Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad
This buffalo chicken Cobb salad is filled with bacon, charred corn, avocado, blue cheese, and a tangy buttermilk yogurt dressing. It’s fresh, super flavorful, and makes for a light summery dinner for both weeknights and get-togethers!
Cobb salad has major ‘ladies who lunch’ vibes and I’m not mad about it. On one hand, it makes me think of the ‘dreaded Cobb salad ritual’ scene from Julie & Julia but on the other hand it makes me feel like a coastal grandmother. And tbh, I’ve always been a salad person (boo, I know) but there’s something in particular about a salad that’s 90% bacon, blue cheese, hard boiled eggs, and avocado that makes this classic feel way more decadent. Let’s be real, there’s nary a veggie in site.
This summer, 80% out of boredom and 20% because I need to switch up my weeknight dinner game, I’ve been experimenting with different versions of the classic Cobb. There was the BBQ chicken phase (amazing with ranch!), the fancy version with arugula, lots of fresh herbs, and green goddess dressing (good but almost so fancy that it barely resembled a Cobb), and the lazy version (who needs to cook chicken when you can chop up cold cuts?).
However, there was a clear winner and that, my friends, was the buffalo chicken Cobb salad. A bit spicy, rich, sweet, savory, salty, and every other description you can think of. It is the best. Let’s chat.
A bit about this buffalo chicken Cobb salad!
First, let’s chat about a typical Cobb. If you’re wondering what it’s all about, it’s basically just a classic American salad with greens, tomatoes, bacon, fried chicken, hard boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese, and red wine vinaigrette. There’s some general confusion on where it was created, but most likely, it was first served at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. This is my favorite theory because the whole dish is very “California”-esque! Which probably is why you can find it on basically every menu on the west coast.
In this recipe, I’m replacing the fried chicken with grilled, saucy buffalo chicken. It adds a nice, vinegary, spicy punch which I love. Instead of red wine vinaigrette, this recipe features creamy buttermilk yogurt dressing to offset the heat in the buffalo sauce. We’re also adding grilled corn, just cause it’s delicious! If you’re a fan of buffalo sauce, trust me, you’ll want to try this.
The ingredient list
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this salad and the buttermilk yogurt dressing!
Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad
- Chicken – I usually grab breasts or boneless, skinless thighs.
- Bacon – go for something thick-cut!
- Hard boiled eggs – 8 minutes is my preference for jammy, but set, yolks but you can cook them 10-12 minutes for a firmer yolk or 6 minutes for a runnier yolk.
- Greens – romaine, butter lettuce, or anything you like!
- Corn – we’re throwing it on the grill with the chicken!
- Blue cheese – freshly crumbled for the best flavor and texture. The pre-crumbled stuff is pretty dry which is a bummer.
- Tomatoes – cherry, heirloom, Roma, beefsteak, whatever you like.
- Avocado – look for something ripe but firm so it doesn’t clump up in the salad.
- Buffalo sauce – I always go with classic Frank’s, but anything goes.
Buttermilk Yogurt Dressing
- Greek yogurt – just regular, plain Greek yogurt.
- Buttermilk – store-bought, or you can make your own by combining 1/2 cup of whole milk with 1/2 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Then, just let it sit for a couple of minutes.
- Spices – onion powder, garlic powder, fresh chives, Kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Dijon mustard – for a little tang.
How to make this recipe + a video!
This recipe is super easy and can even be made in advance! You’ll start first by making the dressing (it actually tastes better after sitting for a bit). Then, you’ll cook everything up and assemble the salad.
To make the dressing
- First, add the yogurt, buttermilk, spices, Dijon, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.
- Then, whisk everything until it’s nice and smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to use the dressing!
To make the salad
- Start by boiling the eggs. Let them cool and then peel the eggs. Then, slice them in half.
- While the eggs boil, cook the bacon until it’s nice and crispy!
- Grill the chicken and corn. Slice the chicken and toss it with the buffalo sauce. Cut the grilled corn off of the cobs.
- Now it’s time to prep the salad! Start by spreading the lettuce evenly on a large tray.
- Next, layer the tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, blue cheese, bacon, avocado, grilled corn, and buffalo chicken in neat rows. Garnish with chives.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad, to taste. Toss to coat and enjoy!
What kind of chicken should I use?
For this recipe, I like to use either boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts! In the warm months, I throw everything on the grill. But if it’s colder out, you can also boil the chicken and shred it or sear it on the stove.
If you aren’t in the mood to cook chicken, I totally don’t blame you. Instead, you can always use diced rotisserie chicken. Or, as a nod to the traditional recipe, try tossing some store-bought fried chicken tenders with Buffalo sauce. So delicious!
Make-ahead & storing leftovers
This recipe can easily be made ahead! The dressing can be made up to 3 days in advance and the chicken, bacon, and corn can all be cooked the night before. You can also slice up the tomatoes and lettuce and crumble the blue cheese. The only thing you won’t want to prep in advance is the avocado.
