Chopped chicken bacon ranch salad made with fresh veggies, chicken, bacon, avocado, and tossed with ranch dressing. Super easy to make, comes together in 30 minutes and is loaded with veggies, protein, and healthy fats. Perfect for BBQs, picnics, potlucks, or just a simple lunch or light dinner.
It’s officially hitting 90 degrees here in Austin (yes, it’s only April lol) and that means lots of salads and smoothies will be happening in the Eat the Gains household. I’m not mad though, I LOVE a loaded salad, and am game for them anytime of the year.
And this chopped chicken bacon ranch salad is exactly that, a LOADED salad. I mean it pretty much takes that delicious flavor combination of chicken, bacon, and ranch and adds a bunch of fresh and crunchy veggies to it, and makes one heck of a salad.
I know salads can get a bad rap, but if you build a good one, it’s really a magical thing. There is nothing worst than eating a salad and then being hungry an hour later. No boring salads here. The key to a really good salad is having lots of different components.
It needs all the textures, lots of different tastes, and it needs to be filling (protein, fat, and fiber!). Let’s see how this chicken bacon ranch salad holds up:
- crunch from the veggies
- creaminess from the avocado and dressing
- saltiness from the bacon
- acid from lemon juice
- fat from the avocado, dressing, and bacon
- protein from the chicken
I mean it doesn’t get much better than that?! My dad and husband even approved! I mean what’s not to love about bacon and ranch in a salad?!
Chopped chicken bacon ranch salad
This chicken bacon ranch salad is bright and fresh, loaded with veggies, protein, and healthy fats, and is super easy to make. It comes together in 30 minutes and is perfect for BBQs, picnics, potlucks, or just a simple lunch or light dinner and is paleo, low carb, and Whole30 approved!
Here is what you need:
- chicken – I used tenders, but you can use any kind you like – I love ButcherBox
- bacon – again, I love ButcherBox for pasture raised and Whole30 bacon
- romaine
- tomatoes
- cucumbers
- avocado
- red onion
- ranch dressing – I love Primal Kitchen or Tessemae’s and they are paleo and Whole30 approved
- lemon juice
- garlic powder
- dried dill
- dried parsley
- salt and pepper
First start off by cooking the bacon. Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat and add bacon and sprinkle with pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until crispy.
Set the bacon aside to cool and remove all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan.
Next mix together the garlic powder, dill, parsley, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Season the chicken with the spice mixture. Add chicken to pan and cook for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
While the chicken is cooking, prep your salad – chop the romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and avocado and add it to a large bowl. Roughly chop the bacon and chicken and add to bowl. Finally, pour over the ranch dressing, add lemon juice, and season with some salt and pepper and mix well to combine!
Can I use another kind of chicken?
I like using chicken tenders for this recipe because they cook up nice and quickly, but you could also use chicken breast or thighs. You can even roast or grill the chicken if you like.
Prep this salad in advance
This salad is easy to prep in advance whether you are making it for meal prep or for a BBQ or party. Simply chop up all the veggies (except the avocado) and cook the chicken and bacon. Store everything in separate containers so it doesn’t get soggy. When you are ready to eat, add everything to a large bowl and toss with the ranch dressing.
How long chicken bacon ranch salad last?
This salad will last 3-5 days in the fridge. If you toss it in the dressing, some of the veggies will start to lose their texture and become soggy after a day or so. I would suggest waiting to dress it until you are ready to eat to help maintain freshness.
More healthy salad recipes
Burger Salad with Special Sauce Dressing
Greek Chicken Pasta Salad with Zucchini Noodles
Tropical Chicken Salad with Mango Dressing
Peach and Pistachio Salad with Grilled Chicken
Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
ingredients
- 4 pieces bacon
- 1 pound chicken tenders
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 8 packed cups chopped romaine (430 grams)
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (230 grams)
- 1 1/2 cup chopped cucumber (150 grams)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion (60 grams)
- 1 large avocado, diced (135 grams)
- 1/3-1/2 cup ranch dressing, depending on preference
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
instructions
- Cook the bacon. Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium-low heat and add bacon and sprinkle with pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until crispy. Remove from pan and let cool.
- Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan. Mix together the garlic powder, dill, parsley, and salt and pepper. Season chicken with the spice mixture. Add chicken to pan and cook for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
- Prep the veggies while the bacon and chicken cooks. In a large bowl add chopped romaine, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and avocado. Roughly chop bacon and chicken and add to bowl. Pour over ranch, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Enjoy!
notes
nutrition
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Chelsea says
I’d like to make this for a group of 20, would you suggest doubling or tripling?
Kelly says
Hi Chelsea! If it was me, I would probably triple it to be safe. I would also assemble it right before serving so it doesn’t get soggy. Hope that helps!
Diane says
This is one of my go-to Whole 30 lunch/dinner recipes; heck this is a go-to recipe even when I am not doing Whole 30. Something about the way the spices and pan sauté of the chicken makes this moth watering to me. When on Whole 30 I use Tessamae’s Cilantro Lime Ranch and it is the perfect compliment. Even my three kids love this salad. Simple but so yummy! Thanks for sharing.
Kelly says
So happy to hear that Diane and glad everyone enjoys it! It’s such a good combo – thanks for trying it!
Dan says
How can u go wrong bacon & chicken
Kelly says
Agree! So good!