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This classic Cobb Salad is loaded with tender chicken, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, and blue cheese. It is fresh, filling, and easy to customize, which makes it one of my favorite salads for lunch or dinner.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I never get sick of this salad! It has a little bit of everything & leaves me filled!” – Natalie
“This looks so pretty and has everything I love in it! The chicken sent this salad over the top! We eat a lot of salads during the summer!” – Amberly
“I know I won’t be disappointed when I order or make a cobb salad. Making them at home is best. I can add more or less of what I like. Everyone loves a cobb salad.” – Kristyn
Why I Love This Salad
My husband is not usually excited when I tell him we are having salad for dinner. The first time I made this Cobb Salad, he was skeptical until he saw everything piled on top. Then he started eating and kept going back for more!
Traditional Cobb Salad is often made with roasted chicken or turkey, but I especially love it with grilled chicken. The crisp lettuce and tomatoes keep it fresh, while the chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, and cheese make it filling enough to serve as a main dish. I also like setting out the toppings and dressings separately so everyone can build their salad exactly how they want it.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Lettuce: Crisp romaine is my favorite because it holds up well under all the toppings, but iceberg lettuce or mixed greens also work.
- Chicken: Use grilled, baked, or rotisserie chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Bacon: Cook the bacon until crisp, then drain and crumble it over the salad.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Eggs add extra protein and the creamy yolks balance the crisp vegetables. Use our easy step-by-step method for perfect boiled eggs.
- Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes are easy to prepare and release less liquid than chopped full-size tomatoes.
- Avocado: Choose an avocado that is ripe but still firm enough to slice or dice.
- Blue cheese: Blue cheese crumbles give a classic Cobb Salad its sharp, tangy flavor.
- Cheddar cheese: Shredded cheddar adds a mild, familiar cheese flavor that my family loves.
- Salad dressing: Homemade ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, creamy lemon and basil dressing, cilantro lime vinaigrette, Russian dressing, Caesar dressing, red wine vinaigrette, and balsamic vinaigrette are all good choices.
- Salt and pepper: A light sprinkle over the finished salad helps bring out the flavor of the vegetables.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
One of the best things about Cobb Salad is how easy it is to change based on what you have.
- Replace the chicken with turkey breast, honey ham, steak strips, salmon, grilled shrimp, or oven-fried chicken.
- Use feta, goat cheese, or shredded cheddar if you do not care for blue cheese.
- Add cucumber, red onion, green onion, corn, olives, bell peppers, or croutons.
- Substitute turkey bacon for regular bacon.
- Add chives or fresh parsley for a little fresh herb flavor.
- Use leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Toss the avocado with a little lemon juice to help prevent browning.
How to Make Cobb Salad
- Prepare the chicken. Grill, bake, or pan-cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F. Let it rest, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Prepare the toppings. Cook the bacon until crisp and prepare the hard-boiled eggs. Halve the tomatoes, slice or dice the avocado, and crumble the cheeses.
- Prepare the lettuce. Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce, then chop it into bite-sized pieces and place it in a large serving bowl.
- Assemble and serve. Arrange the chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, and cheeses over the lettuce. Serve immediately with your favorite dressing on the side.
Recipe Tips
- Dry the lettuce well. Extra water on the lettuce can dilute the dressing and make the salad soggy. A salad spinner works especially well.
- Use cold ingredients. Let the chicken, bacon, and eggs cool before placing them on the lettuce.
- Choose a firm avocado. A very soft avocado can become mushy when the salad is tossed.
- Cut everything into similar sizes. Bite-sized pieces make it easier to get several toppings on each forkful.
- Use a large, shallow bowl. Cobb Salad has plenty of toppings, so a wide bowl or platter makes it easier to arrange and serve.
- Wait to add the dressing. Dressing the salad too early will cause the lettuce to wilt.
- Arrange the toppings in rows. This gives the salad its classic Cobb presentation and lets everyone choose their favorite toppings.
- Season the chicken. Even when using a flavorful dressing, seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper makes a big difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
A classic Cobb Salad usually includes lettuce, chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese, and dressing. Some versions also include chives, onion, or a mixture of different greens.
