• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Life Jolie logo
  • Thanksgiving Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work with me!
    • Video Production
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Thanksgiving Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Work with me!
    • Video Production
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    The Life Jolie » Main/Entree » Copycat Panera Bread BBQ Chicken Salad

    Copycat Panera Bread BBQ Chicken Salad

    Published: May 10, 2021 · Modified: Aug 31, 2022 by Jessy Freimann · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Copycat Panera Bread BBQ Chicken Salad recipe is a delicious lunch or dinner. It's as healthy as it is tasty and so quick and easy that it practically begs you to make it for a simple weeknight dinner!

    Try some other refreshing salads: Summer Bounty Strawberry Salad, Rainbow Asian Chicken Salad and 7 Layer Taco Salad.

    A close up image of bbq ranch dressing bring poured on a green salad with chicken, corn, black beans and tomatoes in a white bowl.

    Panera BBQ Chicken Salad

    This post contains Affiliate Links. Please see the disclaimer here.

    My family and I are unapologetic frequent fliers at Panera Bread. I am not the least bit sorry about it- I love Panera Salads! But my one complaint is that they change up their menu pretty frequently and always seem to get rid of my favorite items! Their BBQ Chicken Salad always seems to come and go- and hat's my husband's favorite. 

    So I recreated it and that was definitely a good decision- it's now mainstay in our rotation. And what’s not to like? Crisp green lettuce and grilled BBQ chicken anchor this salad. My Roasted Corn Salsa adds some additional veggie goodness, tomatoes (my own personal addition) bring the sweet and tasty acidity that only a tomato can. Top it off with some french fried onions for crunch and a drizzle of our favorite BBQ sauce and of course some BBQ Ranch dressing.

    This salad is a refreshing bowl of happiness. But it's also hearty enough to be a satisfying meal. Even better, you can prep everything ahead and throw it together at the last minute. So it pretty much has weeknight dinner written all over it!

    A close up image of sliced grilled chicken in the bowl of BBQ chicken salad drizzled with BBQ sauce and BBQ ranch dressing.

    Tips for how to make copycat BBQ Chicken Salad recipe

    • This is a great option if you’re looking to repurpose chicken leftovers.
    • Although I don’t remember what the Panera salad dressing was for this salad, we love to make our own BBQ Ranch dressing with equal parts of our favorite BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing.
    • Be sure to add the dressing and then the french fried onions at the last minute so you don’t end up with a soggy dressing.

    Ingredient information that's helpful to know:

    • Chicken: as I mentioned above I love to use leftovers for this. I encourage you to use a neutral-flavored chicken, like grilled chicken or shredded chicken.
    • Salad greens: you can use whatever salad green you prefer, I like romaine or leaf lettuce.
    • Roasted corn salsa: you can find the full corn salsa recipe here. You can also substitute pre-made corn salsa if you prefer.
    • French fried onions: don't skip these- they add excellent flavor and texture!
    • Dressing: I left this pretty open in terms of dressing- the big thing is a mix of equal parts BBQ Sauce and Ranch dressing.

    An overhead image of Panera bbq chicken salad in a white bowl with a blue and white stripe napkin next to it.

    Can I make this ahead?

    Yes! But I’d encourage you to pack the dressing and french fried onions on the side for optimal freshness.

    Can I cook the chicken just before serving?

    Sure! I like it grilled, but you can also grab a rotisserie chicken for convenience

    What should I serve with this?

    A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal are:

    • 2 Ingredient Applesauce
    • Savory Butternut Squash Soup
    • Everything Pita Chips
    • Detox Lentil Soup
    • Copycat Panera Bread Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich

    Storage and leftovers:

    This will stay fresh without dressing for 4-5 days covered in the refrigerator.

    Ingredients you can prep ahead:

    • Chop lettuce
    • Cook and chop. chicken
    • Make Roasted Corn Salsa
    • Wash tomatoes
    • Wash chives
    • Mix dressing

    A side angle shot with a man's hands holding a bowl of green salad with BBQ chicken and vegetables on it with a fork sticking out of it.