When you’re ready to eat, just slice up the avocado and assemble the salad. That’s it!
If you expect to have leftovers, I’d recommend letting everyone toss their own individual salads so anything leftover doesn’t get soggy in the fridge. If you have leftovers, you can just store everything in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat, toss the salad with any remaining dressing and enjoy!
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
While Cobb salad has pretty specific ingredients, you can totally switch up or add ingredients depending what’s already in your fridge! Here’s just a few ideas:
- Veggies – you can add cucumber, carrots, and/or celery if you really want to lean into the buffalo chicken theme. Radishes, red onion, or bell peppers would also be good.
- Chicken – as I said above, store-bought fried chicken or rotisserie chicken would be a great sub for grilled chicken.
- Buffalo sauce – for those who don’t love buffalo sauce, BBQ makes a great replacement.
- Dressing – if you’re short on time, store-bought ranch or blue cheese dressing would be amazing in this recipe.
- Blue cheese – if you’re not a fan of blue cheese, 1. I don’t really understand you to be honest but! 2. You can use feta, goat cheese, or shredded white cheddar instead.
- Vegetarian – replace the chicken with a can of chickpeas. Just drain, rinse, dry, and coat in buffalo sauce. So delicious!
What to serve with this salad
This buffalo chicken Cobb salad is basically an entire meal in itself, but I’ll never say no to a good side dish either! Here’s a few of my favorite sides to go along with this dish:
- Fresh seasonal fruit – watermelon is my favorite but cantaloupe, honeydew, sliced nectarines, or berries would be great too. You could get real fancy and make a whole fruit salad!
- Bread – I will never say no to good bread. Crusty, sliced bread with lots of salty butter is by far my favorite side dish with this salad! Cornbread is another great option.
- Potatoes – roasted, baked, or fried all work. My favorite is these crispy baked potato wedges!
- Roasted broccoli – this recipe for charred broccoli with breadcrumbs and pecorino goes with anything. It’s by far my go-to side dish!
- Green beans – for a light and fresh option, try these lemony green beans!
Recipe tips & tricks
- Make the dressing in advance for the best flavor. I like to make it the night before but a couple of hours works too.
- I recommend letting all the ingredients come to room-temperature before you assemble the salad. It makes for the best flavors and textures.
- Grill the bacon along with the chicken and corn to save an extra dish. Here’s how I do it!
- If you want to toss the entire salad, you can chop up all of the ingredients into bite-sized pieces and combine everything in a big bowl.
- To prevent the salad from getting soggy, let everyone toss their own portions with dressing. Then, if you have leftovers, they won’t get mushy in the fridge!
More salad recipes
Antipasto Tortellini Pasta Salad
Farro Salad with Acorn Squash, Kale, & Pomegranate
Spring Panzanella Salad
Kale Salad with Greek Yogurt Caesar
Carrot Salad with Pistachios & Shallot Dressing
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Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buttermilk Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
Buttermilk Yogurt Dressing
- 3/4 c Greek yogurt
- 1/3 c buttermilk*, plus more if needed
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad
- 4 eggs, room-temperature
- 1/4 lb thick-cut bacon (about 4 strips)
- 2 ears of corn, shucked
- 1 lb chicken breast or thighs (boneless & skinless)
- 1/3 c buffalo sauce
- 1 head of romaine lettuce (whole leaves)
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/3 c blue cheese, freshly-crumbled
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Fresh chives, to garnish
Instructions
Buttermilk Yogurt Dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, onion powder, garlic powder, chives, and Dijon. Whisk until smooth.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste. If the dressing is too thick, add more buttermilk 1-2 Tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Refrigerate until you're ready to use the dressing.**
Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad
- Start by boiling the eggs. Fill a large saucepan with water (enough to cover the eggs by 1 inch). Bring the water to a gentle boil. Lower the eggs into the simmering water and cook for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Once the eggs are done, take them out of the boiling water and immediately lower them into the ice water. After 15 minutes, you can either refrigerate the eggs or peel them and slice them in half.
- Bake the bacon. While the eggs are cooking, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and then place the bacon strips side-by-side on the sheet pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bacon is crisp. Using tongs, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Grill the chicken and corn.*** Preheat the grill to 400°F (medium-high). While the grill heats, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, place the chicken and corn on the grill. Cook the chicken for about 6-8 minutes per side, or until it reaches 165°F. Cook the corn for about 10 minutes total, until the kernels are lightly charred. Slice the chicken and toss it with the buffalo sauce. Cut the charred kernels off of the corn cobs.
- Assemble the salad.**** To finish the salad, spread the romaine leaves on a large tray. Layer the cherry tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, blue cheese, bacon, avocado, grilled corn, and buffalo chicken in rows over the lettuce. Garnish with fresh chives.
- Drizzle half of the dressing over the salad. Toss and add more dressing, salt, and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
xo Sara Lynn
*Song of the day: Lost in Yesterday by Tame Impala
