If you’ve ever visited California Pizza Kitchen, you know the legendary status of their BBQ Chicken Salad. It’s that perfect marriage of smoky, grilled protein and a crisp, herb-laden garden bed.
This homemade Grilled BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad captures that same restaurant magic but elevates it with a “from-scratch” philosophy featuring a dairy-free Herby Ranch that you’ll want to drizzle on absolutely everything.
Whether you’re hosting a backyard cookout or just want a vibrant, light summer meal, these skewers bring the fun of the grill directly to your salad bowl.
The Flavor Lineup
The BBQ Chicken Skewers
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts: Pounded thin for maximum tenderness.
Store-Bought BBQ Sauce: Your favorite smoky-sweet blend.
Avocado Oil & Kosher Salt: For the perfect sear.
Wooden Skewers: Remember to soak them in water beforehand to prevent burning!
The “Better-Than-Store-Bought” Herby Ranch
Base: Avocado oil and a large egg (to make a fresh mayo base).
Creaminess: Unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk.
Zest & Tang: Lemon juice and red wine vinegar.
Aromatics: Fresh garlic, onion powder, and black pepper.
The Herbs: A generous handful of fresh dill and parsley.
The Salad Base
The Crunch: Romaine lettuce and corn on the cob (grilled!).
The Filling: Canned black beans and grape tomatoes.
The Aromatics: Green onions, fresh cilantro, and fresh basil.
The Creamy Finish: Ripe avocado.
Step by Step: From Grill to Bowl
1. Prep and Marinate the Chicken
Using a meat mallet or a heavy skillet, pound the chicken to a uniform 1/2-inch thickness. This ensures every piece cooks at the same rate. Cut into 2-inch pieces and toss in a bowl with oil, salt, and 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes (or up to 8 hours in the fridge).
2. The 15-Second Immersion Mayo
In a wide-mouth jar, combine the oil and egg. Place an immersion blender at the very bottom. Blend without moving for 10–15 seconds until it turns thick and white. Gently move the blender up and down to emulsify the remaining oil into a rich mayonnaise.
3. Finish the Herby Ranch
To your fresh mayo, add the coconut milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and seasonings. Blend until smooth, then stir in the fresh dill and parsley. Chill this in the fridge—it gets better as it sits!
4. Skewer and Prep the Corn
Thread 4–5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Coat your corn cobs in avocado oil to ensure they char beautifully without sticking.
5. Fire Up the Grill
Heat your grill to medium-high (350°F to 400°F). Clean and oil the grates using a wadded paper towel and tongs.
6. The Char Factor
Grill the corn for 10–12 minutes, turning often until tender and lightly charred. Place the chicken skewers on the grill for 3–4 minutes per side.
Pro Tip: After the first flip, baste the grilled side with more BBQ sauce for that sticky, caramelized finish.
7. Assemble the Feast
In a large bowl, toss the romaine, green onions, tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, and basil. Add a generous amount of your chilled Herby Ranch and toss. Cut the charred corn off the cob and add it to the bowl along with the diced avocado.
8. Serve
Plate the salad and crown each portion with a warm, smoky chicken skewer.
Recipe Success Tips
Pound the Poultry: Don’t skip the meat mallet! Uniform thickness is the difference between juicy chicken and rubbery bits.
The “Water Seal”: If using wooden skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes so they don’t catch fire on the grill.
Cold Dressing, Hot Chicken: The contrast between the cold, creamy ranch and the hot, charred chicken is what makes this dish legendary.
CPK-Inspired BBQ Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- For the Chicken Skewers:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups BBQ sauce divided, such as Primal Kitchen
- 8 6-inch wooden skewers, pre-soaked
- For the Herby Ranch Dressing:
- 1 cup avocado oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill fronds
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For the Salad:
- 4 ears corn
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce from about 2 small heads
- 6 green onions thinly sliced (green parts only)
- 16 ounces about 2 cups quartered grape tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup loosely packed freshly chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
- 1 avocado peeled, seeded, and diced into medium cubes
Instructions
- Prep and Marinate the Chicken
- Using a meat mallet or a heavy skillet, pound the chicken to a uniform 1/2-inch thickness. This ensures every piece cooks at the same rate. Cut into 2-inch pieces and toss in a bowl with oil, salt, and 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes (or up to 8 hours in the fridge).
- The 15-Second Immersion Mayo
- In a wide-mouth jar, combine the oil and egg. Place an immersion blender at the very bottom. Blend without moving for 10–15 seconds until it turns thick and white. Gently move the blender up and down to emulsify the remaining oil into a rich mayonnaise.
- Finish the Herby Ranch
- To your fresh mayo, add the coconut milk, lemon juice, vinegar, and seasonings. Blend until smooth, then stir in the fresh dill and parsley. Chill this in the fridge—it gets better as it sits!
- Skewer and Prep the Corn
- Thread 4–5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Coat your corn cobs in avocado oil to ensure they char beautifully without sticking.
- Fire Up the Grill
- Heat your grill to medium-high (350°F to 400°F). Clean and oil the grates using a wadded paper towel and tongs.
- The Char Factor
- Grill the corn for 10–12 minutes, turning often until tender and lightly charred. Place the chicken skewers on the grill for 3–4 minutes per side.
- Pro Tip: After the first flip, baste the grilled side with more BBQ sauce for that sticky, caramelized finish.
- Assemble the Feast
- In a large bowl, toss the romaine, green onions, tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, and basil. Add a generous amount of your chilled Herby Ranch and toss. Cut the charred corn off the cob and add it to the bowl along with the diced avocado.
- Serve
- Plate the salad and crown each portion with a warm, smoky chicken skewer.
To keep it Whole30, simply omit the corn and the black beans. Ensure your store-bought BBQ sauce has no added sugars or non-compliant sweeteners.
Absolutely! The Herby Ranch lasts up to one week in the fridge. You can also marinate the chicken a day ahead, making the actual “cooking” part of dinner take less than 15 minutes.
You can use a standard blender, but you’ll need to be very slow when drizzling the oil into the egg to ensure the mayonnaise doesn’t “break.”
Store the chicken and the undressed salad separately. Once salad is tossed in ranch, it tends to wilt within a few hours, so only dress what you plan to eat immediately!
