Classic Cobb Salad with Chicken, Bacon and Avocado
Add Preferred SourceThis Cobb salad is the kind of lunch or light dinner that actually feels worth making, with crisp romaine, juicy chicken, smoky bacon, creamy avocado, blue cheese, and a sharp homemade vinaigrette that keeps every bite interesting. It looks impressive, eats like a full meal, and works when you want something fresh that still feels substantial.
Why This Cobb Salad Earns a Repeat
This is the kind of salad that actually feels worth making. Here’s why:
Ingredients You’ll Need
This salad keeps it classic with chicken, bacon, eggs, avocado, blue cheese, romaine, tomatoes, and a sharp vinaigrette.
How to Make Cobb Salad with Step-By-Step Instructions
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Creating this salad is very straightforward. Follow these steps for making the best Cobb salad.
Make the Dressing:
In a jar or small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and white sugar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until it’s emulsified, then set it aside.
Prepare the Chicken:
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and brush them with melted butter on both sides. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle this seasoning mix evenly over the chicken breasts.
Bake the chicken for about 25 minutes, or until it’s cooked through and no longer pink inside. Once done, let the chicken cool before slicing or dicing it into bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the Salad:
On a large platter or in a shallow bowl, spread out the chopped romaine lettuce in an even layer.
Arrange the cooked chicken, crumbled bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, and crumbled blue cheese in neat rows or sections on top of the lettuce.
Sprinkle the thinly sliced shallots over the top. Give the dressing a quick shake or whisk before serving it beside the salad. You can also drizzle some of the dressing over the salad just before serving if you prefer.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 14 ounces chicken breast
- 1 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
For the cobb salad:
- 7 ounces bacon strips cooked and chopped
- 4 boiled eggs quartered
- 6 cups romaine lettuce
- 1 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 avocados cut into large pieces
- 7 ounces blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons shallots finely chopped
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar sub white wine or red wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Pinch white sugar
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- In a jar or small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and white sugar.1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 Pinch white sugar, ½ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Set aside.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Prepare the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and brush them with melted butter on both sides.14 ounces chicken breast, 1 tablespoons melted butter
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika until combined.½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt
- Evenly sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the chicken breasts on both sides.
- Bake the chicken for 25 minutes or until it is cooked through and no longer pink. Set aside.
- Allow the chicken to cool, then slice or dice it into bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the salad:
- On a large platter or shallow bowl, arrange the chopped romaine lettuce in an even layer. In rows or sections, neatly arrange the cooked chicken, crumbled bacon, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, and crumbled blue cheese.7 ounces bacon strips, 4 boiled eggs, 6 cups romaine lettuce, 1 cups cherry tomatoes, 2 avocados, 7 ounces blue cheese
- Sprinkle the thinly sliced shallots over the top of the salad.2 tablespoons shallots
- Shake or whisk the dressing once more, and serve it alongside the Cobb Salad. Alternatively, you can lightly drizzle some of the dressing over the salad just before serving.
Notes
- Cheese: If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, try feta, goat cheese, or even shredded cheddar.
- Protein: Swap the chicken for grilled shrimp, baked salmon, or leftover steak.
- Lettuce substitutes: Instead of romaine you can use iceberg, arugula, or spinach. Iceberg lettuce has a milder flavor and a crisp texture, arugula has a peppery hint, and spinach is mild and neutral.
- How to cook bacon: Cooking bacon in the air fryer is a great way to get it crispy and evenly cooked without the mess. Alternatively, you can cook it in the oven. Lay the strips on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F until crispy.
- How to boil eggs: Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit for 12 minutes, and then transfer to a bowl of ice water for 14 minutes to make peeling easier. You can also buy hard-boiled eggs at the grocery store for convenience.
- Vegetarian option: Swap the chicken and bacon for plant-based substitutes, or add more veggies or plant-based proteins like chickpeas or tofu.
- Other dressings: Feel free to try ranch, Caesar, or any of your favorite dressings. Each one will give the salad a new flavor.
- How do I keep the avocado from browning? Toss the avocado in some fresh lemon juice. The acidity helps prevent it from turning brown too quickly.
- Make ahead: Prep the ingredients ahead and store them separately. Assemble the salad just before serving to keep everything fresh and crisp.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste and adjust the dressing seasoning as needed.
Nutrition
How to Store Leftover Cobb Salad
Here’s how to properly store any leftovers for later:
- Separate ingredients: Store the ingredients separately to keep them from getting mushy.
- Airtight containers: Use airtight containers to maintain freshness. A jar is great for any leftover salad dressing. Just give it a good shake or stir before using it again.
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy them within 1-2 days for the best quality.
Our Top 3 Money-Saving Tips for This Recipe
Making a Cobb salad can be budget-friendly with these tips:
- Store brands: Opt for store-brand items which are often cheaper. These products are usually just as good as name brands but come at a fraction of the cost.
- Sales and discounts: Look for sales on chicken, bacon, and cheese. Stock up on these items when they’re on sale and freeze them if necessary to use later.
- Batch cooking: Prepare larger batches of chicken and bacon to use in other recipes. This saves time and energy and ensures you have cooked ingredients ready to go.
What to Serve with Cobb Salad
Cobb salad can easily be a stand-alone meal, but if you’re looking for a little something on the side, give these ideas a go:
Soups
A light soup like tomato basil or chicken noodle soup complements the hearty salad. These soups add warmth and a comforting touch, making your meal more filling and balanced.
Bread
Serve your Cobb salad with some crusty bread or garlic toast. The bread adds a nice crunch and is perfect for soaking up any extra dressing. Plus, it makes the meal feel more substantial.
Grilled Vegetables
Grilled vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, and asparagus make a great side dish. The smoky flavor from the grill adds a nice contrast to the fresh ingredients in the salad, and it’s a healthy addition to your meal. You can even just add them to the top of the salad.
Your supose to boil the eggs for 20-25 min not bring them to a boil & turn off and cover and have eggs sit for 12 minutes as you can see from the picture the eggs are not fully cooked always boil eggs for at least 20 min. Other then that it was delicious very yummy.
Thanks so much for the feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed the salad! For the eggs, I use the 12-minute method for soft but fully set yolks—but totally get if you prefer them more well-done. Appreciate you sharing your tip!