Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad
I love a good salad but if I’m going to make them then they need to pack a lot of flavor! This Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad is the perfect one to make at home and so delicious! Make these for an easy weeknight dinner or lunch!
I love finding ways to recreate some of my favorite meals at home. Not only does it mean you can enjoy it all the time, but it saves some money too! This Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad hits the spot and is a delicious salad to add to your weeknight dinner plans or meal prep to have for a quick and easy lunch.
Grab these ingredients next time you go to the grocery for an easy lunch prep or healthy weeknight dinner. This recipe will be on repeat this spring and summer!
What you need for this Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad:
- Green Leaf Lettuce
- Black Beans
- Roasted Corn
- Pickled onions
- Chicken Thighs, Boneless and Skinless
- Tortilla Chips
- BBQ Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Sea Salt
- Pepper
- Avocado Oil
What you need for chicken brine:
- White Distilled Vinegar
- Water
- Salt
- Sugar
- Dried Dill
- Minced Garlic
How to make this salad:
- Start by preparing your pickle brine for the chicken thighs. In a cup, heat up a mixture of water, vinegar, salt and sugar for 2 minutes in the microwave.
- Pour into a dish where you’ll be adding the chicken and let it sit to cool down. **Make sure to do this before adding the chicken!
- Add the skinless chicken thighs to the bowl with brine. Add dried dill and minced garlic and mix together.
Place in the fridge to sit for an hour. - Once chicken has sat in the fridge for an hour, remove and season with sea salt and pepper. Brush with bbq sauce.
- Place on a heated cast iron skillet with avocado oil. Make sure it’s hot!
- Cook until chicken comes to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Once chicken has sat, brush with more bbq sauce.
- Assemble bowls with green leaf lettuce, black beans, roasted corn, tomatoes and pickled onions.
- Top with bbq chicken, crushed tortilla chips and a drizzle of bbq sauce and ranch dressing.
- Enjoy!
If you have leftovers, this is how they should be stored:
It’s best to store any leftover ingredients in a sealed container. I like using these!
If you want to switch this up, try doing this instead:
- Add a rice or grain for an additional carbohydrate!
- Use your favorite BBQ Sauce!
- Panera uses crispy onions if you want to add those on top!
- Add shredded cheese.
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy these on One Balanced Life:
FAQs:
How do you make your pickled onions?
Pickled onions add the best flavor to everything, but especially to this burger bowl! Start by chopping up the red onion in half and then into some thin “C” slices. Set aside to make the brine. Take 6oz of water and set to a boil on the stove. Put in 1 tbsp salt with 1 tbsp white sugar into the mason jar with red onion. Pour in the boiled water and then fill the rest of the jar with white vinegar. Place lid on mason jar and give it a spin to let onions soak it up. Store in the fridge for the week!
Can I meal prep any of these ingredients?
Yes! I love prepping the pickled onions in advance to easily top on these bowls. You can also prep the chicken or it’s great for leftovers too.
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Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad
This Copycat Panera BBQ Chicken Salad is perfect to make at home made with simple ingredients and packed with flavor!
Ingredients
- 1.5lb chicken thighs, skinless and boneless
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce
- 8oz water
- 4oz white distilled vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp dried dill
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- for the salad:
- 4 cups green leaf lettuce
- 1 cup roasted corn
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pickled onions
- 1/3 cup crushed tortilla chips
- optional: drizzle with bbq sauce and ranch dressing
Instructions
- Start by preparing your pickle brine for the chicken thighs. In a cup, heat up a mixture of water, vinegar, salt and sugar for 2 minutes in the microwave.
- Pour into a dish where you'll be adding the chicken and let it sit to cool down. **Make sure to do this before adding the chicken!
- Add the skinless chicken thighs to the bowl with brine. Add dried dill and minced garlic and mix together. Place in the fridge to sit for an hour.
- Once chicken has sat in the fridge for an hour, remove and season with sea salt and pepper. Brush with bbq sauce.
- Place on a heated cast iron skillet with avocado oil. Make sure it's hot!
- Cook until chicken comes to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove from the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Once chicken has sat, brush with more bbq sauce.
- Assemble bowls with green leaf lettuce, black beans, roasted corn, tomatoes and pickled onions.
- Top with bbq chicken, crushed tortilla chips and a drizzle of bbq sauce and ranch dressing.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to create two small bowls with bbq sauce and clean brush that you are brushing on the raw vs. cooked chicken.
Chicken will make enough for leftovers.
