BBQ Chicken Salad Cilantro Lime Rice Bowls
If you love BBQ Chicken Salad, you’ll go crazy over these BBQ Chicken Salad Bowls with Cilantro Lime Rice. Quick and so delicious, they make the perfect lunch or dinner!
How are you?? I missed you last week; we played off the grid for several days at a family reunion near West Yellowstone, and it was absolutely wonderful to pack in 24/7 family time (including a jaunt over to Jackson Hole to the Bar J Wranglers, an annual summer tradition, and one of my favorite shows ever; I laugh hysterically at all the corny jokes and I love me some old-fashioned cowboy music).
Thanks for your patience while it took a bit longer to respond to many of your comments and questions and emails.
I have so much to talk to you about and I can’t wait for the posts I have ready to go up over the next couple of weeks.
I still owe you some details of the amazing and rather life-changing trip Brian and I took to Africa last month, and I’m also gearing up to reveal a long-awaited project I’ve had up my sleeve that I’m incredibly excited about.
Of course, there’ll also be no shortage of absolutely amazing summer recipes coming your way, too. It’s still summer in my world despite the fact that that Hobby Lobby already has Christmas decorations up – what the what??
If you’ve made and loved my most favorite BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing, you are going to do some serious cartwheels over today’s recipe.
A spin-off on that much-adored salad, today’s BBQ chicken salad bowls are filled with all the good things that make BBQ chicken salad worthy of all day, every day summer eating.
Plus these pretty little salad and rice bowls get a healthy dose of extra yumminess thanks to the scoop of cilantro lime rice and healthy drizzle of new and improved BBQ cilantro lime dressing (thank you, buttermilk).
Of course, the salad bowl won’t stay pretty forever; eventually you’re going to have to dig in and toss it all together. However, I promise the ensuing ingredient mayhem is all deliciousness.
If you were to open my refrigerator right now, you’d see all the ingredients for this salad ready to go. I’m an absolute sucker for lunches and dinners that take seconds to throw together.
Ok, actually, I’m lying to you right now.
On the heels of returning from vacation, my refrigerator is positively scary with its wilty bag of 2-week old cilantro and a carton of sour milk (coming home from vacation is hard in the food department).
But, before vacation, BBQ chicken salad bowls were happening daily (best lunch ever). Give me a few days to tackle the 34 loads of laundry, and I’ll be back in BBQ chicken salad bowl business.
That cilantro lime rice is pretty much the best thing ever.
Have you made it? The recipe has been on my site forever.
Throw it in there with all those fresh, crisp, flavorful ingredients and you’ve got some serious lunch and dinner magic.
One Year Ago: Soft and Chewy 7-Layer Cookies {Not Bars…Cookies!}
Two Years Ago: Brookies {Brownie + Chocolate Chip Cookies}
Three Years Ago: Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing
InstantPot: I often make the cilantro lime rice in the InstantPot. Use the saute function and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add 1 1/4 cups white, jasmine or basmati rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, juice and zest of 1 lime, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin. Stir. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Naturally release pressure. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.BBQ Chicken Salad Cilantro Lime Rice Bowls
Ingredients
Salad Bowl:
Cilantro Lime BBQ Dressing:
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
We’ve loved your BBQ chicken salad for years, and this was sooooo yummy too! The rice puts it over the top! Perfect summer meal!
I made this recipe today for dinner. It is delicious. I made the cilantro line rice in the instant pot and while the rice cooled, I put chicken breasts into the instant pot. Thank you for mixing these great flavors.
Hi! I LOVE making this cilantro lime rice in the InstantPot! If I wanted to double or triple the recipe, would I need to alter the IP cook time in any way? I also read on the actual post for the cilantro lime rice that when you triple it, you only 2 1/2 time the liquid. Is that the same for the InstantPot? Thank you!!
This salad is a favourite for our whole family. Today I made the dressing with kefir instead of buttermilk because I had some to make the chocolate smoothies you posted. Delish!!
We loved this! The dressing is amazing. My husband says he always wants to always have it in the fridge. We added a little jicama to ours…because it doesn’t seem like a BBQ chicken salad without it. We had leftovers for lunch today…and I don’t usually like to eat the same thing two days in a row…not a problem with this.
Hi, Mel, I made this salad, and substituted your Cilantro Lime Dressing instead of the dressing recipe given with this salad. It was marvelous! I will make it often. Thank you for another delicious and fresh recipe. You are my favorite on-line, go-to consultant because your recipes always turn out perfectly!
I’ve never been able to say what my favorite food is because I love food so much and don’t want to leave anything out. I’m changing that now though, on the World Wide Web where everyone can see it, I am declaring this my absolute favorite food ever! I’m even making it for my own birthday dinner tonight, that’s how much I love it! I’ve made this at least monthly since you posted it and my whole family (and every friend or neighbor that I’ve ever made it for) agree with me. Thank you Mel!
I love this so much, Jackie!! And happy birthday!!
One of our absolute favs!! Love your site, Mel!! It’s my go-to for amazing recipes!
Thanks, Ellen!
This is the best! It really tastes good!
This is a great salad. I think because of the rice, it’s a good one dish meal (maybe serve watermelon or other fruit if you like… or dessert). Anyway, I used brown rice and prepared the rice in an Instant pot. Everyone loved it (I tripled it to serve 23: 16 over 12, 7 under 12). We ate it all… I was hoping to have some leftovers since I think of my family as being light eaters… no such luck.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful! I didn’t have any avocados, and it was still amazing!
