BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad

BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad was inspired by California Pizza Kitchen, grit your teeth!

BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad

If you’ve ever dined at California Pizza Kitchen, you’re probably familiar with their BBQ Chicken Salad. It has a variety of delicacies inside, is dressed with herb ranch dressing, and has BBQ chicken on top. I made this at-home version with those flavors in mind, and I can already tell you guys are going to enjoy it.

BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN SKEWERS:

  • 2 lbs. of skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • Avo oil, 3 tablespoons
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • barbecue sauce, two cups I use pre-soaked 8 [6-inch] wooden skewers from the Primal Kitchen brand.

FOR THE W30 HERBY RANCH:

  • 1 cup flavorless oil I either use avocado oil or safflower seed oil. Additionally, “light” olive oil, which differs from extra virgin, is an
  • option; substitute jarred mayo
  • 1 egg
  • 12 cup full-fat unsweetened coffee coconut cream
  • 1.5 tbsp lemon juice
  • Red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • fresh parsley and dill fronds, cut into a quarter cup each
  • freshly cracked black pepper, one teaspoon

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 4 ears of corn, if Whole30, omit
  • 2/batch of avocado oil
  • 2 small heads or 8 cups of thinly chopped romaine lettuce
  • 6 green onions, sliced very thin (green part only)
  • 16 ounces or 2 cups of quartered grape tomatoes
  • 1 [15-ounce] can washed and drained black beans 1/4 cup freshly cut cilantro leaves, gently packed
  • 2 tablespoons of basil leaves, freshly chopped
  • 1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and moderately chopped

Instructions

BBQ Chicken Skewer Salad

Marinate the chicken:

  1. The chicken should be pounded to a consistent 12 inch thickness using a meat mallet or the bottom of a large skillet. Slice into 2-inch cubes, then add to a big dish with oil, salt, and 1 cup of barbecue sauce. Stir thoroughly to mix. If preferred, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours to allow the food to marinate longer. Set aside to let the food sit for at least 20 minutes at room temperature.
Make the Herby-Ranch:
  1. Oil should be poured into a jar with a wide mouth, about the same size as an immersion blender’s. Allow the egg to sink to the bottom of the jar after cracking it into the oil. Place the blade of the immersion blender on top of the yolk after inserting it into the jar. Wait at least 10 seconds until a white, creamy, thick mayo forms at the bottom by the head before moving the head. Now, slowly move the immersion blender up and down until the entire jar has become a mayonnaise. (*)You could also use a cup of store-bought mayo. I just suggest using one with a light flavor).
  2. Using an immersion blender, combine the coconut milk, lemon, red wine vinegar, salt, garlic, and onion powder once more. Add the parsley, dill, and black pepper and stir. Keep in the refrigerator until needed. In the refrigerator, this keeps for up to a week.

Grill the Chicken and Make the salad:

  1. Rub the avocado oil all over the corn to coat it evenly.
  2. Oil the grill grates by dipping a paper towel in a small amount of oil and distributing it evenly over the grate with tongs while heating the grill to 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit. As a surefire way to start a good flare-up, avoid using too much oil; a little goes a long way here.)
  3. Add the corn to the hot pan and cook, turning once every two minutes, until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes total. In the meantime, place the skewers on the grill as well. Cook the first side for three to four minutes, or until nice grill marks appear.
  4. After flipping the skewers, generously brush the grilled side with the reserved BBQ sauce. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and nice grill marks have formed on both sides. As you cook the chicken, close as much of the grill as you can. Set the chicken and corn aside, and allow the corn to cool enough to handle.
  5. In the meantime, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, cilantro, and basil in a large bowl. Toss the salad with the dressing to your liking until the lettuce is well-coated.
  6. Add the diced avocado and corn from the husk to the salad and gently toss once more to combine.
    Enjoy it with the grilled chicken!