Chicken BLT Salad
Just like a BLT sandwich, but salad-style with some chicken to make it a filling lunch or dinner. It’s all here – crispy bacon, juicy cherry tomatoes, a creamy yogurt-mayo dressing, plus easy homemade croutons. This Chicken BLT Salad is a delicious, light dinner, or prep it ahead for easy lunches.
Turning a favorite sandwich into a salad is a good idea mainly because you end up with less bread and more veggies, but you also get the same feel-good feelings that the sandwich creates.
So, I turned to a classic BLT for inspiration and ended up with this salad – a big bowl of greens topped with juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, homemade croutons, and a creamy dressing with just a touch of mayo. I also added some simple pan-cooked chicken, which isn’t a traditional BLT ingredient but delicious all the same.
Ingredients
- Thick-cut bacon
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: I pound the chicken, cook it whole, and slice it for the salads. That way, it’s tender and juicy. In a pinch, I’ve also used shredded rotisserie chicken for this salad.
- Lettuce: Romaine or green leaf lettuce are my faves for this salad.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bread: For the croutons, I like to use country white bread. Of course, you can skip making your croutons and use store-bought ones to make it easier, but homemade croutons are not hard to make and taste a lot better.
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Mayonnaise: There’s just a touch to add some richness.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley
How to Make the Salad
☑️ Make the Croutons
Combine the olive oil, garlic powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the sandwich bread into small cubes.
Place the bread cubes in the bowl and lightly toss them in the oil mixture so they are evenly coated.
Spread them on a baking sheet and bake them for 8 to 10 minutes at 350°F. Stir them halfway through the baking time. If you want them crispier, bake them for a few minutes longer.
☑️ Cook the Bacon and Chicken
Fry the bacon in a pan on the stove until it’s crispy. Take it out of the pan, leaving the fat behind. Drain the bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel, and once it’s cool enough to handle, chop it into pieces.
In the same pan, cook the chicken breast in the bacon fat for four to five minutes on each side. Once it’s cooked, set it aside.
☑️ Make the Dressing
Mix the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, parsley, and salt in a small bowl.
☑️ Assemble the Salads
Divide the lettuce and tomatoes between two bowls. Add the chopped bacon.
Slice the chicken and add it to the salads. Top each salad with the croutons and drizzle the dressing over the top. Add a sprinkle of black pepper for garnish.
Chicken BLT Salad
Just like a BLT sandwich, but salad-style with some chicken to make it a filling lunch or dinner. It’s all here – crispy bacon, juicy cherry tomatoes, a creamy yogurt-mayo dressing, plus easy homemade croutons. Perfect for a light dinner or prep ahead for easy lunches.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Toss
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Croutons
- 1 slice country white sandwich bread, cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Dressing
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Everything Else
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon
- 8 oz (1/2-inch-thick ) boneless chicken breast, seasoned with kosher salt
- 6 cups torn green leaf lettuce
- 4 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a baking sheet, spread the bread cubes into an even layer. Coat the cubes with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt. Stir them around to coat them evenly.
- Bake the croutons for 5 minutes. Stir them around the sheet pan and bake them for 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set them aside to cool.
- While the croutons bake, make the dressing. Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, and salt in a small bowl. Set the dressing aside.
- Place the bacon in a 10-inch skillet and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy and has rendered its fat. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Remove the excess bacon fat from the pan, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
- In the same pan, cook the chicken over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes on one side. Turn the chicken and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes or until its internal temperature is 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest while you make the salads.
- Divide the lettuce and tomatoes between two plates or bowls. Slice the bacon slices into 1-inch pieces and place on the salads. Slice the chicken and place it on the salads. Top the salads with the croutons, drizzle with the dressing, and finish it with ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
Make ahead: You can make the croutons ahead, but allow them to cool fully before storing them in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for several days. You can cook the chicken and bacon ahead and store them in the refrigerator for three to four days. The dressing will also keep for several days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 salad
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 4.3g
- Sodium: 617.5mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 6.4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 23.2g
- Fiber: 2.7g
- Protein: 36.9g
- Cholesterol: 108.7mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
More Recipes with Veggies and Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables
- Chicken Gyros
- Sheet Pan Chicken Ratatouille
- Easy Chicken and Peppers
I hope you try this BLT salad soon! Enjoy 🖤
Happy cooking,
This is REALLY good! Can’t go wrong with chicken and bacon, and the dressing is fantastic!