Easy Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

Here is my favorite grilled chicken cobb salad recipe, with tender buttermilk-marinated chicken, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, fresh tomatoes and avocado, all topped with a tangy homemade dressing.

This cobb salad is my go-to dinner when I want something that feels like a treat but is still pretty healthy. I love that you can prep most of the ingredients ahead of time and just toss everything together when you’re ready to eat. Plus, everyone in the family can customize their own bowl with their favorite toppings!

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For this grilled cobb salad, thin-cut chicken breasts are your best bet because they cook quickly and evenly on the grill. If you can’t find thin-cut breasts at the store, just grab regular chicken breasts and slice them in half horizontally to create thinner cutlets – it’s easier than it sounds and only takes a minute with a sharp knife. Either way, you’ll want boneless, skinless breasts since the chicken gets chopped up and tossed into the salad. The buttermilk marinade will help keep your chicken moist and tender, so don’t worry too much about whether you’re using organic or conventional – both work great in this recipe.

Options for Substitutions

This salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own by mixing 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Chicken breasts: Chicken thighs work great here too and stay juicier on the grill. You can also use rotisserie chicken to save time – just shred or chop it up.
• Romaine lettuce: Mixed greens, butter lettuce, or iceberg all work fine. Just pick whatever looks fresh at the store.
• Blue cheese: Not a fan of blue cheese? Parmesan, feta, or goat cheese are all good alternatives. You could even skip the cheese entirely if you prefer.
• Bacon: Turkey bacon or even crispy prosciutto can stand in for regular bacon. For a vegetarian version, try coconut bacon or just leave it out.
• White wine vinegar: Red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even fresh lemon juice will give you that tangy kick in the dressing.
• Mayonnaise: Greek yogurt or sour cream can replace mayo in the dressing for a lighter option.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Grilling

The biggest mistake with grilled chicken is overcooking it, which turns those thin cutlets dry and rubbery – pull them off the grill when they hit 160°F since they’ll continue cooking to 165°F while resting under foil.

Skipping the buttermilk marinade or marinating for less than 30 minutes means missing out on tender, flavorful chicken, so plan ahead and let it sit for at least a few hours if possible.

Another common error is not patting the chicken dry before grilling, which prevents those nice grill marks from forming and can cause flare-ups on the grill.

Finally, don’t chop your avocado too early or it’ll turn brown – wait until you’re ready to assemble the salad, and if you need to prep ahead, toss it with a little lemon juice to keep it looking fresh.

What to Serve With Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad?

Since this salad is already pretty filling with all the protein from the chicken, bacon, and eggs, I like to keep the sides simple. A basket of warm, crusty bread or some buttery garlic bread is perfect for soaking up any extra dressing at the bottom of your bowl. If you want something a bit lighter, some crispy baked pita chips or crackers work great on the side. For drinks, this salad pairs really well with iced tea, lemonade, or even a cold beer on a hot summer day.

Storage Instructions

Store: This salad is best enjoyed fresh, but you can prep the components ahead of time. Keep the grilled chicken, chopped veggies, bacon, and eggs in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the dressing separately in a jar and give it a good shake before using.

Make Ahead: I love prepping this for easy weeknight dinners. Marinate and grill the chicken up to 2 days ahead, cook the bacon and eggs, and chop all your veggies. When you’re ready to eat, just toss the romaine with some dressing and arrange everything on top. Wait to slice the avocado until right before serving so it doesn’t brown.

Assembled Salad: If you’ve already tossed the salad together, it’ll get soggy pretty quickly. Try to only dress what you’ll eat right away. Leftover assembled salad can be kept in the fridge for a day, but the lettuce won’t be as crisp.

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 1700-2000
• Protein: 150-170 g
• Fat: 110-125 g
• Carbohydrates: 40-50 g

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed

For the salad:

• 3 romaine hearts, chopped
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 6 large eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced and patted dry
• 2 large avocados, sliced
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

For the dressing:

• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Step 1: Prepare the Marinade and Start the Chicken

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed

Combine buttermilk, salt, pepper, and smashed garlic cloves in a shallow dish or zip-top bag.

