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Cooked tender chicken, crispy turkey bacon, Jack cheese and cheddar cheese tossed with chopped Romaine lettuce makes a tasty Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad recipe that you can enjoy for lunch or dinner. The ingredients for this fresh and flavorful meal salad are all tossed together with our homemade ranch dressing which is always a crowd favorite.  

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad in a bowl with two forks.

You’re going to love how easy it is to toss this salad together. It’s one of those salads that everyone loves and it is a perfect salad to make during the warm summer months when you don’t feel like spending much time in the kitchen.

Clear glass bowls filled with chopped lettuce, grated cheese, cherry tomatoes, red onion and croutons.

When we make this bacon cheddar ranch chicken salad, we always start off by blending the ingredients for the dressing together. We add fresh garlic, green onion and Parmesan cheese to our ranch dressing, which makes it extra flavorful and completely addictive! 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Chopped Salad Recipe Ingredients

  • Romaine Lettuce. We use Romaine lettuce tossed with grated carrot and shredded purple cabbage. You could use spring mix if you like.
  • Chicken.  We use pan-seared chicken, but you could use store bought rotisserie chicken if you’re short on time.
  • Turkey Bacon. We like to use uncured turkey bacon rather than pork bacon. If you fry turkey bacon in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, it’ll get nice and crispy like pork bacon.
  • Cheese. We add cheddar and Jack cheese to this salad. 
  • Tomatoes. We use cherry tomatoes for this salad, but you can use Roma tomatoes cut into wedges if you like.
  • Red Onion. We add just a little red onion for a pop of flavor. To mellow the onion flavor, just soak the slices of onion in a small bowl filled with water for about 20 minutes. Be sure to pat the onion sliced dry before adding them to the salad.
  • Avocado.  Avocado adds a delicious buttery texture and delicious flavor to this salad.
  • Croutons.  Add our homemade croutons if you want an extra crunchy and flavorful salad.
  • Ranch Dressing. We use our Homemade Ranch Dressing for this salad

Find printable recipe with the measurements below.

Bacon Chicken Ranch Salad in a bowl.

Variations

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Salad in a bowl.

How To Make Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

  1. Make Dressing. Add the ingredients to a wide mouth mason jar and use an immersion blender (stick blender) to blend the ingredients, or add everything to a blender and blend for a few seconds until smooth. You can also add everything to a bowl and whisk them together.
  2. Cook Chicken. We cook the chicken on the stovetop in a skillet.
  3. Fry Turkey Bacon. Cook the turkey bacon in a little olive oil until its crispy and can be crumbled into the salad.
  4. Assemble Salad. Add the chopped lettuce, chicken, crumbled bacon, cheese, tomatoes and onion to a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle the cheeses over the top and toss again. Add the avocado to the salad after it has been tossed with dressing.
  5. Season. Season with salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Chopped Salad in a bowl.

Tips For Making This Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

  • When making this Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad, we always start off by making the dressing first so it can chill in the refrigerator while we prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • Make sure to cook the turkey bacon until it’s on the crispy side.
  • Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, the salad may last for 2-3 days if it has not been tossed with dressing.  If it has been tossed with dressing, it will only be appetizing for about 1 day (maybe). 
  • Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, it should last up to 5 days. Give in a good stir before using leftovers.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad in a bowl.

Why We Love This Salad

  • Fresh and Flavorful. We love salads, and this Chopped Chicken Bacon Ranch salad is one of our favorites.
  • Quick and Easy. This salad is quick and easy to make.
  • Meal Salad. This is an easy meal salad to pull together for lunch or a light weeknight dinner. Serve it with warm crusty bread or Garlic Bread and Fruit Infused Iced Green Tea, Blueberry Lemonade or Arnold Palmer Drink (Sweet Tea).

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad tossed in a bowl.

More Salad Recipes

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad in a bowl.
Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Cooked tender chicken, crispy turkey bacon, and cheese tossed with Romaine lettuce makes a tasty Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad recipe that you can enjoy for lunch or a quick weeknight dinner. The ingredients for this fresh and flavorful meal salad are all tossed together with our homemade ranch dressing which is always a crowd favorite.  

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 strips of turkey bacon, chopped and cooked
  • 2 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), pan seared
  • 4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped (about 2 heads)
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 2 Haas avocados, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup Sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup red onion, sliced

For the Ranch Dressing

  • 1 cup good mayonnaise (Like Best Foods or Hellmans)
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk (add more for desired consistency)
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
  • 1-inch piece of green onion, green and light green parts (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

For The Ranch Dressing

  1. Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy, You can also add the ingredients to a wide-mouth mason jar and use a stick blender (Immersion blender) to blend the ingredients. Or imply add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk together using a wire whisk or fork.
  2. Refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving so the dressing is nice and chilled and the flavors have a chance to blend together.
  3. Store the dressing in a mason jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, the dressing should last up to 5 days.

For The Turkey Bacon

  1. Heat 3-4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and add 4 slices to the pan at a time.
  2. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side, turning once or twice until browned on both sides and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
  3. As the bacon cools, it will become more crispy so you'll be able to crumble the pieces into the salad.

For The Pan-Seared Chicken

  1. Use a cast iron skillet (if possible) or a stove-top grill pan.
  2. Pound chicken breast between parchment paper to about 1-inch thick.
  3. Season chicken with onion powder and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Add the chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side until no longer pink on the inside.
  6. Let rest 5-10 minutes then chop into bite-size pieces.

Assemble Salad

  1. Add the chopped Romaine lettuce, grated carrot and shaved cabbage to a bowl and toss.
  2. Add the chopped chicken, crumbled bacon, cheese, tomatoes and red onion and toss. Add the sliced (or chopped) avocado to the saladon top of the lettuce and toss.
  3. Drizzle dressing over the top of the salad and gently toss again. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.
  4. Add the sliced (or chopped) avocado to the salad and serve.

Notes

Variations

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1234Total Fat: 104gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 68gCholesterol: 193mgSodium: 1576mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 10gSugar: 10gProtein: 52g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.

© Deborah Duncan
Cuisine: American / Category: Salads