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This Ranch Chicken Salad has been on repeat in my kitchen for years. Made with pan-seared chicken, veggies, avocado, and a homemade Greek yogurt ranch dressing.
I love this salad, and it’s one of those salad recipes I keep coming back to, week after week. Made with pan-seared chicken breast, fresh greens, avocado, corn, and a homemade ranch dressing that’s made with Greek yogurt instead of mayo.
If you love a good chicken salad, you’ll also want to try my Strawberry Chicken Salad.
Why This Salad Is Great
- It is filling with 306 calories and 32g of protein
- The ranch dressing is made with Greek yogurt. Made without any mayo.
- Takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish.
Recipe Overview
Ingredients for Chicken Ranch Salad
Below are the ingredients I used for this salad. Full measurements can be found in the recipe card.
- Chicken Breast: You may use chicken thighs instead if you prefer. Other proteins, like shrimp, will be fine as well.
- Oil: I use Olive Oil to cook the chicken but you can use avocado oil,
- Veggies: Greens of choice, Red Onion, English Cucumber, Cherry or grape tomatoes, Avocado, and Corn.
- For the Homemade Ranch Dressing, if you want to make it from scratch, you will need Plain non-fat Greek yogurt, Garlic cloves, Lemon Juice, olive oil, Dijon Mustard, Fresh chives, Fresh parsley, Fresh dill, salt, and pepper.
About That Homemade Ranch Dressing
Instead of reaching for a bottle of store-bought ranch (which is fine in a pinch, no judgment), I use plain non-fat Greek yogurt as the base for this dressing. It gives you the same creamy, tangy ranch flavor but with a fraction of the calories and a nice little protein boost.
Fresh herbs are non-negotiable here. You must use fresh, instead of, like, chives, parsley, and dill. They make the dressing taste fresh instead of like something from a packet.
The trick I love, though, is I use a third of the dressing to marinate the chicken before I cook it. The chicken soaks up all those flavors and comes out so much more delicious.
How to Make It
1. Make the dressing first. Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar, put the lid on, and shake it until everything is combined. Taste it and adjust the salt and pepper.
2. Marinate the chicken. Pour about a third of the dressing over the chicken pieces and let them sit in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. If you have more time, even 30 minutes makes a difference. Pop the rest of the dressing in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
3. Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and don’t crowd it, or it’ll steam instead of sear. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Let it rest for a couple of minutes before adding it to the salad.
4. Assemble and serve. Add your greens to a big bowl, then add in the tomatoes, cucumber, corn, red onion, and avocado. Top with the chicken. Drizzle the remaining ranch dressing over everything right before serving, then toss everything together.
Recipe Tips
- Short on time? Use a rotisserie chicken. Skip the marinating, shred the chicken, and just toss it in a little of the dressing before adding it to the salad.
- Don’t want the salad to get soggy? Keep the dressing separate until you are ready to serve. If you’re packing this for lunch, store everything in separate containers.
- Meal prepping this? The dressing lasts up to 7 days in the fridge. The assembled salad is best within 2 to 3 days. Keep in mind, though, the greens will soften a bit over time.
- Swap the protein. Don’t like chicken? Shrimp works really well here, too.
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Common Questions
The homemade ranch for this chicken salad should last about 5-7 days if stored in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge. Most homemade ranch dressings should also last about 4-7 days. Also, it is not recommended to freeze ranch dressing.
Yes. If you prefer to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast to make your chicken ranch salad, you can. Thighs are juicier and a little more forgiving if you overcook them slightly. Either works great here.
If you have leftovers, store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Some of the ingredients, like the greens and tomatoes, will wilt a bit.
Fresh really does taste better here, but in a pinch, you can use dried. Just use about a third of the amount since dried herbs are more concentrated.
If you can’t do Greek yogurt, you can use regular plain yogurt or even a light sour cream. It won’t be quite as thick, but it’ll still taste great.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad
- Greek Quinoa Salad Bowls
- Avocado Tomato Salad
- Mexican Shrimp Salad
- Spicy Shrimp Avocado Salad
- Garden Salad
- Vegetarian Pasta Salad
I’m so grateful you’re here and part of this community. If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and let me know how it goes. Your feedback is always appreciated.
Healthy Ranch Chicken Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken Breast, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 Cups Packed Greens of choice
- ¼ Small Red Onion, sliced
- ¾ Cup Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ English Cucumber, sliced or chopped
- 1 Avocado, sliced
- ⅓ Cup Corn, Fresh or canned
Homemade Ranch Dressing
- 1 Cup Plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons Fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons water, plus more for a thinner dressing
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Start with making the homemade ranch dressing. Add all the ingredients to a small jar, place the lid on, then shake to emulsify. (1 Cup Plain non-fat Greek yogurt, 2-3 Cloves Garlic, 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice, 1 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard, 2 tablespoons Fresh chives, 1 tablespoon Fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon Fresh dill, Sea salt and pepper, to taste)
- Pour about 1/3 of the dressing over the 1 pound Chicken Breast (chopped) and allow it to marinate for at least 15 minutes. Refrigerate the remaining dressing until ready to use.
- Next, heat 1 tablespoon Olive Oila large non-stick pan, and add the chicken in a single layer. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- To assemble the salad, add 4 Cups Packed Greens of choice to a large bowl. Top with remaining ingredients (¼ Small Red Onion, ¾ Cup Cherry or grape tomatoes, ½ English Cucumber, 1 Avocado, ⅓ Cup Corn).
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken: You can use chicken thighs instead if you prefer. Don’t like chicken? Use shrimp.
- Want to add any other veggies like olives? Go ahead, but keep in mind that anything you add will alter the calorie amount.
- If you do not want to make the ranch from scratch, that is fine. Use your favorite Ranch dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love all your recipes Thank You.
Thank you so much
Salads are my favorite
This was so good! Great to have tasty healthy options. My kids love it!
This was so good! Great to have tasty healthy options. My kids love it!
Really tasty. Zingy colours, great dressing, moist chicken. 10 out of 10
I am going to try it today it looks healthy, delicious and cost effective
How many cals without the dressing?
This came out really good. I’ve made other marinated chicken and the flavor just wasn’t flavorful enough. I love how this one really delivered. Perfect for meal prepping. I did have to water down the dressing because I think my blender didn’t blend it down all the way, but that’s just my own preference.
Glad you loved it
Hoe many calories without the dressing?
It was amazing
This homemade ranch dressing is a healthy and delicious alternative to bottled dressing. It tastes so refreshing and I am so happy I found an easy, healthy dressing to make and prepare for my family! Thank-you!!
Thanks so much Karisa
Hi! Would this store well in the fridge if I wanted to make it ahead for my lunches this week? Thank you 🙂
Hi there. Yes, it should but don’t add the dressing on until you are ready to eat.
This Salad is healthy and so easy to put together. The dressing is all fresh ingredients better then store bought. I’m always looking for recipes to wow my guests. And I can say I’ll be making this during the hot and humid weather in NC