Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
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Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad - A crowd-pleasing salad with layers of veggies, chicken, bacon, boiled eggs, cheese and a homemade ranch dressing. Looks gorgeous when prepared in a trifle bowl!
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This Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad is an easy no-cook lunch or dinner. It's full of all of my favorite salad additions and topped with a homemade ranch dressing.
There's no need to cook or turn on your oven for this layered salad! You can use canned chicken or any leftover chicken that you have on hand. It's a great way to give new life to leftover chicken.
Make plans to bring this salad to your next picnic or barbecue for sharing. Everyone will love it and it doesn't get any easier than this!
Oh, and if you're loving layered salads this summer, you should check out my seven layered salad too!
HOW TO MAKE A LAYERED CHICKEN BACON RANCH SALAD
For this gorgeous salad, you'll need:
- Ingredients for my Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing or your favorite bottled ranch dressing
- Lettuce
- Bell pepper
- Yellow pepper
- Frozen corn
- Grape tomatoes
- Red onion
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Bacon
- Canned chicken breast or cooked shredded chicken
- Green onions
- Hard boiled eggs
PREPARING THE DRESSING
Let me begin by saying I LOVE this dressing. My preference is to make it a day or two early to really allow the flavors to meld.
If you don't want to go through the steps of making the ranch dressing yourself, you can grab a bottle of your favorite ranch and just use that!
MAKING THE SALAD
For the Salad
In a large trifle bowl, layer the following:
- ⅓ lettuce
- ½ red pepper and ½ yellow pepper
- ⅓ corn
- ½ tomatoes
- ½ red onion and 1 cup cheese
- ⅓ bacon
- ½ chicken, then drizzle ½ cup prepared dressing
For the 2nd layer, follow these instructions:
⅓ lettuce, ½ red pepper, ½ yellow pepper, ⅓ corn, ½ tomatoes, ½ red onion, 1 cup cheese, ⅓ bacon, ½ chicken, then drizzle ½ cup prepared dressing.
And finally, for the 3rd layer:
⅓ lettuce, ⅓ corn, ½ cup shredded cheese, ⅓ bacon, green onions, drizzle ½ cup dressing around the edge, then top with egg and remaining tomatoes.
Go ahead and place some plastic wrap over the bowl and chill the salad for two hours prior to serving.
DO I NEED TO USE CANNED CHICKEN?
You don't. This recipe is great because you can use any type of chicken that you have on hand!
I normally use canned chicken, but I have also used leftover chicken as well! Rotisserie chicken is a great option for this salad, too.
DO I NEED TO THAW THE CORN?
No, you do not need to thaw the frozen corn for this recipe. As the salad chills in the fridge after layering, the corn will thaw out and be ready to go when you serve the salad.
CAN I USE BOTTLED RANCH DRESSING
You sure can! The beauty of this recipe is how versatile it is. Feel free to use your favorite pre-made ranch dressing in place of the homemade buttermilk option.
HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVERS?
The leftovers can stay right in the trifle dish, so place a piece of cling wrap on top and stick it back in the fridge. This salad will stay fresh for 2-3 days after making it.
OTHER DELICIOUS SALADS TO TRY
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Panzanella Salad
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Seven Layer Salad
- Green Bean Salad
- Dorito Taco Salad
Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing or your favorite bottled ranch dressing
For the Salad
- 9 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 yellow pepper (diced)
- 12 ounces frozen corn (will thaw as salad chills)
- 2 cups grape tomato halves
- 1 medium red onion (diced)
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 pound bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- 2 cans chicken breast
- 3 green onions (chopped)
- 2 hard boiled eggs (cut into wedges)
Instructions
For the Homemade Dressing
- Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- For best flavor, cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or up two days days.
For the Salad
In a large trifle bowl, layer the following:
1st Layer:
- ⅓ lettuce, ½ red pepper, ½ yellow pepper, ⅓ corn, ½ tomatoes, ½ red onion, 1 cup cheese, ⅓ bacon, ½ chicken, then drizzle ½ cup prepared dressing.
2nd Layer:
- ⅓ lettuce, ½ red pepper, ½ yellow pepper, ⅓ corn, ½ tomatoes, ½ red onion, 1 cup cheese, ⅓ bacon, ½ chicken, then drizzle ½ cup prepared dressing.
3rd Layer:
- ⅓ lettuce, ⅓ corn, ½ cup shredded cheese, ⅓ bacon, green onions, drizzle ½ cup dressing around the edge, top with egg and remaining tomatoes
- Chill for two hours prior to serving.
Notes
- Chill the salad for at least two hours before serving.
- You can use canned chicken, leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
- Feel free to use bottled ranch for a quicker option.