This copycat Panera chicken BBQ 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! Ready in just 10 minutes from start to finish!
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Why You'll Love Chicken BBQ Salad Recipe:
My family and I are unapologetic frequent flyers 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! Panera's BBQ Chicken Salad in particular always seems to come and go — and that's my husband's favorite.
So I recreated it, and that was definitely a good decision — it's now a 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, and 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, plus a drizzle of our favorite BBQ sauce or some BBQ Ranch dressing.
This Panera barbecue chicken salad copycat 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! Here are a few other reasons why we love it so much in my house:
- Full of fresh, bright flavors
- Enjoy it for lunch or dinner
- The barbecue chicken complements the fresh veggies perfectly
- Made with wholesome ingredients
- So quick and easy to make
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Chicken- I love to use leftovers to make my version of BBQ chicken salad from Panera. I encourage you to use a neutral-flavored chicken, like grilled 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. I keep mine simple with frozen corn, bell pepper, red onion and black beans roasted with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Tomatoes- You can use whatever you have on hand. I like Roma or beefsteak!
- French Fried Onions- Don't skip these — they add excellent flavor and crunch!
- Green Onion- Just a bit to sprinkle on top- chives also work great!
- Dressing- I left this pretty open in terms of dressing — I personally mix equal parts BBQ sauce and ranch dressing and it is incredibly delicious- the perfect bbq ranch salad dressing!
How To Make This BBQ Chicken Salad Recipe From Panera
Step 1- Start the roasted corn salsa.
Place all of the salsa ingredients on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 2- Make the dressing.
In a small bowl, add the BBQ sauce and ranch dressing and mix to combine. Toss the salad with the dressing to lightly coat.
Step 3- Dress lettuce.
Add the lettuce, tomatoes, and cooled salsa ingredients to a bowl and toss to combine.
Step 4- Assemble your BBQ chicken salad like Panera.
Top the lettuce with the corn salsa, chicken, French fried onions, green onion, tomatoes and a drizzle of extra BBQ sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! But I’d encourage you to keep the dressing and French fried onions on the side until serving for optimal freshness.
Sure! I like it grilled, but you can also grab a rotisserie chicken for convenience.
You can use your favorite! Choose a BBQ sauce that you enjoy, whether it's sweet, smoky, or something in between. You could even use a premade BBQ ranch dressing to save time if you'd like.
If you don't have time to whip up some roasted corn salsa, you can use a store-bought option. There are tons out there — choose one that complements the BBQ flavor, like a black bean and corn salsa, or a fire-roasted tomato variation!
Tips For Making BBQ Chicken Salad
- Use those leftovers up- if you’re looking to repurpose chicken leftovers, this recipe is the way to go!.
- If you don't have any leftovers to use and need to make your chicken from scratch, consider marinating it in BBQ sauce for even more flavor.
- Although I don’t remember what the specific 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. It always comes out so good!
- Be sure to add the dressing and the French fried onions at the last minute so you don’t end up with a soggy salad.
- Add another layer of texture and top your salad with tortilla strips or chopped nuts.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- To get ahead, chop the lettuce, cook and chop the chicken, make the roasted corn salsa, wash the tomatoes and scallions, and mix the dressing. All that will be left to do is assemble!
- Leftovers and storage- This will stay fresh without dressing for 4-5 days covered in the refrigerator.
What Goes With BBQ Chicken Salad
I enjoy this salad on its own for lunch or for a light dinner! But, if you want something more substantial, here are a few great recipes to round out and complete this meal:
- 2 Ingredient Applesauce
- Savory Butternut Squash Soup
- Everything Pita Chips
- Detox Lentil Soup
- Copycat Panera Bread Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich
Other Delicious Salad Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Copycat Panera Chicken BBQ Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups Lettuce, Chopped
- 2 Tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced (or any leftover chicken)
- ¼ cup BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup French fried onions
- 2 scallions, chopped
BBQ Ranch Dressing
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- ¼ cup 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 cool.
- In a small bowl whisk together ranch dressing and BBQ sauce until well combined.
- Toss the lettuce with BBQ ranch dressing to lightly coat. Place into serving dishes.
- Top with chicken, corn salsa, tomatoes, french fried onions, scallions and a drizzle of BBQ sauce and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Use those leftovers up- if you’re looking to repurpose chicken leftovers, this recipe is the way to go!.
- If you don't have any leftovers to use and need to make your chicken from scratch, consider marinating it in BBQ sauce for even more flavor.
- Although I don’t remember what the specific 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. It always comes out so good!
- Be sure to add the dressing and the French fried onions at the last minute so you don’t end up with a soggy salad.
- Add another layer of texture and top your salad with tortilla strips or chopped nuts.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- To get ahead, chop the lettuce, cook and chop the chicken, make the roasted corn salsa, wash the tomatoes and scallions, and mix the dressing. All that will be left to do is assemble!
- Leftovers and storage- This will stay fresh without dressing for 4-5 days covered in the refrigerator.
Valerie says
Jessy says