This salad is sooooo good! I always liked the BBQ chicken salad, but with the cilantro lime rice it tastes amazing! We’ve made it several times, and even my kids love it Thanks Mel!
We loved this! Thank you!
This BBQ chicken salad is the best! My husband can’t stop raving about the dressing!! so, so good! thank you
This BBQ chicken salad is the best! My husband can’t stop raving about the dressing!! so, so good! thank you
I have made MANY of your recipes, but this is one of my favorites. I love the cilantro lime rice. For dressing I just make a packet of hidden valley ranch and throw in some cilantro to taste. Really, really delicious recipe. Thanks, Mel!
Everyone loved this for dinner. That is a miracle in our house. Thank you!
Hi, this looks SO good, but I never have mayo on hand. Would Greek yogurt work in place of the mayo for the dressing?
Definitely worth a try!
Hi, this looks SO good, but I never have mayo on hand. Would Greek yogurt work in place of the mayo?
Yum! I didn’t think your BBQ chicken salad could get any better (it’s my favorite meal) but I’m loving the addition of your cilantro rice!
This is a perfect summer meal. Made this last week for dinner guests and it was a hit. The dressing tasted amazing, my kids licked the jar clean. The only issue I had was with the way my cilantro lime rice turned out in the instapot. It was mushy and seems to have had too much liquid. I have always made it on the stovetop with fabulous results, so maybe the recipe needs more tweaking on my part.
Hi Mel,
I have been enjoying your blog for a while, thank you!
Question, have you posted anything about the uses of an InstaPot? why is it worth it? etc. also what brand would you recommend? I’m considering getting one and want to make a wise choice 🙂
Hi Blanca – I did a post about pressure cooking here (talking about InstantPot and other pressure cookers):
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/lets-talk-pressure-cookers-part-1/
I also have a category dedicated to recipes that work well in a pressure cooker:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/pressure-cooker/
Mel, you got another great one here. Layla and I made it tonight because we wanted it so much, but I was pleasantly surprised that my little boys all loved it too!
I’m so glad I’m not alone in being startled about hobby lobby’s Christmas in July! Hahaha!
I made this salad for dinner last night. IT WAS SO DELICIOUS!!! I cannot wait to eat it again for lunch-I made sure my husband didn’t take too many leftovers to work today. The dressing is so good, and I’m thinking that homemade potato fries would be delicious dipped in it. I’ll be trying that out today as well. Thanks Mel!!!
This salad was DELICIOUS … love the dressing. I am devouring it as I type!!
Hi Mel,
Totally off topic, but I just bought an InstaPot on Amazon for under $70.00! I’m so excited, and I thought some of your readers might want one too!
Thanks for all the great recipes!
Desiree
I know! Isn’t that sale insane?? I’m so happy you bought one!
Thank you once again for another great recipe. I made this last night and it was a big hit. I can’t wait to eat leftovers today. The dressing was AMAZING!
I have to tell you that I found your blog when I lived in Africa (Kenya) and it has provided us with so many great recipes that use simple ingredients that I could find (mostly) even in Kenya. Thanks so much!!
Thank you so much, Bethany – I love hearing that! Having just traveled to Ghana, I don’t know what it would be like to cook American recipes in Africa so I’m happy most of them were accessible. 🙂
Thank you for the dinner inspiration as always! We made it for dinner and everyone is scarfing it down and wanting more!!
oh, yum! this is perfect summertime food! can’t wait to stuff this in my mouth!
Hi Mel, so glad you and your family had a wonderful holiday, and I can’t wait to hear about your trip at Africa. This salad looks amazing, it’s the depths of winter here but as soon as it’s a bit warmer this recipe will be in rotation. Thanks again for all your fantastic recipes and photos. Mel, can I ask, with your photos, are you always able to take them during the day? You have such amazing light on all the photos! I am just starting out in the world of blogging and even though my blog is not strictly about food, I do post some recipes. By the time I get home there is no good light left to support a good photo. Just curious. Have a terrific day
Fi
Hi Fiona – yes, 99% of the time, I take my photos during the day or early evening when the light is really dreamy and perfect. In the winter when the days are shorter, I’ll sometimes pull out my EGO digital lights but I don’t love the look of photos with them nearly as much as natural light so I’ll often save leftovers and shoot a photo the next day. Good luck on your blog! It’s been such a fun journey for me; I hope it is for you as well!
Hi Mel, thanks for the info, that makes total sense to keep a little of the meal back and take the photo when you have more time and great natural lighting. I will be trying that, but not today (sad face) because it’s overcast and gloomy!! Have a splendid weekend
Fi
I also LOVE your BBQ chicken salad and am excited to try this version as well. Yes, I missed the new recipes on Melskitchencafe but am so glad you were able to spend time with family and got back home safely. I can’t wait to read about this new project you have planned! Thanks for all your hard work to bring delicious meals to the table!
This looks amazing and can’t wait to make it. Question for you: if I don’t have buttermilk on hand, what do you think would make a good sub? Usually I just do the lemon juice in milk trick but that doesn’t seem like it would work as well here…
Good question, Michelle – I’d probably use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt thinned with a little milk until it is the consistency of buttermilk.
I did the milk and vinegar trick and it turned out great! I’d love a sub for the mayo!
I LOVE your BBQ chicken salad and make it regularly. It is a happy day to wake up and see this option! Yum! I can’t wait to make it! PS- I’m glad your back, and I’m also glad you’ve been able to do so many great things! I’m excited to get the scoop on them all!