Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad

Plated BBQ ranch chicken salad with BBQ ranch dressing being poured over the top.

5 from 7 votes

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad

This slow cooker BBQ chicken ranch salad is a great option for dinner on a busy night. We love that this meal can be mostly prepped ahead of time so dinner comes together in a pinch. It's fresh and balanced and the BBQ ranch is the perfect finishing touch.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4

Total Time20

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 522kcal

Author: Olivia & Annie

Ingredients

For the slow cooker chicken:

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup BBQ sauce (if your BBQ sauce isn't very sweet, you can add a tablespoon of honey)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For the salad:

6 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
1 cup black beans
1 cup corn
½ cup diced red onion
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup crispy tortilla strips

Optional Toppings:

Diced avocado, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro

For the Dressing:

¾ cup ranch dressing (dairy-free if needed)
3 tablespoons BBQ sauce

Instructions

Start by preparing the BBQ chicken. Plan accordingly to allow the chicken in the crockpot enough time to cook. Place the chicken in the crockpot and evenly pour the BBQ sauce over. Add the apple cider vinegar. Cook in the crockpot for 3-4 hours on high, or 4-5 hours on low.
Once the chicken is fully cooked and easily shreds, shred the chicken using two forks. Mix well and turn off the crockpot. Let the chicken sit for 15-20 more minutes with the crockpot lid off to allow it to absorb some of the barbeque sauce.
In a large bowl, add the chopped romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, red onion, and grape tomatoes. Toss the ingredients until well combined. Add the BBQ chicken you prepared and toss the salad again.
In a small jar, add the bbq sauce and ranch dressing. Shake until well combined.
Toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing. If you are planning to have leftovers, we recommend tossing each individual salad to prevent the salad from getting soggy. Top the salad with shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, and tortilla strips if desired.

Notes

Save time: purchase pre-chopped romaine lettuce.
Make ahead: Make the dressing beforehand. Chop and prepare the toppings beforehand.
This recipe is gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free with the choice of a dairy-free ranch like Primal Kitchen.
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Salad." The nutrition is calculated with Bolthouse Greek Yogurt Ranch. The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.

Nutrition