Chicken BLT Salad

grilled chicken on a BLT salad with a side of creamy pesto ranch dressing

Grilled Chicken BLT Salad is an easy summer salad recipe filled with grilled marinated chicken, bacon, tomatoes, cheese and butter lettuce. Topped with a creamy pesto ranch dressing that's easy and flavorful, this salad is a huge hit!

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Marinade time4

Total Time4 30

Course: chicken, Grilling, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: BLT, chicken salad, green salad

Servings: people

Calories: 321kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

Easy Chicken Marinade

3-4 large Chicken Breasts Plan on 4-6 oz of chicken breasts per person
1 large Lemon Juice or 2T vinegar
3 Tablespoons oil Avocado oil, Canola Oil, or Olive OIl
1 package Good Seasonings Italian Dressing Spice Mix You can find this in the salad dressing isle by the ranch packets

Ingredients for Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Salad

1/2 lb Bacon
8 regular String Cheese Sticks
1.5 cups Cherry Tomatoes, halved
or just a large tomato cut into 1/2 " chunks works great.
1 large Avocado Cut into 1/2" chunks
10-12 cups Chopped Lettuce

Instructions

The Best Chicken Marinade

Tenderize your chicken. Put the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a rolling pin, mason jar, or the flat side of a meat tenderizer to pound the thickest part of the chicken breast. Pound until it about 3/4" thick, similar to the rest of the chicken breast. (This should only take a few good whacks.)
Add the cooking oil and juice the lemon into the Ziplock bag. Add the Good Seasonings Italian packet and seal the ziplock bag. Roll the bag around gently to mix all the ingredients together.
Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 2-24 hours. (If you can let the chicken marinate for up to 24 hours, that's ideal. The marinate will give the chicken so much flavor and it makes the most tender and juicy grilled chicken.)
Grill the chicken. Use a digital thermometer to ensure the chicken breast is done. When the chicken is done, the internal temp of the chicken should be 165 degrees, place it on a platter with foil over it for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices and to keep the chicken warm and juicy. Slice the chicken into bite-sized strips.

Preparing Ingredients for the Grilled Chicken BLT Salad

Wash and cut the lettuce and slice cherry tomatoes in half. Cut the avocado into bite-sized pieces. Cube cheese sticks into bite-sized pieces and wash the lettuce. Cut the lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
To prepare the bacon, cut the bacon strips in to 1/2" pieces. Sauté in a pan until all the bacon bits are golden brown and just a little crispy. If you are using pre-cooked bacon bits (the ones from Costco are the best) Just put a paper towel on a paper plate and add the bacon bits. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until the bacon bits are barely crispy.
Assemble the salad by adding the Lettuce, tomatoes, sting cheese, bacon, and avocado. Add the sliced grilled chicken and drizzle with the prepared Creamy Pesto Ranch Dressing. Enjoy!

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