Add the chicken breasts and coat thoroughly, ensuring they’re fully submerged.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours for deeper flavor—I find even 2-3 hours makes a noticeable difference in tenderness).

While the chicken marinates, you can prep your other components.

Step 2: Cook the Hard-Boiled Eggs and Prepare Other Components

• 6 large eggs
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced

While the chicken marinates, bring a pot of water to a boil and gently add eggs.

Boil for 10-12 minutes until hard-boiled, then transfer to an ice bath to cool completely.

Once cooled and peeled, slice them and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crispy, drain on paper towels, and crumble into bite-sized pieces.

Pat the diced tomatoes dry with paper towels—this prevents excess moisture from making the salad soggy.

Step 3: Make the Vinaigrette Dressing

• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until combined.

While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil to emulsify the dressing—this creates a smooth, cohesive texture rather than a separated one.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Set aside at room temperature.

Step 4: Grill the Marinated Chicken

• marinated chicken from Step 1

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400°F).

Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit for 5 minutes to take the chill off—this promotes even cooking.

Grill each breast for 3-4 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

I like to resist the urge to move the chicken around; let it develop a nice char and caramelized crust for better flavor.

Once cooked, transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes to retain juices.

Step 5: Assemble the Salad

• 3 romaine hearts, chopped
• cooked and crumbled bacon from Step 2
• sliced hard-boiled eggs from Step 2
• dried tomatoes from Step 2
• 2 large avocados, sliced
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• vinaigrette from Step 3

Place chopped romaine hearts in a large bowl or on a serving platter.

Arrange the cooked bacon, hard-boiled egg slices from Step 2, dried tomatoes, sliced avocados, and blue cheese crumbles in rows or sections on top of the lettuce for the classic Cobb presentation.

Drizzle the vinaigrette from Step 3 over the salad and gently toss to coat everything evenly.

Step 6: Finish and Serve

• grilled chicken from Step 4
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

Slice the rested grilled chicken breasts and arrange them on top of or alongside the dressed salad.

Garnish with fresh chives for a bright, oniony finish.

Serve immediately while the chicken is still warm and the avocado is at its best texture.

Easy Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad

Delicious Easy Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 1850

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the chicken

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed

For the salad

• 3 romaine hearts, chopped
• 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 6 large eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced and patted dry
• 2 large avocados, sliced
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

For the dressing

• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method

 

1. Combine buttermilk, salt, pepper, and smashed garlic cloves in a shallow dish or zip-top bag. Add the chicken breasts and coat thoroughly, ensuring they're fully submerged. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours for deeper flavor—I find even 2-3 hours makes a noticeable difference in tenderness). While the chicken marinates, you can prep your other components.
2. While the chicken marinates, bring a pot of water to a boil and gently add eggs. Boil for 10-12 minutes until hard-boiled, then transfer to an ice bath to cool completely. Once cooled and peeled, slice them and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the bacon until crispy, drain on paper towels, and crumble into bite-sized pieces. Pat the diced tomatoes dry with paper towels—this prevents excess moisture from making the salad soggy.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper until combined. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil to emulsify the dressing—this creates a smooth, cohesive texture rather than a separated one. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Set aside at room temperature.
4. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400°F). Remove the marinated chicken from the refrigerator and let it sit for 5 minutes to take the chill off—this promotes even cooking. Grill each breast for 3-4 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. I like to resist the urge to move the chicken around; let it develop a nice char and caramelized crust for better flavor. Once cooked, transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5-10 minutes to retain juices.
5. Place chopped romaine hearts in a large bowl or on a serving platter. Arrange the cooked bacon, hard-boiled egg slices from Step 2, dried tomatoes, sliced avocados, and blue cheese crumbles in rows or sections on top of the lettuce for the classic Cobb presentation. Drizzle the vinaigrette from Step 3 over the salad and gently toss to coat everything evenly.
6. Slice the rested grilled chicken breasts and arrange them on top of or alongside the dressed salad. Garnish with fresh chives for a bright, oniony finish. Serve immediately while the chicken is still warm and the avocado is at its best texture.