I will tell you that Chicken Bacon Ranch is my love language. That trio is one of my top trios of all time. I mean can you go wrong with creamy delicious ranch over seasoned perfectly chicken & crispy bacon? Anyone else drooling just typing reading this? I am also one of those people that could drink ranch with a straw… but that’s another story for another time (lol!). My favorite sandwich use to be the Chicken Bacon Ranch from Subway. Therefore, I thought why not make that sandwich into salad form just in time for the warmer weather! Now lets get started on The Best Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad.
What Ingredients are Needed in The Best Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad?
Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (seasoning- salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, paprika & pepper)
- 16 oz lettuce of choice ( I love spring mix but Bibb lettuce/iceberg lettuce is great for this one)
- Red Onion
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Bacon
- Avocado
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Corn
- HGHF Healthy-ish Ranch ( recipe below)
Then just like any salad, add or omit anything you like or not! I love to make this recipe enough for 6-7 salads. I have 4 people in my family, then leftovers for lunches for the week is key when I’m making meals!
** A VERY cool to note, you can adjust the servings on my recipe cards so you can see the ingredients you’d need for less servings without calculating in your head 😉
How to Cook the Ranch Chicken Breasts Perfectly
One of the things I am known for in my family is not drying out a chicken breasts & cooking it perfectly. I mean not to brag or anything… but they are spot on! Hahaha I know it isn’t something to get a trophy about, but it sure can be hard! However, I will help you so that you can known for it your family as well 😉 These chicken breasts come out so juicy and perfect on the stove top. I do a mixture of seasoning similar to the ranch seasoning so the flavors are perfect with the salad. The idea is that you want them to cook through all the way, at a higher temperature but not too high to where it over cooks the outside. You want the perfect pan seared mark, while keeping it juicy on the inside.
Cooking 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts :
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp parsley
- 1 1/2 garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
- In a small bowl add in your salt, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika & pepper. Whisk with a fork until fully incorporated
- In a medium skillet add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil & tilt the pan so the whole pan is coated. Turn on medium heat.
- While it heats, place your boneless skinless chicken breasts on a plate & generously season each side of the chicken breasts with the seasoning.
- You want your pan sizzling, because if it is not warm yet, it will sit in the oil & get wet, not seared. The trick is to take some water on you finger, flick it on to the pan if it sizzles then you are ready to place your chicken.
- Cook on each side for 8-10 minutes, cover the top of the pan lightly with aluminum foil. When you flip to second side, turn down your head to medium low. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
How to make Honest Grub, Honest Foodie Healthy-ish Ranch
If you are going to have a Chicken Bacon Ranch ANYTHING… you need the best possible ranch. In my opinion homemade is always best. You can really taste the homemade difference & no additives, preservatives… just down right deliciousness! A lot of times ranch can be all mayo, so in this recipe, we add a healthy-ish touch by doing a mixture of a few ingredients for the base.
- 1/2 tbsp dill dried
- 1/2 tbsp parley dried
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp chives fresh if possible
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup mayo
Directions:
In a air tight container add the buttermilk, greek yogurt & mayo. Whisk until it becomes throughly combined and creamy (no clumps). Add in the remaining ingredients, whisk and refrigerate until ready to serve!
Other HGHF Salads You Will Love
The Best Healthy Bulgur Feta Salad
Healthy Southwest Flank Steak Salad
Easy Copy Cat Dewey’s House Salad
Common Questions When Making The Best Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
How long can you store the HGHF Healthy-ish Ranch in your fridge?
You can store homemade ranch in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks, assuming that you started with fresh Greek Yogurt & Buttermilk
What is the best way to store the chicken & for how long?
You should eat your chicken within 5 days of making it & store in an air tight container.
Can I use rotisserie chicken with this recipe instead of the ranch chicken breasts?
You sure can! You can use whatever chicken you’d like, however I really recommend giving this one a go!
Why do I use the aluminum foil to cover the frying pan?
That is a way to keep the heat in the pan circulating for the best cooked through chicken.
The Best Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp pepper)
- 20 oz lettuce of choice I love spring mix but Bibb lettuce/iceberg lettuce is great for this one ( usually 2 big 10 oz containers)
- 1 Red Onion
- 16 oz Shredded Cheddar Cheese use as much or as little as you want
- 1 package of 10-12 slices of bacon
- 3-4 Avocado I usually use 1/4 or a little more for a salad
- 1 pint of Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup cooked frozen corn
- HGHF Healthy-ish Ranch recipe & ingredients above
Instructions
- First you will cook your bacon per directions on the container & while it cooks make your HGHF Healthy-Ish ranch as seen above
- Then in a small bowl add in your salt, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika & pepper. Whisk with a fork until fully incorporated
- In a medium skillet add 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil & tilt the pan so the whole pan is coated. Turn on medium heat.
- While it heats, place your boneless skinless chicken breasts on a plate & generously season each side of the chicken breasts with the seasoning.
- You want your pan sizzling, because if it is not warm yet, it will sit in the oil & get wet, not seared. The trick is to take some water on you finger, flick it on to the pan if it sizzles then you are ready to place your chicken.
- Cook on each side for 8-10 minutes, cover the top of the pan lightly with aluminum foil. When you flip to second side, turn down your head to medium low. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Then you will start layering your lettuce, cheddar cheese, cooked bacon, sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, avocado, corn and your delicious sliced chicken!
- Lastly you will drizzle on the HGHF Healthy-ish Ranch & Enjoy!!
Prepping Ahead of Time
- The longer the ranch can sit in the fridge to have the flavors meld the better. The next day is always the best, however I make it to where we eat it within 30 minutes after.
- However, on the weekend if you are able to make the ranch & the bacon ahead of time you are able to make the salad even quicker during the week
Notes
Nutrition
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