This chicken cobb salad is one of my favorites, because it’s super easy to make for meal prepping and is hearty enough to be a full meal! I love to keep cobb salad ingredients on hand, that I make ahead of time, cooked and ready to make a salad for dinner or a quick lunch.
It’s literally just a pile of romaine lettuce with amazing ingredients on the top. Whichever way you make it, check out my easy instructions below.
You will also love my Chicken Caesar Salad (with homemade dressing), my simple arugula salad, or my basic garden salad too!
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below, but you can jump right to the recipe card if you wish!
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Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This is an easy recipe to make your own. Mix up the ingredients to suit what you have on hand.
- The flavors work perfectly together!
- This salad looks amazing and a lot fancier than it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of dressing goes best on a classic Cobb Salad?
I love a good ranch or blue cheese dressing, or avocado ranch. My creamy avocado cilantro dressing is great too! Typically though, a vinegar-based dressing is what is used.
What is the difference between cobb salad and chef’s salad?
Cobb salad is typically chicken, bacon, avocado, eggs, cheese and tomatoes. A Chef salad typically includes ham, bacon, cheddar cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and a romaine or iceberg lettuce base. Chef salads often include a variety of cold cuts.
How much dressing is needed?
You will need around 2 tablespoons of dressing per person.
I have included step-by-step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the full recipe card located at the bottom of the post.
Key Recipe Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts. Make use of leftover rotisserie chicken, bake chicken in the oven, or simply grab some chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper, and pan fry until golden brown and cooked through. Cool, then slice the chicken.
- Bacon. I use the thick-cut bacon, and cook until it is crispy. You can use bagged bacon bits if you prefer.
- Eggs. Grab a few eggs and boil them. Use my instant pot boiled eggs method and make it super easy!
- Salad: Lettuce (or any salad greens), tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, onions
- Cheese: Bleu Cheese crumbles. My favorite is creamy Danish blue cheese, but I also grab the pre-crumbled blue cheese (gorgonzola or roquefort cheese) at the store, too. If you don’t have or like blue cheese, try cubes of cheddar cheese instead.
How to make the BEST Chicken Cobb Salad
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This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Cook the chicken
If using already cooked chicken breasts, slice them or dice them into bite-sized pieces. If you are using raw chicken, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and pan fry in a little olive oil in a skillet until golden brown and cooked through. You can also grill the chicken, or poach it, or use leftover rotisserie chicken. Cool and slice.
Cook the bacon
Dice the bacon and cook until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Boil the eggs
This can be done easily in an instant pot, or on the stovetop.
For stovetop: Add the eggs to a large saucepan in a single layer, and cover with cold water, by about an inch.
Turn the stove to high and bring to a boil. When the water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 10 minutes (set a timer).
Remove immediately and place in a bowl filled with ice and water. Peel eggs and cool. Slice into rounds
Chop the salad ingredients
Wash, dry, and chop the lettuce into small pieces, halve the cherry (or grape) tomatoes, slice the cucumbers, dice the avocado into cubes and slice the onion.
Assemble the salad
On a large platter, pile on the chopped romaine. Place the chicken, bacon, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, sliced avocado, onion, and blue cheese crumbles over the top, in groups or rows.
Serve with small bowls of creamy dressing on the side. You can also use red wine vinaigrette to drizzle the dressing over the top.
More delicious salads:
Some of our favorite salad recipes:
- Southwest Chicken Salad (with Chipotle Ranch Dressing). Classic flavors made fabulous in this hearty Southwest Chicken Salad. With enough protein to make this a wonderful main dish vs a side, this is a salad you’ll make over and over!
- White Bean Salad. Served chilled or at room temperature, this Summery White Bean Salad is great to make ahead, or to grab and go! A short prep time means you can have it on the table fast!
- Crunchy Curried Chicken Salad. A brilliant make-ahead curried chicken salad balanced with tart apples, sweet raisins, and finished with cilantro, this is one you will make over and over!
- Grilled Vegetable Salad with Tarragon Dressing. A spectacular, smoky charcoal-grilled vegetable salad, bursting with flavor, this is an easy side that you can make ahead or make with the family!
- Watermelon Feta Salad. Featuring juicy watermelon, tangy feta cheese, and fresh mint makes the perfect dish for hot days! Experience the ultimate summer duo with this irresistible recipe.
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Chicken Cobb Salad
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (see notes)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 6 slices bacon
- 2 large eggs (boiled)
- 6 cups romaine lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)
- 1 cup English cucumbers
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup red onion (sliced thinly)
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
Dressing
- Use your favorite dressing (we love ranch, blue cheese or mustard vinaigrette.)
Directions
Cook the chicken
- If using already cooked chicken breasts, slice them. If you are using raw chicken, season 2 chicken breasts with salt and pepper, and pan fry in a little olive oil until golden brown and cooked through. Cool and slice.
Cook the bacon
- Dice 6 slices bacon and cook until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Boil the eggs
- This can be done easily in an instant pot, or on the stove top.
- For stovetop:
- Add 2 large eggs to a large saucepan in a single layer, and cover with cold water, by about an inch.
- Turn the stove onto high and bring to a boil. When the water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 10 minutes (set a timer).
- Remove immediately and place in a bowl filled with ice and water. Peel eggs and cool. Slice into rounds
Chop the salad veggies
- Wash, dry and chop the 6 cups romaine lettuce into small pieces, halve1 cup cherry tomatoes, slice the 1 cup English cucumbers, dice 1 avocado into cubes and slice½ cup red onion.
Assemble
- On a serving platter, pile on the chopped romaine.
- Arrange the chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, onion and½ cup blue cheese crumbles over the top, in groups.
- Serve with small bowls Use your favorite dressing.
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Notes
Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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