This BBQ Chicken Salad has all the great flavor and crunchy texture of California Pizza Kitchen’s famous salad. This quick and easy no-cook salad is perfect for a busy day and is packed with everything you love about the restaurant version.
If you like main course salads with big flavor, you’ll love my Southwestern Chicken Salad and Mediterranean Chicken Salad.
There’s the crunch from romaine lettuce, little bits of jicama and crispy tortilla strips. Vibrant color and flavor from sweet corn, tomatoes and creamy avocado. And, a boost of protein from chicken breast and black beans. All that deliciousness is tossed in ranch dressing and drizzled with BBQ sauce to create one of my all-time favorite salads.
Copycat CPK BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad
I’m a decades-long fan of the BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad at California Pizza Kitchen. When we lived in California we had several different CPK locations within about a 15 minute drive from our house. I breathed a big sigh of relief when we got to Oregon and found them here. It’s the damn salad that keeps me coming back!
I crave this salad so often that I had to start making my own version at home. It’s surprisingly close in taste and texture to the restaurant version and much less expensive to make yourself.
Ingredient notes
- lettuce – crisp, crunchy and the only greens you’ll need for this salad.
- coriander – The perfect flavor complements Southwestern tastes in this salad.
- Fresh scent – I was a little surprised to see basil listed in CPK’s ingredient list but it adds a nice, fresh element. If you leave it out, the salad will lack this something, that something.
- Green onions – Thinly sliced
- corn – You can slice a balanced corn of sweet corn or thaw some frozen corn.
- Jicama – Can you say crunch? Jicama is a white root vegetable with the texture of a crunchy apple. If a potato and an apple had a baby it would be jicama.
- Canned black beans
- Grated Monterey Jack cheese – You can use cheddar but if you want to be true to the CPK version, stick with jack.
- Outdoor salad dressing – Your favorite brand. I love Litehouse Homestyle Ranch.
- barbecue sauce– We are kinder fans here.
- Boiled chicken – I use rotisserie chicken breast meat but you can cook your own if you like.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- lemons – CPK always sticks a lime wedge into the salad so you can squeeze the juice over the salad. Really good!
- Date tomatoes – They are firm, bright red, and the best choice for this salad.
- Avocado – At CPK avocado is an option, but not in this house! Avocado is never optional.
- Tortilla strips – You can find tortilla strips in the section of your store where they contain croutons and other salad toppings. You can also use crushed tortilla chips.
How to make barbecue chicken salad
- Toss the salad – In a large salad bowl, throw the lettuce, cilantro, basil, green onion, corn, jicama, beans and cheese. Toss with the ranch dressing.
- Prepare the chicken – In a separate small bowl, toss the chicken with pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon of BBQ sauce, and 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice.
- Assemble the salads – Divide the salad mixture between four bowls. Spoon the chicken in the center and drizzle the remaining barbecue sauce over it. Sprinkle the tomatoes and avocado on the end of each salad and sprinkle with tortilla strips.
Serve the salads with lime wedges stuck in each bowl. It’s delicious to squeeze fresh lime juice over the whole thing before digging in.
Tips for the Best Copycat CPK BBQ Chicken Salad
- Chop everything well so that you get a little of each bite in each bite. This is essential to a good chopped salad.
- Use fresh sweet corn during the summer when available. Boil it briefly and slice the kernels from the cob with a sharp knife.
- If you use frozen corn, thaw it in the refrigerator or put it in a colander and run cold water over it until it thaws. Be sure to drain it well before adding it to the salad.
- The combination of fresh basil and coriander adds a unique flavor element that will remind you of the restaurant version.
- For the freshest and crispiest salad, serve it immediately after assembly.
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Barbecue Chicken Salad (CPK Copycat)
This BBQ Chicken Salad has all the great flavor and crunchy texture of California Pizza Kitchen’s famous salad. This quick and easy no-cook salad is perfect for a busy day and is packed with everything you love about the restaurant version.
Component
- 6 cups Finely chopped romaine lettuce
- ⅓ Goblet Chopped coriander leaves, Thick stems were removed
- 2 spoons Chopped fresh basil leaves
- 3 Green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 Goblet corn seeds, Frozen or fresh (see comments section below)
- ½ Goblet Chopped jicama
- 15 ounces Canned black beans, Washed and drained
- 1 Goblet Grated Monterey Jack cheese
- ⅓ Goblet Ranch Salad Dressing
- ⅓ Goblet barbecue sauce, divided
- 2 cups Chopped boiled chicken breast, I use rotisserie chicken breast meat
- Freshly ground black pepper, taste
- 2 lemons, cut into cubes
- 1 Goblet Chopped Roma tomatoes
- 1 Avocado, chopped
- Tortilla strips, for decoration
Instructions
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In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce, cilantro, basil, green onion, corn, jicama, beans and cheese. Toss with the ranch sauce and divide the mixture between 4 serving bowls.
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In a separate small bowl, toss the chicken with pepper to taste, 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, and 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice. Sprinkle the chicken in the center of each of the 4 salad bowls and drizzle the chicken with the remaining barbecue sauce.
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Sprinkle the tomatoes and avocado on the end of each salad and sprinkle with tortilla strips. Serve with a slice of lime tucked into a bowl (it’s delicious to squeeze fresh lime juice over everything before eating).
Remarks
if used frozen corn, thaw it in the refrigerator or place it in a strainer and run cold water over it until thawed. Be sure to drain it well before adding it to the salad.
diet
Calories: 492 KKL · Carbohydrates: 53 G · protein: 18 G · Fat: 26 G · Saturated fat: 8 G · Polyunsaturated fat: 7 G · Unsaturated fat: 9 G · Cholesterol: 30 mg · sodium: 1021 mg · potassium: 1191 mg · fiber: 16 G · Sugar: 13 G · vitamin: 7243 IU · Vitamin C: 37 mg · calcium: 320 mg · iron: 4 mg
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to your ingredient labels at home.