    Helpful tools:

    1. Mixing bowl
    2. Chef's knife
    3. Cutting board
    4. Measuring cups
    5. Measuring spoons

    If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make it please tag me on Instagram with @thelifejolie so I can share it <3

    You can find a full index of my recipes here.

    Don’t forget to follow The Life Jolie on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration!

    Or if Pinterest isn’t your style, bookmark this post!

    Let’s keep the conversation going- join my Facebook group!

    A square image of a close up image of bbq ranch dressing bring poured on a green salad with chicken, corn, black beans and tomatoes in a white bowl.

    Copycat Panera Bread BBQ Chicken Salad

    Jessy Freimann
    This Copycat Panera Bread BBQ Chicken Salad recipe is a delicious lunch or dinner. It's as healthy as it is tasty and so quick and easy that it practically begs you to make it for a simple weeknight dinner!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • Lettuce, Chopped
    • Tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
    • Roasted corn salsa
    • Grilled BBQ Chicken breast, sliced (or any leftover chicken)
    • BBQ Sauce
    • French fried onions
    • Chives, chopped

    BBQ Ranch Dressing

    • 1 part ranch dressing
    • 1 part BBQ sauce

    Roasted Corn Salsa

    • 1 cup red onion diced
    • 2 cups frozen corn
    • 1 cup red bell pepper diced
    • 1 14.5 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    Instructions
     

    • Roast all corn salsa ingredients on a lined sheet pan for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and set aside to cook
    • Toss the lettuce, tomatoes, corn salsa in a bowl to combine. Set aside.
    • In a small bowl whisk together ranch dressing and BBQ sauce until well combined.
    • Toss salad with BBQ ranch dressing to lightly coat. 
    • Top with chicken, french fried onions, chives and a drizzle of BBQ sauce and serve immediately.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Sheet Pan Beef and Broccoli Recipe
    Frito Pie Taco Bake »
    9095 shares
    • Share
    • Flipboard
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Valerie says

      September 28, 2016 at 5:27 pm

      Exactly what I've been craving! I've been having a hankering for a salad for the past couple of days
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        September 29, 2016 at 8:30 am

        Me too, Valerie! I hope you enjoy it :)
        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Jessy in a kitchen holding a white casserole pan and smiling.
    Hi, I'm Jessy!

    Welcome to The Life Jolie! I share simple, delicious recipes and ingredient prep tips to make your weeknight cooking a breeze!

    More about me →

    Fall Recipes

    • A slice of coconut cake on a place with the full cake behind it.
      Easy Coconut Cake Recipe
    • A spoon holding a scoop of potato ham soup.
      Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
    • A bowl of chicken and egg noodles soup with sliced bread and another bowl behind it.
      Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
    • A square image of the Toll House Cookie Recipe
      Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Say goodbye to dry and tough pork chops: these Smothered Crock Pot Pork Chops are the ultimate fall-apart tender comfort food. With just 4 ingredients, this easy dinner will be your new go-to dump dinner!
      Fall Apart Slow Cooker Pork Chops
    • An overhead image of sliced turkey on a platter surrounded by fresh herbs in the middle of a Thanksgiving table.
      Roasted Spatchcock Glazed Turkey with Bourbon

    Popular Recipes

    • A square image of how to melt chocolate chips in the microwave showing the chocolate once it's melted.
      How to Melt Chocolate Chips in the Kitchen
    • Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats are the healthy weeknight meal you'll want to make again and again. This is a seriously easy recipe that's full of delicious flavor without all the guilt!
      Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
    • Shrimp Macaroni Salad
      Very Best Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe
    • A square image of a white pot pouring cheese sauce over a bowl of broccoli with a blue towel behind it.
      Cheese Sauce for Broccoli Recipe
    • Do you love the Cheesecake Factory's Thai Lettuce Wraps! Well then why not make them at home? They're easy to make and totally delicious!
      Reader Request: Copycat Cheesecake Factory Thai Lettuce Wraps
    • A square image of Greek Yogurt Roasted Chicken Thighs.
      Greek Yogurt Roasted Chicken Thighs Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy + Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Video Production

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright 2014-2021 - Jolie Ventures, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy.