I developed this recipe yesterday as my wife and I planned our meals for the week. Typically, Carissa will tell me the type of dish she wants and I come up with the recipe in my head to put my own spin on it. It’s a pretty good system that usually works out well. Not to say that recipe I develop is perfect and tasty – I have had my share of misses, but this weekend ritual of ours has taken an otherwise mundane task and turned it into something I look forward to on a weekly basis.
I cooked the chicken low and slow on my charcoal grill to achieve a delicious smoky flavor that perfectly cuts through the sweet, creamy and tangy barbeque ranch dressing. This salad turned out to be the perfect, light summer dish. Give this recipe a try the next time you’re looking for something on the grill other than burgers, dogs and brats.
Barbeque Chicken Salad
Barbeque Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 ears corn, shucked
- 2 hearts romaine lettuce, wash and chopped or torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 can black beans
- 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup shredded jalapeno cheese (or Monterey Jack)
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 corn tortillas, cut into strips
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup barbeque sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s)
- 2 tsp. cider vinegar
Directions:
- Mix salt, cumin, sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, Old Bay, cayenne and black pepper together in a small bowl.
- Rub spice mixture evenly onto chicken thighs.
- Set-up grill for indirect grilling.
- Place chicken and corn on the grill.
- Grill the corn for 15 minutes and then remove and let cool.
- Grill the chicken for 25 – 30 minutes until cooked throughout.
- Remove chicken from grill and let rest, loosely covered with foil.
- Stand corn up on cutting board and remove the kernels from the cob by running your knife down the length of the cob.
- Toss lettuce, bell peppers, black beans, cheese, onion and corn together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Place vegetable oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When the oil gets to 350 degrees, add tortillas strips. Fry until golden brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from the oil, place on a paper towel and season immediately with a good pinch of kosher salt.
- In a bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, barbeque sauce and vinegar.
- Dice chicken and add to salad.
- Toss salad with dressing and then garnish with tortilla strips.
Tagged: barbecue sauce, bell peppers, black beans, cheddar cheese, chicken, cider vinegar, corn, grilled chicken, grilling, jalapeno cheese, Old Bay, ranch dressing, summer, tortillas
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