One way to easily remember the basic toppings to add to make a Cobb salad is the acronym “EAT COBB.” Egg, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, and Blue Cheese.
Red wine vinaigrette is a traditional choice. Homemade ranch dressing is my personal favorite. Blue cheese dressing, creamy basil dressing, cilantro lime vinaigrette, Russian dressing, Caesar dressing, and balsamic vinaigrette are all great options too. I like serving several dressings on the side so everyone can choose their favorite.
Yes. Rotisserie chicken is one of my favorite shortcuts for Cobb Salad. Remove the skin and cut or shred the meat before adding it to the salad.
Absolutely. Feta, goat cheese, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Swiss and Parmesan are all good substitutes. You can also leave the cheese off completely.
The basic salad ingredients are naturally gluten-free. Check the labels on the bacon, cheese, seasonings, and salad dressing to make sure they are certified gluten-free when needed.
Cobb Salad is generally served cold or at room temperature. Let freshly cooked chicken, bacon, and eggs cool before placing them over the lettuce so the greens stay crisp.
Cobb Salad is named after Robert Cobb, owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, where the salad became popular in the 1930s.
Yes. With chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, and cheese, Cobb Salad is hearty enough for lunch or dinner. You can also serve smaller portions as a side salad.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead: Cook the chicken, bacon, and eggs up to three days in advance. Wash and chop the lettuce, then store it with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
- Wait on the avocado: For the best color and texture, cut the avocado shortly before serving.
- Keep everything separate: Refrigerate the lettuce, toppings, and dressing in separate airtight containers until you are ready to assemble the salad.
- Storing leftovers: An undressed salad can be refrigerated for up to three days. Once dressing has been added, it is best eaten within one day.
- Freezing: Cobb Salad does not freeze well, but cooked chicken and bacon can be frozen separately.
Pairing Ideas
Cobb Salad is filling enough to serve by itself, but it also goes well with homemade dinner rolls, garlic bread, breadtwists, tomato soup, corn on the cob, or a fresh fruit salad. For a lighter meal, serve smaller portions alongside lemon baked chicken, Miso glazed salmon, or a simple soup.
More Main Dish Salad Recipes
This Cobb Salad has everything I want in a main dish salad: crisp vegetables, plenty of protein, creamy avocado, smoky bacon, and lots of ways to make it your own. Give it a try, then leave a comment and a rating to let me know which dressing you chose! 💛
Classic Cobb Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 chicken breast, grilled or breaded, cooked and sliced
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ⅓ cup cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- chives, for garnish
- 4 Tablespoons salad dressing, (see options above)
Instructions
- Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let it rest, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook the bacon until crisp. Drain it on paper towels, then crumble it into pieces. Prepare and cut remaining toppings.
- Place the chopped lettuce in a large, shallow salad bowl or on a serving platter.
- Arrange the chicken, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, avocado, blue cheese, and cheddar cheese in rows over the lettuce. Serve immediately with your favorite salad dressing.
Notes
- Wash and thoroughly dry the lettuce so the salad stays crisp.
- Allow cooked chicken and bacon to cool before adding them to the greens.
- Rotisserie or leftover chicken works well and saves preparation time.
- Cut the avocado shortly before serving or toss it with lemon juice to slow browning.
- Keep the dressing separate until serving to prevent soggy lettuce.
- Ranch, blue cheese dressing, red wine vinaigrette, and balsamic vinaigrette all pair well with Cobb Salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I know I won’t be disappointed when I order or make a cobb salad. Making them at home is best. I can add more or less of what I like. Everyone loves a cobb salad.
I never get sick of this salad! It has a little bit of everything & leaves me filled!
This looks so pretty and has everything I love in it! The chicken sent this salad over the top! We eat a lot of salads during the summer!
Really enjoyed doing and having this recipe! Thanks a lot for sharing your cobb salad, It taste really amazing and fam really loves it as well!
I love ordering this at the restaurant. It’s filling, healthy and packed with great flavor. I loved your recipe and that I can have it at home anytime I want! Thanks for this easy to follow and super yummy Cobb Salad recipe!