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California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Recipe
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California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Recipe

Make our California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad Recipe at home tonight for your family. With our Secret Restaurant Recipe your BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad will taste just like California Pizza Kitchen.
Prep Time35 minutes
Active Time30 minutes
Soaking Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: BBQ Sauce, Salad, Salad Dressing
Cuisine: American
Keyword: California Pizza Kitchen
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

BBQ Ranch Dressing

  • 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk
  • 4 tablespoons BBQ Sauce store bought or homemade, of choice
  • 1 tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch Powder
  • 1 clove Garlic grated
  • Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste, to taste

Crispy Onion Straws

  • 1 large Red Onion
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups Buttermilk
  • 1 2/3 cup Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Salt
  • Dash Cayenne
  • Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste, to taste
  • Canola Oil for frying

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

  • 4 Chicken Breasts
  • Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
  • 1 cup BBQ Sauce store bought or homemade, of choice, divided
  • 3 - 4 heads Romaine Lettuce chopped
  • 2 Tomatoes diced
  • 2 Ears Corn, shucked, rinsed and kernels cut from the cob or 1 cup canned Corn Kernels
  • 1 can Black Beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 Avocado
  • Fresh Cilantro chopped

Instructions

BBQ Ranch Dressing

  • Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Mix well. Set aside. This can be done in advance. Store, covered, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.

Crispy Onion Straws

  • Cut both ends off of red onion. Peel off papery skin.
  • Using a mandolin, slice into thin rounds (as thin as you can get them).
  • Separate all the rings and lay them into a shallow baking dish.
  • Cover with 1 1/2 -2 cups buttermilk. Set aside and allow to soak for 30 - 45 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, cayenne and black pepper.
  • Heat oil in a deep skillet to 350°F.
  • Using tongs, remove a small amount of onions from the dish. Allow excess buttermilk to drip off.
  • Toss onions in flour mixture to coat. Shake off excess.
  • Place floured onions into hot oil. Shallow fry until crispy and golden, flipping half way through, about 2 - 3 minutes per side.
  • Remove from oil. Place onto a paper towel-covered plate to drain.
  • Repeat with remaining onions until all have been cooked. Set aside until ready to use.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

  • Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
  • Bake or grill chicken breasts to an internal temperature of 165°F. During last few minutes of cooking, baste the chicken breasts with 3/4 cups of the BBQ sauce, making sure to get both sides. Set aside to cool. Cut into bite-sized cube pieces. This, too, can be done in advance. Store, covered, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
  • Starting at the top, with a very sharp knife, cut down into each avocado until you hit the pit. Cut completely around the avocado, top to bottom, touching the pit the entire time.
  • Pull the two halves of the avocado apart and remove the pit with a spoon.
  • Use the spoon to scoop the avocado out of the skin.
  • Cut avocado flesh into cubes.
  • Divide lettuce evenly among four large salad plates or bowls.
  • Add 1/4 of tomato, corn, black beans and avocado
  • Top each salad with 1/4 of the cubed up chicken breast.
  • Add a handful of the onion straws.
  • Top with a drizzle of the BBQ Ranch Dressing and a drizzle of the remaining BBQ sauce.
  • Sprinkle a bit of cilantro over top, to garnish.
  • Serve cold.

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