Crispy Chicken Cobb Jar Salad (Print)

Vibrant layered salad with crispy chicken, bacon, blue cheese, and hard-boiled egg in convenient mason jars.

# Ingredients:

→ Crispy Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 cup buttermilk
03 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
04 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
09 - Olive oil spray

→ Salad

10 - 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
11 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
12 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
13 - 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
14 - 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
15 - 1 avocado, diced
16 - 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
17 - 1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

→ Dressing

18 - 1/3 cup mayonnaise
19 - 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
20 - 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
21 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
22 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
23 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
24 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Immerse chicken pieces in buttermilk and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Combine panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Remove chicken from buttermilk, dredge thoroughly in breadcrumb mixture, and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Apply even coating of olive oil spray.
03 - Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before handling.
04 - Whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fresh chives, salt, and pepper until smooth and emulsified.
05 - In four 16-ounce mason jars, layer ingredients in sequential order: dressing, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bacon, blue cheese, hard-boiled egg, crispy chicken, and romaine lettuce. Add avocado immediately before consumption to prevent oxidation.
06 - Seal jars tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve. Shake jar vigorously or transfer contents to a bowl to combine all components before eating.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The chicken stays ridiculously crispy because its separated from the dressing until youre ready to eat.
  • You can make four jars on Sunday and have gorgeous, Instagram worthy lunches all week without any soggy lettuce drama.
  • Its secretly healthier than most takeout salads but tastes way more indulgent thanks to the bacon and blue cheese.
  • Everything shakes together in seconds, so theres no need for separate containers or awkward desk assembly.
02 -
  • Do not put the dressing anywhere except the very bottom, or your lettuce will turn into a soggy green puddle within hours.
  • If you add the avocado on prep day, it will oxidize and look unappetizing by Wednesday, so keep it separate or add it fresh each morning.
  • Let the chicken cool for at least 10 minutes before adding it to the jar, or the steam will wilt the lettuce and ruin the whole thing.
  • Press the air out as you layer so everything fits snugly, otherwise the ingredients will shift and mix before youre ready.
03 -
  • Use wide mouth mason jars so you can actually fit a fork inside and eat directly from the jar without making a mess.
  • Double the dressing recipe and keep extra in the fridge, it lasts a week and tastes incredible on any salad or as a veggie dip.
  • If you want to meal prep the chicken in bulk, freeze the baked pieces in a single layer, then reheat in the oven at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes to recrisp them.
  • Invest in a set of jar lids with built in dressing containers if you make these often, they keep the dressing completely separate until the last second.
Back