Cobb Salad

This delicious Cobb Salad combines grilled chicken, smoked bacon, hard-boiled eggs, sweet sun-ripened tomatoes, red onions, avocado, and blue cheese all in a homemade Cobb salad dressing. 

I love main meal salads. They are the best. They come together quickly, and several ingredients can often be prepared earlier in the day. If you like this salad, then you must try my chef salad or Big Mac salad. They are equally delicious.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.

• Red wine vinegar: You can substitute white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
• Dijon mustard: I like the tanginess of Dijon, but you can use spicy brown mustard.
• Lemon juice: I am big on fresh lemon juice.
• Avocado: For ripe, ready-to-eat avocados, look for dark green to nearly black skin.
• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breast.
• Italian Dressing: This is for marinating the chicken; you can use any brand you like. I use Zia’s Sweet Italian dressing.
• Lettuce: Instead of romaine, you can use mixed greens, watercress, or iceberg.
• Hard-boiled eggs: You can boil them in advance or on the day.
• Tomatoes: Use grape, cherry, or any sun-ripened sweet tomatoes. Freshly chopped garden tomatoes are always a bonus.
• Blue cheese: This can be replaced with feta, goat cheese, or Parmesan.

How to make Cobb Salad

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. Hard-boil the eggs, cook the bacon, and mix up the salad dressing. These steps can be done a day in advance.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the cobb salad dressing ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Marinate the chicken in the Italian dressing for about 30 minutes. Preheat the grill.
4. Toss the chicken on the grill for about 10 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, flipping halfway through. Move to a plate and cover loosely with an aluminum tent.
5. Chop the bacon, slice the red onion, halve the cherry tomatoes, and peel and quarter the eggs. Add the lettuce to a large bowl or large platter.
6. Slice the chicken. Peel, seed, and slice the avocado. For best results, brush or spritz the sliced avocado with lemon juice to prevent browning.
7. Assemble the goodies on top of the salad and sprinkle with the blue cheese. Serve dressing drizzled on top or on the side.

Preparation Tips

• Grilled, baked, and rotisserie chicken breasts or thighs work well for this recipe.
• Do not slice the avocado until the rest of the ingredients are cut and ready, as it browns quickly.
• Cook the smoked bacon until crispy. I love to bake it on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees, turning halfway through. Then, drain on paper towels and chop coarsely.
• Don’t drizzle the dressing or toss the salad until ready to serve.
• For a super quick and easy dressing, use your favorite bottled avocado ranch, buttermilk ranch, green goddess, and creamy blue cheese.

More Salad Recipes To Try

https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf