Our family can’t get enough of this BBQ chicken salad. It’s flavorful, simple, and — best of all — it’s the only salad my young kids consistently eat. On the first day of school they asked for it in their lunches, so I packed one for each of them and one for myself. A total win.
*The small dressing containers shown with the kids’ salads are from Costco, though most grocery stores carry similar options. The to-go containers I use are my favorite — I bought them at Sam’s Club; a comparable style is widely available. They are BPA-free, dishwasher- and microwave-safe, and perfect for leftovers or packing lunches. The dressing I used here is a cilantro-lime crema similar to the popular Cafe Rio dressing; the brand I used (Don Poncho’s Cilantro Lime Crema) is now sold at some Costcos and is delicious. If you can’t find it, ranch works well too.
BBQ Chicken Salad
Salad
10
30
4
Ingredients
- chopped romaine lettuce
- black beans
- corn
- cilantro
- red onion
- tomato
- lime wedge
- BBQ chicken (Instant Pot directions below)
- cilantro-lime crema dressing (from Costco) or ranch
- tortilla strips (found near salad dressings)
- extra BBQ sauce for drizzling
- avocado, if serving immediately
Instructions
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Put 4 frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot. If your chicken has a heavy ice glaze, you can skip adding water; otherwise add 1/2 cup of water so the pot can build steam.
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Cook on Manual/High Pressure for 20 minutes.
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Allow a natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes to keep the chicken tender.
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Discard any excess liquid, shred the chicken, and stir in BBQ sauce to taste (about 1/2 cup is a good starting point). To assemble, layer chopped romaine, black beans, corn, cilantro, red onion, and tomato. Top with shredded BBQ chicken, a drizzle of crema or ranch, tortilla strips, and extra BBQ sauce. Add avocado if serving right away and a lime wedge for squeezing.