We love a recipe that feels like a little more than the sum of its parts, and this Chicken Cobb Salad is exactly that. It starts with a honey mustard marinade that makes the chicken so good you'll want to eat it straight off the grill, and then it only gets better from there.
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Crispy bacon, creamy avocado, hard boiled eggs, juicy tomatoes, salty kalamata olives, and a generous handful of blue cheese, all piled over romaine and mixed greens. Topped with our Dijon mustard vinaigrette to tie everything together. This is the kind of salad that actually fills you up and makes you genuinely excited about eating your greens. We've been making it on repeat all summer, and we think you will be too.
Notes from Lisa:
This recipe started as our honey mustard chicken skewers, a recipe we made for our kids that pulled double duty as both a marinade and a dipping sauce. We tweaked it over time, reducing the Greek yogurt, adding olive oil and a minced shallot for more depth, and repurposed it for this salad. Same great flavor, just a little more grown up.
It's one of our favorite recipe evolutions.
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Why I Love This Recipe
- The marinade does the heavy lifting. Honey, Dijon, Greek yogurt, shallot, and olive oil come together into a marinade that keeps the chicken incredibly juicy on the grill and gives it a slightly sweet, tangy flavor that plays beautifully against the salty bacon and blue cheese.
- Its a complete meal: Protein from the chicken, eggs, and bacon. Healthy fats from the avocado. Greens, vegetables, and a homemade dressing. This salad has it all and it keeps you full.
- The dressing was made for this salad. Our Dijon mustard vinaigrette echoes the flavors in the marinade, so every bite feels intentional and cohesive rather than like a random pile of toppings.
- It's great for entertaining. You can marinate the chicken, cook the bacon, and hard boil the eggs ahead of time. When it's time to eat, all you have to do is grill the chicken and assemble.
Ingredients + Substitutions
For the Honey Mustard Marinade
- Honey: No need to use expensive honey in this marinade, the grocery story honey "bear" does the job perfectly.
- Dijon mustard: Use grainy mustard if you can, otherwise plain Dijon works great, too.
- Greek yogurt: Use full fat, low fat or fat free Greek yogurt. But don't skip it, it makes the meat so tender and juicy.
- Shallot: Mince it so it equally distributed throughout the marinade.
- Olive oil: Use your favorite
- Chicken Breasts: We often make this with chicken breasts but chicken thighs work beautifully here, too.
For the Salad
- Romaine lettuce: A classic Cobb Salad ingredient, but any type of lettuce, mixed greens or green leaf are solid options.
- Avocado: Ripe but still a little firm so it is easy to dice.
- Hard boiled eggs: We love a jammy egg for this salad.
- Tomatoes: Grape, cherry or heirloom will add great color and flavor.
- Blue cheese: Our favorite. Not a fan of blue? Feel free to swap in feta or goat cheese in its place.
- Bacon: Center cut bacon that is a thicker cut is the best option for salads.
How to Make CHicken Cobb Salad
Make the Marinade.
Whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, minced shallot, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl or zip-top bag.
Marinate the chicken
Add the chicken breasts and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer it sits, the more flavor you'll get.
Grill the chicken
Remove the chicken from the marinade and let it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before grilling. Grill over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
assemble the salad
Start with a base of romaine lettuce. Arrange the avocado, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese, and over the top.
aDD the chicken
Top with the sliced chicken and drizzle generously with Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
Storage
If you have leftovers components of the salad, store them separately in airitght containers in the fridge. The grilled chicken keeps well for up to 4 days and is great for lunches throughout the week. Assembled salad is best eaten the same day.
Helpful Tips
- Don't rush the marinade. We know it's tempting to marinate for just an hour when you're in a hurry, but the sweet spot is really 4 to 24 hours. The Greek yogurt in the marinade acts as a tenderizer, so the longer it has to work, the juicier your chicken will be.
- Let the chicken rest before slicing. Five minutes of resting time lets the juices redistribute through the meat. Skip this step and you'll lose all of that flavorful moisture to your cutting board.
- Prep your toppings ahead of time. Hard boiled eggs and cooked bacon can be made up to three days in advance and stored in the fridge. This makes weeknight assembly incredibly fast.
- Dress the salad right before serving. The Dijon vinaigrette will wilt the greens if it sits too long. Dress it just before you're ready to eat, or serve the dressing on the side so everyone can add their own.
- Season every layer. A little pinch of flaky salt over the avocado and tomatoes goes a long way. Don't rely on the dressing alone to season the whole salad.
FAQ
Absolutely! Baking is a great option when the grill isn't available. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the marinated chicken breasts in a lightly greased baking dish and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. For a little color on top, broil for the last 2 to 3 minutes. Let it rest before slicing, just like you would with grilled chicken.
Yes, with a few caveats. You can prep all of the individual components ahead of time, but we recommend waiting to assemble until right before serving. Store everything separately in the fridge and assemble when you're ready.
You can, but we'd really encourage you to try our Dijon mustard vinaigrette. It echoes the flavors of the honey mustard marinade and pulls the whole salad together in a way that store-bought just can't replicate. It takes five minutes and one jar. We promise it's worth it.
More easy Summer Dinners
We love easy dinners for dining al fresco on a summer night.
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Recipe
Chicken Cobb Salad
Ingredients
Honey Mustard Marinade
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard, coarse ground
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
Chicken Cobb Salad
- 8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 4 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
- 2 avocados, diced
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
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Instructions
Honey Mustard Marinade:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, greek yogurt, and shallot until combined.¼ cup honey, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, , 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 1 shallot,
- Add the olive oil and whisk until fully combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper and place the chicken breasts in the bowl. Cover and marinate for 4 hours in the refrigerator (can do as little as 2 hours and up to 24 hours).⅓ cup olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, 4 (6-ounce) chicken breasts
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and preheat the grill to 400℉.
- Grill for 6-7 minutes a side or until temperature reads 165℉ Remove from grill and rest for 5 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute.
Cobb Salad :
- Place 2 cups of lettuce on 4 plates. Divide tomatoes, eggs, avocado, bacon and blue cheese among 4 plates.8 cups romaine lettuce,, 2 cups grape tomatoes,, 4 hard boiled eggs,, 2 avocados,, 8 slices bacon,, 1⅓ cup crumbled blue cheese
- Top with one sliced chicken breast and serve with your favorite dressing.
Notes
- Honey: No need to use expensive honey in this marinade, the "bear" does the job perfectly.
- Dijon mustard: Use grainy mustard if you can, otherwise plain Dijon works great too.
- Greek yogurt: Use full fat, low fat or fat free greek yogurt. But don't skip it, it makes the meat so tender and juicy.
- Shallot: Mince it so it equally distributed throughout the marinade.
- Chicken Breasts: chicken thighs work beautifully here and stay even juicier on the grill than breasts.
- Romaine lettuce : Romaine is a classic Cobb Salad ingredient, you can sub in any type of lettuce, mixed greens or green leaf are solid options.
- Avocado: Ripe but still a little firm so it is easy to dice.
- Hard boiled eggs: We love a jammy egg for this salad.
- Tomatoes: Grape, cherry or heirloom will add great color and flavor.
- Blue cheese: Not a fan of blue? Feel free to swap in feta or goat cheese in its place.
- Bacon: Center cut bacon that is a thicker cut is the best option for salads.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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