Blackened Chicken Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing
When we were in Bend, Oregon, over Memorial Day weekend, I had a delicious salad at a local brewery that I couldn’t get out of my mind, so I decided to re-create it at home. This blackened chicken salad with chipotle ranch dressing recipe was fun to make, had great flavors and textures, and was delicious! We all loved and devoured it, although my son opted for plain ranch because he doesn’t care for spicy food.
Blackened Chicken Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Blackened Seasoning:
- ½ tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp celery salt
- Dash of cayenne
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, extra fat removed
Salad:
- 2 ears of corn grilled
- 3 cups of mixed greens
- 3 cups of romaine lettuce, chopped
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese, diced
- 1 avocado, diced
- A handful of grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup of black beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 baby orange bell peppers, diced
- ¼ cup of fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
- A handful of tortilla chips, crushed
- Chipotle ranch dressing, to taste – click recipe link
How to Make a Blackened Chicken Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Prepare the Chipotle Ranch Dressing at least 30 minutes before serving the salad so the flavors have time to mingle. Click the link for the recipe.
Make the backend seasoning by combining the paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, white pepper, thyme, oregano, celery salt, and cayenne in a dish and mix well.
Sprinkle evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts; set aside until needed.
Cook the corn by heating your grill pan over medium-high heat, then add the corn on the cob and cook for about 12-14 minutes, making sure to turn to evenly cook all sides.
Remove from the grill and let cool. Once cool, cut the kernels from the ears of corn with a knife; place them into a large bowl.
Cook the chicken by heating a grill pan coated in cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the HOT grill pan and grill for 7-8 minutes, then flip. Continue cooking for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
Remove from the grill pan and let the meat sit for 5 minutes to rest before slicing and serving. Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Make the salad by combining the mixed greens, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, avocado, tomatoes, grilled corn, black beans, green onions, bell pepper, cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips in a large bowl.
Add the diced chicken and drizzle with chipotle ranch dressing to taste.
Toss to coat evenly and serve. Enjoy.
Equipment
- Grill Pan
Ingredients
Blackened Seasoning:
- ½ tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp celery salt
- Dash of cayenne
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts extra fat removed
Salad:
- 2 ears of corn grilled
- 3 cups of mixed greens
- 3 cups of romaine lettuce chopped
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese diced
- 1 avocado diced
- A handful of grape tomatoes halved
- ½ cup of black beans drained & rinsed
- 2 green onions chopped
- 2 baby orange bell peppers diced
- ¼ cup of fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
- A handful of tortilla chips crushed
- Chipotle ranch dressing to taste - click recipe link up above
Instructions
- Prepare the Chipotle Ranch Dressing at least 30 minutes before serving the salad so the flavors have time to mingle. Click the link up above for the recipe.
- Make the backend seasoning by combining the paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, white pepper, thyme, oregano, celery salt, and cayenne in a dish and mix well.Â
- Sprinkle evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts; set aside until needed.
- Cook the corn by heating your grill pan over medium-high heat, then add the corn on the cob and cook for about 12-14 minutes, making sure to turn to evenly cook all sides.
- Remove from the grill and let cool. Once cool, cut the kernels from the ears of corn with a knife; place them into a large bowl.
- Cook the chicken by heating a grill pan coated in cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the HOT grill pan and grill for 7-8 minutes, then flip. Continue cooking for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
- Remove from the grill pan and let the meat sit for 5 minutes to rest before slicing and serving. Dice chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the salad by combining the mixed greens, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, avocado, tomatoes, grilled corn, black beans, green onions, bell pepper, cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips in a large bowl.
- Add the diced chicken and drizzle with chipotle ranch dressing to taste.
- Toss to coat evenly and serve. Enjoy.
I love this salad Pam!
The salad looks so inviting!
The salad looks delicious and the blackening seasoning is very similar to the one we use and enjoy – but haven’t for a while. We’ve not used blackened chicken for salad but I like the idea as well as your dressing.
I love this type of salad! Great combination of flavors.
Fabulous combination of flavours Pam!
Cheers,
Lia.
That salad looks amazing — love everything in it. Perfect for the Chipotle Ranch Dressing (also amazing). Great idea — thanks.
Pam- sometimes I wonder if we were separated at birth! 🙂 I love ( and have tried) every single recipe you post. This salad has my mouth watering right now! This will be dinner tomorrow night!
Pam, I love this salad. Perfect combination of textures and flavors.
Looks delicious and you are very talented being able to create this salad from remembering what it tasted like in the resaturant.
Where is the link? I must make this!
This is something I would definitely order in restaurant and then try to recreate at home, but now I don’t have to because you did it for me. Thank you! It will be on my dinner table soon, too. Our family has 3 spice lovers and 1 that would prefer the regular ranch, too. Thanks, again, for the recipe. Your pics are beautiful, as always.
Mmm, so many good things going on in this salad! I wish I had someone to make it for me though…i have such issues making salads with lots of ingredients. But I so want it now!
I know what you mean! In those cases, I normally make everything separate. A big bowl of greens and separate containers of other items. That way, I can throw them together for each meal and they don’t get ‘weird’ if you know what I mean! LOL!
It’s always great when you can replicate a meal you enjoyed elsewhere! Not only do you get to enjoy it again,you also have the memories of where you first had it.
Im totally in the mood for some chicken salad right now! Looks amazing!
My husband loved this salad-actually we both did, but he wants me to make it once a week. Thanks for a GREAT recipe!
What a fun salad! Each bite is full of so much delicious.
You show the corn still in the husks.. is that how you grill it, or do you take the husks off prior to grilling? I’m actually surprised I don’t know such a simple thing! LOL! I’m SOOOOO going to make this gorgeous salad! Thanks, Pam!
Kristine,
I husked the corn before cooking it in the grill pan. I hope this helps. Enjoy the salad – it’s so good!
Pam
I’ve been looking for a blacken chicken salad recipe and this one is great! I live in bend! So once I saw where it inspired you I had to make it too! What restaurant is this from?!
Kalyn,
I believe it was Cascade Lakes Brewery. I think that’s right. It was a delicious salad and the other food looked amazing too.
~Pam