Juicy grilled sweet corn and tender BBQ-brushed chicken thighs are the best match in this loaded BBQ chicken chopped salad.
I know it’s not even Memorial Day weekend yet but I’m already in the thick of summer salads over here!
And speaking of which, this chopped salad is one that I HIGHLY recommend you add to your cookout agenda for the upcoming holiday weekend! We’re definitely loading it up with the good stuff.
Basically it’s all the things you love at a cookout aka BBQ chicken and corn-on-the-cob rolled into one glorious chopped salad that gets assembled straight on your cutting board. If you make one salad this summer it needs to be this one!
You can whip this salad up in only about 30 minutes and basically you can assemble it all straight from the grill to the cutting board! Mix up the dressing in advance to save extra time.
You can even meal prep all the components ahead of time, assemble in containers, and toss with the dressing when ready to serve. Literally, you can’t go wrong with this salad.
This Chopped Salad features…
- Juicy grilled BBQ chicken thighs and sweet corn
- A sweet and creamy BBQ ranch dressing
- Chopped romaine lettuce, green onions, and cherry tomatoes
Making the Chopped Salad
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Barbecue sauce
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Buttermilk
- Worcestershire sauce
- Smoked paprika
- Dried parsley
- Chili powder
- Sweet corn
- Chicken thighs
- Vegetable oil
- Romaine lettuce
- Green onions
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cheddar cheese
Choosing Your Chicken
I recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. This cut of chicken is fast to cook up on the grill and turns out super tender and juicy.
If you don’t have thighs on hand, boneless skinless chicken breasts will also work, however, you may need to adjust the cook time slightly if they are thicker breasts. Always use a kitchen thermometer to test the internal temperature of meat.
Tips for Perfect Chopped Salad
- Mix up dressing first – have the dressing ready to go so once the chicken and corn is grilled you can assemble the salad immediately.
- Rub chicken and corn with spice mix – a simple spice mix of chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper adds a boost of flavor to the chicken and corn.
- Grill corn and chicken until slightly charred – cook the chicken brushing occasionally with barbecue sauce until it reaches 165F and the corn is bright yellow and charred all over. Be aware, the corn may finish cooking before the chicken.
- Chop all ingredients together – for traditional chopped salad, assemble all the salad ingredients (minus the corn – remove the kernels from cob separately) on a large cutting board and use a chef’s knife to chop all the ingredients together.
- Serve salad immediately after dressing – wait to dress the salad until just before serving so all the ingredients stay fresh.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this salad.
- Use another dressing – try a bottled ranch or bleu cheese dressing in place of the homemade.
- Skip the chicken – grill mushrooms or zucchini in place of the chicken for a vegetarian version.
- Try another cheese – feta, fresh mozzarella, or burrata would be great in place of the cheddar.
Stovetop Instructions
Follow these instructions for how to cook the chicken and corn indoors instead of on the grill.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet (or brush over a large cast iron grill pan) Once pan is hot, add chicken and sear on both sides until chicken registers 165F, adding more oil to pan as needed. Note: if you are using a thicker cut of chicken, such as a chicken breast, I recommend searing chicken on both sides, then finish cooking in a 400F oven 5-10 minutes.
To cook the corn, submerge cobs in boiling water and allow to cook 5-8 minutes until corn is bright yellow.
Meal Prep Instructions
Assemble the salad through step 1 (of the chopped salad section of the recipe). Store salad and dressing separately in refrigerator up to 4 days. When ready to serve, toss dressing and shredded cheddar with salad and serve.
This salad may actually fool you into thinking you’re eating something other than salad because that’s how packed full of incredible flavor it is! The smoky barbecue chicken pieces and sweet corn work together flawlessly and paired with the creamy barbecue ranch dressing is a total flavor home run.
Nope, you’re not dreaming, this is just the cookout salad of summer 2025.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More summery salads to make next!
- Blueberry Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
- Blackened Chicken Avocado Pasta Salad
- Peach Caprese Pasta Salad
Grilled Sweet Corn BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Barbecue Ranch Dressing
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Grilled Sweet Corn and Chicken
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 medium ears sweet corn, husk and silk removed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Chopped Salad
- 6 cups romaine lettuce, torn into medium pieces
- 1 small bunch green onions
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Barbecue Ranch Dressing
- In a medium bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together until smooth. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
Grilled Sweet Corn and Chicken
- In a small bowl, combine chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub half of spice mixture all over chicken thighs.
- Rub sweet corn all over with vegetable oil and coat with remaining half of spice mixture.
- Preheat an outdoor grill to 400F OR prepare a large skillet to use indoors on stovetop by greasing well.
- Arrange chicken thighs on grill or in skillet on stovetop and allow to cook 3-4 minutes on first side. Flip chicken thighs and begin brushing barbecue sauce onto thighs, turning thighs and brushing with sauce frequently until chicken registers 165F. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
- Arrange sweet corn on grill and grill 5-8 minutes, turning frequently until corn is bright yellow and slightly charred. Transfer corn to a large cutting board and once cool enough to handle, remove kernels from cobs then transfer to a bowl.
Chopped Salad
- Place chicken thighs, romaine lettuce, green onions, and cherry tomatoes on same cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut salad into bite-sized pieces.
- Transfer chopped salad to a large serving bowl and top with corn, shredded cheddar and drizzles of barbecue ranch dressing. Toss salad until evenly coated in dressing and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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