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, pickled red onions, sliced green onions, corn kernels from Step 3, and chopped chicken.

Toss everything together gently to distribute the components evenly throughout the salad.

Step 5: Dress and Serve

• dressed salad from Step 4
• dressing from Step 1
• chives from Step 1
• cilantro from Step 1

Pour the dressing from Step 1 over the assembled salad and toss everything together until all the components are well coated.

Top with the minced chives and chopped cilantro from Step 1, then serve immediately.

The salad is best enjoyed fresh while the chicken is still warm and the lettuce is crisp.

Crunchy BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad

Delicious Crunchy BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1650

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the chicken and corn

• 1 lb chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 ears fresh sweet corn
• 2/3 cup BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's suggested)

For the salad

• 8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped into 1-inch ribbons
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 3/4 cup sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 cup pickled red onions
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3 tbsp fresh chives, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

For the dressing

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

 

1. While you're setting up, prepare all your salad components: chop the romaine lettuce into 1-inch ribbons, halve the cherry tomatoes lengthwise, shred the cheddar cheese, and mince the garlic cloves, chives, and cilantro. Then make the dressing by whisking together the apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, sea salt, and cracked black pepper in a bowl. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify. Set the dressing aside—it can sit at room temperature while you cook. I like to make my dressing ahead because it allows the flavors to meld slightly, creating a more cohesive taste.
2. Heat your grill to high heat. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides evenly with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar—this creates a flavorful crust when grilled. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side without moving them around; this allows proper browning and develops great flavor. While the chicken cooks, place the corn ears directly on the grill grates and turn them often (every minute or so) to char them evenly on all sides, which should take about 8 to 10 minutes total. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, brush both sides with BBQ sauce and grill for another 30 seconds per side to caramelize the sauce slightly.
3. Remove the chicken and corn from the grill and let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes—this allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, keeping it moist when you chop it. While the chicken rests, cut the corn kernels off the cob using a sharp knife, running it down the length of each ear and rotating as you go. I find it easiest to hold the corn upright on a cutting board and slice downward in vertical strokes to capture all the kernels cleanly.
4. Once the chicken has cooled slightly, chop it into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce from Step 1 with the rinsed and drained black beans, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, pickled red onions, sliced green onions, corn kernels from Step 3, and chopped chicken. Toss everything together gently to distribute the components evenly throughout the salad.
5. Pour the dressing from Step 1 over the assembled salad and toss everything together until all the components are well coated. Top with the minced chives and chopped cilantro from Step 1, then serve immediately. The salad is best enjoyed fresh while the chicken is still warm and the lettuce is crisp.