To Die For BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

This has got to be my favorite recipe to date! I don’t know if its because it was our first spring salad of the year, combined with cooking on the new grill in our new house- or just the salad in general… I think it was a 50/50 mixture of both! Actually, I think I would have still been 100% happy and content eating this salad under a dirty overpass.. it’s THAT good! lol! Jack went back for THIRDS…….. annnnnnd so did I. Lol!

After posting the preview videos on Instagram, I got a lot of questions from people concerned about the grill part- I think all the items that are cooked on the grill can easily be cooked in a skillet or in the oven! We just love the extra flavor of the grill! If you have a grill & don’t mind using it, I would 100% recommend it! It adds SO much flavor!

So, like I said above- Jake and I both went back for more.. so this recipe makes enough for about 3-4 people, depending on who you are feeding! I like it served rolls, which helps make it a little more filling!

Chicken Marinate (I start this the night before or morning of):

• 6-8 chicken thighs (breast are the healthier option, but I like thighs more)
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• 1 ranch packet- leave about a tablespoon to the side for the dressing!
• 2 garlic cloves OR I do a spoonful(roughly a small tablespoon) of pre-minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons of dried chopped onions (in the spice isle)
• Salt & pepper to taste

 Dressing For Salad: 

• 1/4 cup of buttermilk Hidden Valley Ranch
• 1/4 cup of your fav BBQ sauce
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• Tablespoon of ranch powder

Veggie Prep: ( click here for an almost exact replica/size of my cutting board)

• Chop up 2-3 sections of Romaine Hearts (more if you are serving more people)
• Dice up 1/2 a cup of cherry tomatoes
• SLICE one red onion- Thick slices that will sit on a grill surface
• Two Zucchini- diced
• Two Summer Squash- diced
• 1/3 cup of green onion- chopped up
• 2 corn on the cob (soak corn in water if cooking on the grill- or corn husk will catch on fire)
• Open 1 can of black beans and drain juice

Grill Time:

• Place chicken on the grill and cook until outside is crispy and inside is fully cooked
• Place red onion slices on grill surface and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned & soft to touch (if you have a top rack, place there. If not, place then furthest away from the fire)
• Remove corn from water and place on grill surface and cook for 10-15 minutes (keep them furthest away from the fire or on top rack)
• Place a foil sheet on the surface of the grill (top rack preferred)- and lay zucchini & squash on the foil. Leave on for 10-15 minutes

Throwing the Salad Together:

        Remove all items from the grill and begin removing the husk from the corn and cutting the corn from the cob as  well as dicing up the chicken. When both of those steps are complete, put the lettuce in the bottom of the serving bowl and follow it by placing the remaining veggies on top. The, place diced chicken on top and lightly pour dressing over the top of the salad! Now, it’s ready when you are! ENJOY!!