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–+ servings

CPK Copycat BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad

The ultimate copycat of CPK's legendary BBQ Chicken Salad, loaded with sweet corn, black beans, crispy tortilla strips, a jicama crunch & a double-drizzle of BBQ and ranch.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

BBQ Sauce
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp molasses
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp liquid smoke
Salad
  • 8 cups romaine lettuce chopped
  • 1 cup corn kernels fresh from the cob
  • 1 cup jicama peeled and diced small
  • 4 Roma tomatoes washed, seeded, and diced
  • 1 large avocado diced
  • 4 green onions white and green parts, washed and chopped
  • 1 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro optional
  • 1 cup Monterey jack cheese shredded
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces and tossed in BBQ sauce
  • ¾ cup BBQ sauce Sweet Baby Ray's Original
  • 1 cup tortilla strips for topping
Herb Ranch Dressing
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Dressing: Add all the dressing ingredients together and chill in the refrigerator while putting together the salad.
  2. BBQ Sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients together in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
  3. Dress the Chicken: Let the sauce cool completely and then use half to toss and coat the cubed, cooked chicken breasts.
  4. Chop: All lettuce and vegetables should be cut into small, uniform pieces to get that classic "chopped salad" texture.
  5. Toss: Combine the romaine, corn, black beans, jicama, cilantro, basil, and Monterey Jack cheese in a large bowl.
  6. Layer: Divide the dressed salad onto plates.
  7. Top: Finish by layering the BBQ chicken, diced tomatoes, green onions, and a drizzle of extra BBQ sauce and ranch on top.
  8. Garnish: Add tortilla strips.

Notes

Time Savers:
  • Use Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce-this is the closest tasting BBQ sauce to CPK's
  • Purchase CPK's official Herb Ranch dressing from the grocery store.
  • Use canned corn instead of fresh-but it will not be as crisp & sweet.

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