BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing
Yield: 6Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutesmins
Total Time: 20 minutesmins
Ingredients
Chicken and Salad:
3cupscooked shredded chicken
2cupsBBQ sauce (see note)
½headiceberg lettuce, cored and chopped
2romaine hearts, chopped
½red onion diced
¼cupchopped fresh cilantro
1 ½cupsfrozen corn, thawed
1 (15-ounce)canblack beans, rinsed and drained
4ouncessharp cheddar cheese, cubed small or shredded
4ouncesMonterey jack cheese, cubed small or shredded
Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing:
1cupmayonnaise, light or regular
⅓cupmilk
⅓cupbuttermilk (see note)
2tablespoonsfresh cilantro, finely chopped
1tablespoonlime juice
1teaspoonwhite vinegar
1teaspoongranulated sugar
1garlic clove, finely minced
½teaspoonsalt
⅛teaspooncayenne pepper
⅛teaspoonblack pepper
¼teaspoonground cumin
¼ to ½cupBBQ sauce
Instructions
For the salad, combine the cooked chicken and BBQ sauce in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a large bowl, toss together the iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, red onion, cilantro, corn, black beans and cheese. Toss the mixed salad with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the dressing, if desired. Otherwise, you can serve the dressing on the side. Place salad on plates and top with the prepared BBQ chicken and additional dressing.
For the dressing, combine all the ingredients together and whisk (or shake, if using a jar) vigorously to combine. You could also run this through a blender to make it even more smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
BBQ Sauce: here is my favorite homemade version. Buttermilk: here is a guide for making your own buttermilk. Chicken: this recipe calls for already cooked chicken so plan ahead! I like to cook my chicken in the crockpot, using frozen chicken breasts and about 1 cup of chicken broth for every 2 chicken breasts. I cook on low for about 4-5 hours and then shred and refrigerate (or freeze) for later.Make Ahead Instructions: all the components of this salad can be prepared up to a day in advance (the dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance). Store separately in the refrigerator and toss before serving.