Hello summer.
This salad may look light, but it’s unapologetically indulgent — and that’s part of the fun. Still, it’s a salad, so it counts as something good. Think of this as a glorified, grilled, chopped celebration of summer flavors.
What I love most about this recipe is how much of it gets charred on the grill. You’ll toast the bread into garlicky croutons, sear scallions until they’re smoky and tender, char sweet corn until the kernels caramelize, and grill barbecue-glazed chicken until juicy with a hint of char. If you want, you can even grill the romaine or hearts of butter lettuce, but I prefer everything chopped so the textures and bites are uniform.
Start by grilling the bread: brush both sides with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, and char until golden. Eat a slice or two before cutting it into crouton-sized pieces — extra is never a bad idea. Then give the scallions a good char; grilled green onions develop an incredible sweet-smoky flavor that really elevates the salad.
Grill the corn next. There’s nothing quite like fresh corn kissed by the flames — it adds sweetness and a little crunch. Finally, grill the barbecue-coated chicken until cooked through. It’s tasty on its own, but here it plays one role among many vibrant components.
The salad also includes crispy bacon, creamy avocado, two lettuces — tender butter lettuce and peppery arugula — fresh cilantro (optional if you’re not a fan), and cubes of white cheddar for pops of salty richness. If cilantro isn’t your thing, leave it out; this salad is flexible and forgiving.
The finishing touch is a simple honey mustard vinaigrette — sweet, tangy and silky when emulsified. It pairs beautifully with the barbecue flavors and the charred components, tying everything together in bright, balanced bites.
I love chopped salads because the uniform pieces make every forkful a complete mouthful of texture and flavor. Two of my longtime favorites are a BLT chopped salad with feta, corn and avocado and a Thai crunch chicken salad; this BBQ chicken chopped salad stands proudly alongside them.
It’s loud, vibrant, and perfect for summer gatherings. Make the salad and serve the dressing on the side if you plan to keep leftovers — the croutons will soften if dressed, and avocado can brown, but the flavors still hold up well the next day.
BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad with Grilled Garlic Croutons
4 appropriately, 2 obnoxiously
1 hr
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Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 4 slices Italian or sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 scallions
- 2 ears sweet corn
- 8 ounces butter lettuce, coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces arugula, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup torn fresh cilantro (optional)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 4 ounces white cheddar, chopped into small cubes
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup golden balsamic vinegar
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a baking dish or zip-top bag. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, onion powder, salt, smoked paprika and pepper. Rub the mixture over the chicken. Add minced garlic to the barbecue sauce, pour the sauce over the chicken, and marinate in the fridge at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Heat the grill to high for about 20 minutes. Drizzle bread with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with garlic powder. Grill the bread until toasted, about 2 minutes per side depending on thickness. Remove and set aside to cool, then cut into crouton-sized pieces.
- Grill the scallions whole, about 3–4 minutes per side, until charred. At the same time, grill the ears of corn, turning until all sides are toasted. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Grill the barbecue-marinated chicken until cooked through, about 6–8 minutes per side for roughly 1-inch-thick breasts, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let rest, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
- When cooled, slice the corn from the cobs, discard the white ends of the scallions and chop the rest, and cut the bread into crouton pieces. Combine butter lettuce, arugula and cilantro in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss. Add chicken, scallions, corn, tomatoes, bacon, avocado and cheddar. Toss, add croutons, and serve with the honey mustard vinaigrette. Store any leftover dressing in the fridge for up to a week; shake or whisk before using.
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- Whisk together honey, Dijon, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Add the balsamic vinegar and whisk until smooth. While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies. Refrigerate up to a week; re-whisk before serving.
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Pretty irresistible, right?