Cobb salad is a colorful, all-in-one meal you can whip up in no time. Packed with protein and fresh ingredients, it’s as filling as it is easy. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or a lunch that will wow your guests!
- Flavor: Creamy, savory, and smoky flavors in every bite.
- Time-Saving Tip: Rotisserie or leftover chicken works perfectly, and you can speed things up even more by using pre-washed romaine, pre-cooked bacon, and store-bought hard-boiled eggs.
- Prep Note: Cook bacon and chicken and boil eggs ahead to make this a 10-minute toss-and-serve meal.
- Serving Suggestions: I love arranging a Cobb salad on a platter with all the ingredients in neat rows. It makes it easy for guests to customize their plates.
What’s in a Cobb Salad
An easy trick to remember Cobb salad ingredients is to use the acronym E.A.T. C.O.B.B. – Eggs, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, and Blue Cheese!
- Lettuce: Use crisp romaine hearts for extra crunch, chop or tear them, then spin very dry so the dressing clings.
- Eggs: Cook eggs ahead and chill for clean slices, and store peeled eggs for up to a week. They can be made in the Air Fryer, the Instant Pot, or on the stove.
- Avocado: Choose avocados that are slightly soft with no mushy spots, and slice them just before serving to prevent browning.
- Chicken: Slice chicken breasts into cutlets for faster cooking and juicier results. Season with Cajun spice, or swap for Italian seasoning,ranch seasoning, or a simple salt, pepper, and paprika blend. To speed the prep up use leftover chicken.
- Cheese: Dry crumbled cheeses like blue cheese (or feta if you’re not a blue cheese fan) are great in this salad. Shredded cheddar is a good backup.
Dressing for Cobb Salad
Cobb salad dressing can be either creamy or a vinaigrette. My favorites are ranch or blue cheese.
How to Build a Cobb Salad
- Prepare and chill the dressing.
- Cook chicken in oil. Remove from pan to rest.
- Place romaine lettuce in the bottom of a large bowl.
- Arrange the remaining ingredients (full recipe below).
- Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.
Pro Tips and FAQ’s
- For a thick and flavorful dressing: Chill the dressing first.
- For crisp salad: Spin lettuce very dry or blot with towels.
- For juicy meat: Rest the chicken 5 minutes before slicing so juices stay in the meat.
- For the best leftovers: Keep avocado and dressing separate until serving.
- For cleanly cut eggs: Use a sharp knife, wiping it between cuts.
- If serving a crowd: Arrange toppings in rows on a platter for the classic Cobb look.
Make Ahead and Storage
Store components separately when possible: lettuce, toppings, chicken, and dressing.
- Dressing: Refrigerate up to 1 week.
- Cooked chicken: Refrigerate up to 4 days.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Refrigerate up to 1 week.
- Assembled salad: Best same day; next day is fine if undressed and avocado is added fresh.
Salad that Eats Like Dinner
Did you make this Cobb Salad recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
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For the dressing, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, dried parsley, dried dill, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Gradually add milk to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, then refrigerate.
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To hard boil eggs, place in a saucepan and cover with cold water 1-inch above the eggs. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, then remove from heat. Let stand for 15-17 minutes. Cool in ice water for 5 minutes, then peel and quarter.
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To make the chicken, cut the breasts horizontally to make 4 cutlets. Toss the chicken with oil and seasoning. Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side, until cooked to 165℉. Rest for 5 minutes and then slice into strips.
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Assembly: Place lettuce in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Top with eggs, avocado, tomatoes, onion, blue cheese, bacon, and sliced chicken.
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Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.
Dressing: To lighten up the dressing, replace the sour cream with non fat Greek yogurt. Add 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar or Dijon mustard to the dressing if desired.
Air Fryer Eggs: Cooking eggs in the air fryer is the easiest way to cook them. Place eggs in the air fryer (no water needed) at 250°F for 16-18 minutes. Place in a cold water bath for 5 minutes before peeling.
Nutrition information accounts for 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving. You may have extra dressing, which can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
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Calories: 643 | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 308mg | Sodium: 925mg | Potassium: 1249mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 9276IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
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