A Squared: What's For Dinner Wednesday: BBQ Grilled Chicken Salad

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

What's For Dinner Wednesday: BBQ Grilled Chicken Salad

I never thought I'd say this about a recipe, but the one I'm sharing with you today was inspired by one of my favorite college bars. True story.


Actually, my favorite bar back in Syracuse was a fun Irish pub called Faegan's where the older college crowd hung out at night (because they actually checked for real ID's). During the day it was one of the few consistently good options for a sit down lunch or dinner near the university. You know, a place you could take mom and dad for a sandwich when they visited and not worry that they'd be concerned for your health or safety after dining there. Like most college bars.

My friends and I frequented Faegan's for drinks and for meals. It was our go to spot for a girls lunch and when we ate there, I always ordered the same thing: the BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad. I loved the combination of cool crisp veggies, creamy avocado, sweet and spicy barbecued chicken, and my favorite part: a BBQ vinaigrette dressing.


Today's recipe is my own homemade version of this salad, several years later. This is a really fun summer entree salad. It's also a great way to use up barbecued chicken on a weeknight that you might have leftover from a weekend BBQ. There are a ton of flavors and textures going on here and, of course, a homemade barbecue vinaigrette.

You can customize this salad however you want too-- add cheese (they used crumbled bleu at Faegan's), sub in barbecued pork or shrimp for chicken, or swap different veggies in and out. Thinly sliced radishes would be great here. Faegan's added diced red bell pepper and fresh corn to theirs which, had I had them on hand, I would have absolutely added as well. Just don't skip out on the dressing-- this really makes the salad special!


Ingredients:

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided *I used Lillie's Q Smoky BBQ Sauce
  • 3 corn tortillas
  • Cooking spray or olive oil spray 
  • 1 1/2 Tbs. plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbs. canola oil
  • 1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
  • 4 cups mixed greens
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
  • 1/4 cup sliced red onion
  • 3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced

Preheat grill to medium.

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place the chicken on the grill and sear on both sides. Brush 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce on both sides of the chicken breasts and grill until cooked through, about 8 minutes total on each side.

Remove from grill and allow the chicken to cool for about 10 minutes and then slice crosswise into 3/4-inch slices.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or olive oil.

Slice the tortillas in half and then cut each half into 1/2-inch wide strips. Arrange the strips in a single layer on the baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and spray with additional cooking spray or oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining barbecue sauce, yogurt, canola oil, and vinegar until fully combined.

Arrange mixed greens evenly on two large dinner plates. Top each with one sliced chicken breast and divide the avocado, carrot, onion, tomato, cucumber, and tortilla strips on top of each. Drizzle with dressing and serve.


Season chicken by lightly sprinkling it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium heat and place the meat on the grill. Use a pastry brush to brush each piece of chicken with some of the balsamic bbq sauce. The chicken will need to cook until it reaches 160 degrees which was about 8 minutes on each side. As the chicken is cooking, brush each side with sauce every few minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through, allow to rest for a few minutes before serving. Be sure to serve the remaining warm balsamic bbq sauce for dipping.

Recipe: http://centercutcook.com/balsamic-bbq-glazed-chicken/
Season chicken by lightly sprinkling it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat your grill or grill pan to medium heat and place the meat on the grill. Use a pastry brush to brush each piece of chicken with some of the balsamic bbq sauce. The chicken will need to cook until it reaches 160 degrees which was about 8 minutes on each side. As the chicken is cooking, brush each side with sauce every few minutes. Once the chicken is cooked through, allow to rest for a few minutes before serving. Be sure to serve the remaining warm balsamic bbq sauce for dipping.

Recipe: http://centercutcook.com/balsamic-bbq-glazed-chicken/
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5 comments:

  1. yum!! i want this for lunch. xo jillian - cornflake dreams 

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  3. Yumm! Love BBQ chicken salads! Thanks for sharing your recipe!

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