This hearty BLT salad with avocado and grilled chicken is the perfect comfort food disguised as a salad! It’s got all the deliciousness of a BLT sandwich but in a wholesome, satisfying bowl.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Salad Recipes
This hearty and filling BLT salad is inspired by the classic bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich combo. With the addition of chicken (or turkey) and creamy avocado, it’s by no means a ‘light’ salad but it covers all the bases – protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats – and it tastes A-mazing!
You’ve got crunchy bacon, juicy tomatoes, tender grilled chicken (or turkey, if you wish), and creamy avocado – a lovely juxtaposition of textures and flavours. Plus, it’s nutritionally balanced and satiating, so you can serve up this chicken BLT salad as a main meal for dinner or enjoy it for lunch.
👩🍳 If you love high-protein salads, check out Buffalo chicken salad, tuna and lentil salad, Mojo pork salad or Salmon Niçoise salad.
What You’ll Need For This BLT Salad
Here is what you’ll need for this BLT salad recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Protein: Chicken breast or turkey breast can be used, plus bacon (your favourite cut is fine as long as it’s crispy).
- Spices & seasonings: Sea salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika (to make that meat extra delicious!)
- Veggies: Baby gem lettuce or Cos lettuce, cherry tomatoes, semi-dried tomatoes (for extra flavour, you can use sun-dried tomatoes too), and green onions/scallions. Plus, creamy avocado! Feel free to add other veggies or leafy greens of choice.
- For the dressing: lemon juice, salt, pepper, Dijon or yellow mustard and a splash of olive oil.
- Oils: Coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil for cooking.
Recipe Tips
- Variations: Swap chicken for turkey, pork, or fish. Vegetarian? Skip the meat and bacon and add grilled tofu or chickpeas.
- Tomato tips: Semi-dried tomatoes add a nice texture and extra umami flavour, but sun-dried tomatoes work too if semi-dried aren’t available.
- Storage tips: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing and avocado separate to avoid sogginess.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this BLT chicken salad as a main dish for lunch or dinner. It’s also great paired with a slice of crusty bread or a light soup if you need more sustenance.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cooked & Loved
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 rashers of bacon
For the grilled chicken
- 8.8 oz chicken filet sliced (you can use more), 250 grams
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the dressing
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon Dijon or yellow mustard
For the salad
- 2 heads of baby gem lettuce
- 10 cherry tomatoes halved
- 10 small semi-dried tomatoes sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions scallions
- ½ large avocado sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside. Reserve the cooking fats.
- Season chicken slices with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Cook the chicken in the reserved bacon fat until well browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes each side.
- Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and mustard for the dressing.
- Arrange the outer lettuce leaves on a platter, chop the rest, and use them as the salad base.
- Drizzle with dressing and top with grilled chicken, tomatoes, green onions, and bacon.
- Add avocado slices, sprinkle with herbs, and drizzle with lemon juice.
Notes
- Storage Tips: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep the dressing and avocado separate to avoid sogginess.
- You can use any kind of protein in this salad. I grilled one large chicken breast filet for 2 servings but you can use free-range turkey, pork, fish, prawns, or even go without. Cook 2 chicken breasts for 4 servings.
- I like to use semi-dried tomatoes because they are softer to bite but if you can’t find any, feel free to use regular sun-dried tomatoes. They add lovely sweetness and texture to the salad.
Comment or Rate This Recipe
Made the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. You don’t need to leave a comment if rating a recipe, unless it’s 3 stars or below.
Comments
0 Comments