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This Chicken Cobb Salad makes a perfect summer meal, but it even has flavors that can take you right into the mild days of early fall! Packed with savory rotisserie chicken, sharp cheddar cheese, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, and more, it’s finished with crumbled bacon and a dreamy maple dijon dressing. It’s so fresh, delicious, and completely satisfying!
Why This Is The Best Chicken Cobb Salad Recipe
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: No-cook
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
This filling chicken Cobb salad is, in my opinion, the best and ultimate Cobb salad! It’s loaded with all the good stuff you expect to find, like tender shredded chicken, perfectly hard-boiled eggs, and chunks of ripe avocado. Only this hearty salad has my personal twist inspired by summers growing up in New Jersey and vacations in Vermont.
That means I added summery produce like corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers. And it has a little New England inspiration, using sharp Vermont cheddar instead of the usual blue cheese (perfect for those who aren’t blue cheese fans or may be concerned that some are not gluten free), and a dreamy maple-infused dressing. You’ll be hoping you made a big enough salad to enjoy seconds. Here’s why:
- Easy. Salads are one of my go-to summer meals because they’re so easy to whip together on busy days. This chicken Cobb salad is a perfect example of how you don’t need much time to create a filling dinner. You can even get help from the grocery store with pre-cooked chicken and eggs.
- Versatile. Serve Cobb salad for dinner with a side of bread or soup, or enjoy it for a light yet satisfying lunch.
- So flavorful. As you’ll see in the ingredients list, my Cobb salad recipe isn’t short on flavor! You’ll find all the good stuff here: sweet corn kernels, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado – need I go on?
- Diet-friendly. This salad is naturally gluten free, you can skip or swap the cheese to make it dairy free, eliminate the corn if you need to keep it low carb, leave off the eggs if you have an allergy, and it also doesn’t have any nuts.
What You’ll Need
See an overview of the ingredients in this Cobb salad recipe below. Check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Romaine: Use hearts of Romaine as the base of this salad and chop them finely.
- Tomatoes: I like cherry or grape tomatoes, or use seasonal heirloom tomatoes.
- Cucumber: You can use any type of cucumber, although English seedless cucumbers are especially nice.
- Corn: Save a little Air Fryer Corn on the Cob the next time you make it to tuck into this salad! Though raw corn gives a nice pop if you get it fresh and in season, or you can even use thawed frozen corn.
- Avocado: Make sure to use a ripe avocado. You’ll know an avocado is ripe when it feels slightly soft but not mushy when lightly pressed.
- Chicken: My Air Fryer Rotisserie Chicken is perfect to add to this salad!
- Bacon: Crumbled bacon adds a wonderful salty flavor. Learn how to cook bacon.
- Cheddar Cheese: I love to use white, sharp cheddar cheese.
- Hard Boiled Eggs: Refer to this post to make perfect hard boiled eggs for this Cobb salad.
- Dressing: My Maple Dijon Salad Dressing is the best on this chicken Cobb salad! You can also use your favorite dressing.
Salad Variations
This ultimate Cobb salad has everything you want and expect from a classic Cobb salad, with so much more!
- Try turkey. Swap the shredded chicken for turkey in this salad. If you have leftover Herb Roast Turkey, this is a great way to use it up.
- Add fruit. Get inspired by my Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe, which is a takeoff of a traditional Cobb salad, and add fruit to your classic Cobb salad. You could try sliced strawberries, as in that recipe, or branch out and throw in a handful of fresh blackberries or blueberries. Or as fall approaches, try apples or pears.
- More vegetables. I love preparing a classic Cobb salad, and I also love to branch out a little bit! You can throw some more vegetables into this salad if you wish. Some options include sliced mushrooms, bell peppers, and different types of tomatoes (tip: use sliced heirloom tomatoes when they’re in season!).
- Nuts. For a bit of crunch, you can add sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or for a little sweetness, honey glazed walnuts.
- Try a different dressing. You can finish the salad with any dressing you like! Some other homemade dressings I like to add include my Honey Lemon Lime Dressing, Creamy Balsamic Greek Yogurt Dressing, or Warm Maple Bacon Dressing. Spice things up with a drizzle of Jalapeno Ranch Dressing.
How To Store Leftovers
Cobb salad is best eaten fresh on the day it’s made. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Make It A Meal
A Cobb salad makes an excellent main dish, especially when it’s packed with protein like in my recipe. Nice sides might include a loaf of fresh-baked bread or fruit. Here are a few more ideas:
- Homemade bread. I love to bake gluten free bread to serve with a hearty salad! You can make a loaf of Gluten Free Sandwich Bread and serve slices with a bowl of salted softened butter. Or, try some of my other gluten free bread recipes like Gluten Free Garlic Breadsticks, Gluten Free Focaccia, or Gluten Free Pita Bread to go with chicken Cobb salad.
- Alongside a sandwich. Put something between those slices of bread and serve your salad with an Air Fryer Grilled Cheese or some Ham and Cheese Sliders.
- Soup and salad. A Cobb salad is lovely paired with a bowl of vegetable soup like my Cream of Potato Soup, Tomato Basil Soup, or Butternut Squash Soup.
More Salad Recipes To Try
Ultimate Chicken Cobb Salad
Ingredients
- 2-3 hearts of Romaine, chopped
- 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 cup halved and sliced cucumber (about one cucumber)
- ½ cup corn kernels (you can use kernels cut from leftover corn on the cob, frozen, thawed corn, or drained canned ocrn)
- ½ avocado, thinly sliced
- 2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken or turkey
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
- 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
- Maple Dijon Salad Dressing, or your favorite dressing
Instructions
- Fill a large salad bowl or individual serving bowls with chopped Romaine.
- Top with the tomatoes, cucumber, corn, avocado slices, chicken or turkey, bacon, shredded cheese, and eggs.
- Drizzle with Creamy Greek Yogurt Maple Dijon Salad Dressing.
Did you make this?
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YAY for Jersey vegetables!!
Mmm, loving my corn and tomatoes!
We’re so glad you and your family had such a good time visiting beautiful Vermont and the Couture’s Missisquois Valley Farm. You did yourself and all of us proud with that gorgeous Cobb Salad, which is my absolute favorite. I love the idea of using seasonal, local ingredients. So glad sweet corn and tomatoes are still in season here in Northern New England. I’m making this tonight!
I have to thank you again Candace! Not only was our visit fun, but it also brought us out on a gorgeous drive to an area of the state we might not have otherwise gone to. It was amazing!