Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad Recipe
This easy chicken bacon ranch salad recipe is beyond simple to make, featuring crisp lettuce, juicy chicken, crispy bacon, and creamy ranch dressing, this recipe is sure to hit with the entire family! Plus works great as a quick lunch or an easy weeknight dinner!
I don’t know about you but I love a good salad, especially during the summer months. There is just something about crisp fresh lettuce, topped with creamy homemade dressing and a variety of different toppings, that always seems to hit the spot!
And while some people in my family still don’t believe salad counts as a whole meal, I do, and this bacon chicken salad is one of my favorites! I threw this recipe together on a whim one day at work(perks of working at a restaurant.) and imminently fell in love with this easy recipe.
I mean, after all, it’s kind of hard to do wrong with chicken, bacon, cheese, and ranch dressing.
This salad takes less than 20 minutes to make, and can easily to added to any meal prep rotation! It can be served as an entree salad, or as a delicious side salad, with sandwiches, hamburgers, or pasta!
The whole family is sure to love this recipe, plus you can easily add any of your favorite salad toppings, and omit anything your family doesn’t care for. You can serve it with any salad dressing, or make your own! I love to top this salad with my homemade ranch dressing!
This salad is perfect for meal prep, make the salad and dressing at the start of the week and enjoy easy lunches or suppers all week long!
Even if you aren’t a big salad person, I still highly suggest giving this recipe a try, you might just be surprised by how much you like it!
Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad Recipe
makes 2 salads
Ingredients
- cooked chicken, I like to use crispy fried chicken strips, but you can use any type of chicken you like! Grilled or shredded chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, chicken thighs, chicken tenders, or any leftover chicken will all work well!
- Lettuce I like to use icebergs or romaine lettuce, but you can use any type of lettuce or leafy greens!
- cheddar cheese, shredded
- tomatoes, diced. I like to use beefsteak or Roma tomatoes, but grape tomatoes and cherry tomatoes will also work great!
- white onion, diced
- crispy bacon, crumbled
- ranch dressing
Other salad topping ideas
- green onions
- red onion
- bell pepper
- any of your favorite fresh veggies
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- lemon juice
- parmesan cheese
- white cheddar cheese
- fresh herbs
- fresh fruit, such as strawberries or cherries
- croutons
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- a homemade seasoning blend, such as everything bagel seasoning!
How to Make a Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
Cook your chicken, if needed, until it is completely cooked through.
Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces or slices, you can also sure shredded chicken if you like. And set aside.
Wash the lettuce, pat it dry with a paper towel, then chop it into bite-sized pieces.
If you are serving your salad as a side or taking it to a potluck or BBQ, you can assemble it in a large bowl. If you are serving it as a meal dish or you are using it for meal prep, I would recommend assembling each salad in a small bowl, so it is already in a single serving.
Fill each bowl with a generous amount of lettuce, add the diced tomato and onion, followed by the chopped chicken. Sprinkle on the shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.
Top with ranch dressing and serve!
Or wrap the salad tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge up you are ready to serve it!
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
If you are making this salad as part of your weekly meal prep, I would suggest making it in a glass container and keeping the dressing on the side, in a small container or a mason jar.
Any leftover salad can be stored in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days!
You can find my creamy homemade ranch dressing recipe HERE!
If you are looking for an easy way to make crispy fried chicken at home, feel free to check out THIS RECIPE where I share how I make juicy oven-fried chicken!
be sure to check out these salad and salad dressing recipes too!
Easy Seven-Layer Salad Recipe | With Homemade Dressing
4-ingredient All-purpose Salad Dressing
Easy Homemade Greek Salad Dressing
Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken (I like to use crispy fried chicken strips!) You can use any type of chicken you like! Grilled or shredded chicken breasts, rotisserie chicken, chicken thighs, chicken tenders, or any leftover chicken will all work well!
- 1 head Romain lettuce OR 1/2 head iceberg lecture
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 6 strips crispy bacon crumbled
- ranch dressing homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Cook your chicken, if needed, until it is completely cooked through.
- Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces or slices, you can also sure shredded chicken if you like. And set aside.
- Wash the lettuce, pat it dry with a paper towel, then chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- If you are serving your salad as a side or taking it to a potluck or BBQ, you can assemble it in a large bowl. If you are serving it as a meal dish or you are using it for meal prep, I would recommend assembling each salad in a small bowl, so it is already in a single serving.
- Fill each bowl(this recipe makes 2 single-serving salads) with a generous amount of lettuce, add the diced tomato and onion, followed by the chopped chicken. Sprinkle on the shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.
- Top with ranch dressing and serve!
- Or wrap the salad tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge up you are ready to serve it!
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
