Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad

This Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad features crunchy chopped romaine, thick-cut bacon, perfectly hard-boiled eggs, juicy grape tomatoes, ripe avocados, roasted corn and the crispiest chicken cutlets.

It gets dressed with a zesty red wine vinaigrette and topped with chunks of blue cheese for the best combination of flavors and textures in every bite.

We love a Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad as a main dish or hearty summer lunch, but it also makes a great side or potluck dish and is also totally customizable.

Looking for more delicious summer meals? Check out my Greek Chicken Chopped Salad or Copycat Cava Bowls.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED for a crispy chicken cobb salad?

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT HARD-BOILED EGG

Place eggs in a large pot and add enough water to cover the eggs.
Bring to a boil over high heat then cover and remove from heat.
Let eggs sit off heat in covered pot for 10 minutes. Immediately drain and transfer eggs to a bowl with ice and water. Let eggs cool before peeling.

Tip: for a soft-boiled egg (with a runnier center) let sit for only 7 minutes. For a firmer hard-boiled egg let sit for 12 minutes.

HOW TO COOK BACON IN THE OVEN

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place bacon on top with room in-between each piece.
Bake for 16-20 minutes or until desired doneness (I usually do 18 minutes).
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess grease.

HOW TO MAKE A CRISPY CHICKEN COBB SALAD

For the vinaigrette:

Step 1 – Mix together all vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar with a lid (or bowl) and shake/mix until combined. Store in fridge until ready to use. You may need to shake up before each use.

For the crispy chicken:

Step 1 – Slice chicken breast into thin cutlets (butterfly cut) or use a mallet to pound until thin.

Step 2 – In a shallow dish, add flour. In a separate shallow dish, add eggs and whisk. In a third shallow dish, mix Italian breadcrumbs and panko.

Step 3 – Dredge chicken piece by piece in flour, egg, then breading, shaking off excess.

Step 4 – Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering it’s ready.

Step 5 – Cook chicken in batches, careful not to overcrowd the pan, for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and let rest on a wire rack to keep crispy. Sprinkle chicken with salt immediately after removing.

Step 6 – Chop into pieces before adding to salad. I used about 3 cutlets for the salad and stored my leftovers to eat later in the week.

For the salad:

Step 1 – Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place bacon on top with room in-between each piece. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until desired doneness (I usually do 18 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess grease. Chop into pieces.

Step 2 – Place eggs in a pot and add enough water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil over high heat then cover with a lid and remove from heat. Let eggs sit in covered pot off heat for 10 minutes. Immediately drain and transfer to a bowl with ice and water. Let eggs cool before peeling. Slice into rounds before adding to salad.

Step 3 – Grill or boil corn then remove kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.

Step 4 – Wash romaine and chop into pieces, halve tomatoes and slice avocado.

Step 5 – In a large bowl, add romaine lettuce. Group ingredients in separate sections (if desired for appearance) on top of the lettuce. Add tomatoes, sliced avocado, bacon bits, corn, sliced eggs, chopped chicken and crumbled blue cheese.

Step 6 – Before serving crispy chicken cobb salad, drizzle vinaigrette all over and toss together.

CRISPY CHICKEN COBB SALAD VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

This recipe includes all the standard ingredients for a classic crispy chicken Cobb salad.

However, there are many ways to adjust the salad to your liking. I’ve included some variation and substitution ideas below.

Dressing: use a creamy dressing like ranch, Caesar or blue cheese dressing. This crispy chicken cobb salad would also be delicious with honey mustard or another vinaigrette you like.
Protein: instead of breaded chicken use grilled, chicken, rotisserie chicken or swap the protein altogether for shrimp, steak or salmon.
Greens: use mixed greens, iceberg, spinach or watercress.
Vegetables: add cucumber, radish, carrot, red onion, bell pepper or whatever vegetable you like.

RECOMMENDED TOOLS

RECIPE FAQ’S

What’s the difference between Cobb salad and Chef’s salad?

A Cobb salad includes chopped romaine, avocado, bacon, egg and a red wine vinaigrette as its staples whereas a chef’s salad is a more generic salad including traditional salad veggies like onion, cucumber, carrots and has sliced deli meats such as ham typically.

Who invented the Cobb salad?

The co-owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, Robert Howard Cobb, created the Cobb salad one night in 1937 when he was hungry late one night and tossed together whatever leftovers he had in his fridge with french dressing and bacon. Thus, inventing the Cobb salad which became a signature menu item at his restaurant.

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Crispy Chicken Cobb Salad

Features crunchy chopped romaine, thick-cut bacon, perfectly hard-boiled eggs, juicy grape tomatoes, ripe avocados, roasted corn and the crispiest chicken then topped with a zesty homemade red wine vinaigrette and big chunks of blue cheese.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Total Time 1

Servings

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1.5 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon juiced
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

For the crispy chicken:

1/5-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast sliced into thin cutlets (butterfly cut)
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs whisked
1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs
2/3 cup panko
1.5 cups peanut oil

For the salad:

6 pieces cooked thick cut bacon broken into pieces
4 hard boiled eggs sliced
1 head romaine lettuce (about 6-8 cups) washed and chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes halved
1 avocado sliced
1-2 corn on the cob grilled and sliced off cob
3 oz blue cheese crumbled or cut into small chunks

Instructions

For the vinaigrette:

Mix together all vinaigrette ingredients in a mason jar with a lid (or bowl) and shake/mix until combined. Store in fridge until ready to use. You may need to shake up before each use.

For the crispy chicken:

Slice chicken breast into thin cutlets (butterfly cut) or use a mallet to pound until thin.
In a shallow dish, add flour. In a separate shallow dish, add eggs and whisk. In a third shallow dish, mix Italian breadcrumbs and panko.
Dredge chicken piece by piece in flour, egg, then breading, shaking off excess.
Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering it’s ready.
Cook chicken in batches, careful not to overcrowd the pan, for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and let rest on a wire rack to keep crispy. Sprinkle chicken with salt immediately after removing.
Chop into pieces before adding to salad. I used about 3 cutlets for the salad and stored my leftovers to eat later in the week.

For the salad:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place bacon on top with room in-between each piece. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until desired doneness (I usually do 18 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess grease. Chop into pieces.
Place eggs in a pot and add enough water to cover eggs. Bring to a boil over high heat then cover with a lid and remove from heat. Let eggs sit in covered pot off heat for 10 minutes. Immediately drain and transfer to a bowl with ice and water. Let eggs cool before peeling. Slice into rounds before adding to salad.
Grill or boil corn then remove kernels from the cob using a sharp knife.
Wash romaine and chop into pieces, halve tomatoes and slice avocado.
In a large bowl, add romaine lettuce. Group ingredients in separate sections (if desired for appearance) on top of the lettuce. Add tomatoes, sliced avocado, bacon bits, corn, sliced eggs, chopped chicken and crumbled blue cheese.
Before serving, drizzle vinaigrette all over and toss together.

Notes

Prepare in advance: chop veggies and store separately. Cook bacon and boil eggs in advance. Make the dressing 3-4 days in advance so when you’re ready to enjoy your salad, all that’s left is tossing everything together.
Crispy chicken leftovers: store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.
Leftover vinaigrette: store in the fridge for 5-6 days.

Sierra Georgitsis